DISCLAIMER: I write on this subject very much unwillingly. It's not that I feel it doesn't need to be discussed, I just find how big of a deal we make of things like this sort of disconcerting...
"We need more gun control! People like this should not be able to get their hands on guns!"
"Are you dumb?? We need more responsible, trained people to be able to protect us!"
I have seen these two arguments so many times, it makes me sick. My problem with them is that they seem to be a solution after the problem has already happened. I am a firm advocate of better mental health institutions as the solution to these kind of problems.
But that's not really what I want to talk about. I want to talk about our reaction to things like the shooting at Newtown, which is equal parts touching and sort of depressing. On one hand, you see people drawn together. Everyone feels for these people, and I think it helps many people transcend differences to recognize that we all hurt, that we all are human. And I view that as an extremely positive thing. I think we're too willing to nitpick over all the little ways we're different, which just breeds resentment.
On the other hand, we seem to split ourselves up. The above conversation is the most prevalent example of this. Instead of any sort of compassion towards the people affected, the two people in the conversation above simply point the blame finger everywhere but themselves.
That's the worst part about our political atmosphere now. It is everyone and everything's fault except your or your party's. Even conservatives, who consistently emphasize personal responsibility (an ideal I'm not opposed to), seem to take every available opportunity to point the finger at Democrats, and Democrats do likewise. Now I understand that that's kind of the point of our political system, but still this really seems to not be the right time to do it...
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