Changes in culture explain recent shootings

Why? Why did he do it? They all ask about the Las Vegas shooting. This question often followed by a comment like: “Duh! we did’nt have this kinda thing in America when I grew up 40, 50, 60 years ago.” Ah! So true! Things were different back then.

So what was different in those fondly remembered more peaceful times?

Then the married two-parent American family was mostly intact. Now live-in situations are more common.

Then Dad was usually around to provide protection and example. Now it’s a weird kid who even knows for sure who Dad was.

Then most people belonged to a church of some kind. Now religion is unfashionable if not actually under attack.

Then, as a tenet of virtually all religions, most people believed that every person would someday, somehow be held accountable. Now, judging by their behavior, too many people couldn’t possibly really believe that.

Then human life in all its stages was mostly cherished and protected. Now life is threatened at all stages and killed by the millions in the very earliest stage.

Then media entertainment was mostly benign. Now more common is ugly hate-laced music and people blown away in endless delicious variation usually with (guess what?) guns of every kind.

So, do these contrasts between then and now, taken together, have some bearing on the “why” question in Las Vegas? (Duh! Do ya think?) I don’t know.

Ralph Dufresne

Marysville