Marybeth Hicks
The headline of Marybeth Hicks’ column (above) is undeniable and it doesn’t bode well for the future of the social fabric. From Townhall.com:
I wish, in the aftermath of yet another unspeakable act of violence, we would roll up our sleeves and have the conversation [about] our national crisis in cultural character. Mental illness is the devil’s playground, and in nearly all of the descriptions of the young men involved in mass murders, a common theme is revealed: a fixation on violent media and video games in which inflicting suffering on others brings enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment.
Only 10 months ago in the aftermath of the shooting at Chardon High School near Cleveland, in which two students were killed by a fellow teen, I wrote, “The harder yet more damning truth may be that children in this culture cannot escape the relentless messages of immorality that permeate the culture in which they live.
“Despite the best efforts of parents and families, schools and communities, the media-saturated existence of our youth — filled as it is with violence and vulgarity, evil and insanity — is defining too many of our children and presenting them with horrific examples of human behavior.”
What’s that they say about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result?
