On the morning of Oct. 24, I had just finished a letter to the Herald opposing I-594. Next I sent the following quote to some friends. “Emphasize the error, not the person committing it.”— Terri Lonier, Ph.D. Three hours later police cars started to fly by and I thought there had been a bad accident.
My letter stated that in the last five years, five crosses have been added to the road I live on. Death by alcohol, stupidity and automobiles. It implied that no deaths had occurred by guns. Now Oct. 24, 2014 arrived.
My heart goes out to anyone touched by any kind of violence, including genuine tragedy. As for gun deaths, I’m pretty sure that at least 95 percent of them are brought about by people that are under the influence of alcohol, drugs (legal or not), mental instability, or a combination of all of the above. Yet, people blame the gun, like the attorney out of Seattle blamed the road for the five deaths.
To the students of Marysville-Pillchuck High, and all students everywhere, in my humble opinion, it’s people of my generation that owe them a profound apology. We have done a pathetic job of making the world a safer place for them to live. We have allowed others to make a buck peddling drama, violence, and the constant dehumanization of others to have a platform/stage in their lives every day by way of rotten television, movies, video games and music about brutality.
For years I have watched hundreds of MPHS students run, trot, and walk by as they headed around the school for exercise. Never did I think I would see them run across the field with your hands in the air escorted by heavily armed police. This was a sad day. My condolences to all at MPHS.
To people of my generation, stop blaming the gun. Stop engaging in verbal dehumanization. If you really want to make us all safer, you’re going to have to reject violent television, movies, video games, dehumanizing music, and misuse of alcohol and drugs. Apply compassion to mental instability before someone tips over the edge and becomes a stalker/terrorist. People that want to hurt others will continue to obtain weapons of any kind or manor they can, such as stalkers/terrorists. The goal is to prevent someone from wanting to hurt others.
Benjamin Franklin said it well — “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”
P.S. To Providence Medical Center, you rock. Thank you for all you do and being here every day.
Penny Hansen
Marysville
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