What is so very sad about the tragedy of what occurred in Aurora (and in Arizona and Virginia Tech) is that as a whole our society has become disassociated from what is happening to and with our fellow humans. Obviously the young men responsible for these killings were not/are not mentally stable. This type of mental illness does not occur suddenly. It is insidious. Symptoms begin to present, especially in young men, in late adolescence to early 20's. Surely those close to these men noticed changes in their personas yet because of the collective mindset of "it's not MY problem as long as it doesn't affect ME" dismissed the increasing bizarre behavior permission to persist rather than attempting to step in and try to help. Well, it IS our problem. As tragically displayed this past week, one can never be sure that "crazy" will never affect us.
Centuries ago John Donne wrote "No man is an island." It is as true then as is is now. What would have happened if someone, a family member, a friend, a co-worker had reached out to one of these individuals and guided them towards the psychiatric help they obviously needed/need. Of course, this in no way absolves the shooters of their responsibly in these tragedies...but I wonder if someone, ANYONE, had stepped in when these intelligent and promising young men began to exhibit bizarre behavior, could these tragedies have been averted.
To me, this makes this a tragedy on multiple levels. Not only are there horrific deaths, injuries, and families destroyed because of the actions of a madman but there is also the tragedy of perpetrator. Was there a time when he could have been helped and the heartbreak that resulted from his actions averted? His family will have to live with the possibility that perhaps they could have done something to prevent this catastrophe. The accused shooter in Aurora is obviously a brilliant young man. With his descent into madness, there was the permanent loss of a bright future that could have benefitted humanity in an unknown number of ways.
So what should be done? Is it possible for society help to prevent this from occurring yet again? We can certainly try and the way is simple: be more aware. Don't be afraid to speak up. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to reach out and show someone that they are not alone. Be kind. Don't pass judgement. Mental illness is NOT a character flaw. It is a disease of the brain, just like diabetes is a disease of the pancreas and arthritis is a disease of the joint except with mental illness the person affected has a change in personalitly and behavior instead of evelated blood sugar or pain. If everyone were to take the incentive of making a simple gesture of reaching out and showing concern prior to the ultimate mental decompensation, perhaps a disaster may be averted. We may never know, but if something does occur at least we may know that we tried. While the American society is based upon individual freedoms we need to realize that as an integrated community that has become smaller with the use of technology, collectively we DO have a responsibility to be our brother's keeper.
I don't have the answer to why these horrific massacres occur. I know true evil exists in the world but I also know there are many people who cannot get needed mental health care. Perhaps the Colorado shooter is the personification of evil, but maybe his actions are a result of a sick and delusional mind that is a vicitm of people looking the other way and allowing him to not receive the help he needed to continue his life and subsequently allow his victims' to continue their lives. In closing I'd like to leave my dear readers with this thought: in America it is easier for someone to legally obtain firearms than it is to obtain adequate treatment for mental illness. Until that changes I believe we will all be victims.
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