After the Columbine school shooting in 1999, I wrote a letter to the editor where I lived in Michigan at the time. I am unable to remember the wording but do recall the overall content.
It started like this: Children learn by example. We verbalize to our children the need for peaceful conflict resolution. But we demonstrate otherwise. Violent destructive behavior of innocent human life. We continue “do as we say not as we do.”
There have been many changes since 1999. Our government has displayed how “might makes right,” ignores peaceful conflict resolution and uses violence over and over again against innocents throughout the world.
It has been reported there have been 25 fatal school shootings since Columbine. The numbers ever increase as our government’s violence increases exponentially around the world.
Some blame guns and some blame mental illness when deadly violence occurs at our schools. Perhaps the issue is our government’s example of weapons used to get even. Street justice rather than peaceful conflict resolution.
Don’t blame guns or mental illness. The blame lies with each and every one of us for allowing the destructive behavior from our government towards sovereign nations around the world.
Violence is coming home to roost because we bring violence to the most vulnerable innocents in the world, the children of other nations.
So it is in this nation. For our children have learned by example. Violence over peaceful conflict resolution.
Ray Southwell,
Nikiski