EDITORIAL : ACCEPTING BLAME; THE TRAGEDY IN LITTLETON MIGHT BE A CASE OF EVERYTHING GOING WRONG.SOME say it's our violent culture that's to blame for the horror in Littleton, Colo. Some say it's the parents' fault for not playing a more active role in raising their children. Some say we've fallen from grace as a nation and blame a godless god·less adj. 1. Recognizing or worshiping no god. 2. Wicked, impious, or immoral. god  less·ly adv. , morally bankrupt society.
Some say it's the teachers' fault, for letting anything go in the classroom. Some say it's the fault of a feeding-frenzy media, gorging gorging Nutrition The consumption of 1 or 2 'mega-meals'/day, linked to ↑ total cholesterol, LDL-C, apolipoprotein B. See Bingeing. Cf Nibbling. on violence and grief like an obsession and broadcasting ``uninterrupted live coverage'' of events at Columbine High School Columbine High School is a secondary school in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado. The school is located at 6201 South Pierce Street, one mile west of the Littleton city limits and half a mile south of the Denver city/county line. . Some blame guns and the NRA NRA (National Rifle Association of America) organization that encourages sharpshooting and use of firearms for hunting. [Am. Pop. Culture: NCE, 1895] See : Hunting . Some blame the Internet. Some see seeds of destruction in Hollywood's penchant for more blood and gore in movies and in sadistic sa·dism n. 1. The deriving of sexual gratification or the tendency to derive sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others. 2. The deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from cruelty. , suicidal lyrics in songs. Some blame computer games for creating a generation of alienated al·ien·ate tr.v. al·ien·at·ed, al·ien·at·ing, al·ien·ates 1. To cause to become unfriendly or hostile; estrange: alienate a friend; alienate potential supporters by taking extreme positions. adolescents. Some say it's peer abuse, the incessant, cruel teasing by popular kids of their geekier counterparts. Some blame drugs. As we listen to the national debate over this terrible tragedy, we begin to wonder, What if everyone's right? Perhaps it's a combination of these factors, and we are all yelling so loud we cannot hear that each of us has a valid set of values that needs to be respected and woven into a fabric of civility that breeds peace and harmony instead of hate and violence. An orgy of public hand-wringing is under way, as there is so often when a tragedy like the Littleton massacre strikes. But as so often happens, we fear a few laws will be passed and few dollars spent and the cultural moment will move on with nothing having changed. Too much of this debate is about how kids should behave better and how teachers should do even more, and too little about how adult America too often tolerates, even supports, aggressive and destructive behavior. Until the grownups grow up and behave civilly to each other, treat each other with tolerance, respect diversity and establish boundaries of behavior for fellow human beings, how can children be expected to act differently? Children emulate adult behavior. It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a we give them better role models. |
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