By Any Means

Some people just don't get it. I am really not sure if they really don't get it or if they just are so dedicated to their core beliefs, that they don't want to get it. I am writing, of course, about that tragic rampage in Pennsylvania.

I read a quote where the speaker was happy that the assailant didn't use a gun. I am sorry, but that is beyond stupid. It is the action and what led to the action that are important. The implement used matters not a whit.

The single most important thing is the state of mind of the doer leading up to the atrocity. No one takes action like this without a period of anguish, first. Unless a person is a total psychopath, they must be driven to such extremes by perceived devils, either living in their mind or taunting them in the real world. Such an action is not due to momentary anger.

I cannot help but feel that there has to be warning signs before the action. Unless a person is completely isolated, such warnings have to be noticeable. If a person is that isolated, that in itself should be a warning sign. When I was in public school, we had counselors that talked to each student two or three times a year. As much as they were advising students about classes and colleges, they were also looking for problems that might require intercession. I do not know if these services still exist. If they do not, they should.

Ultimately, it is the action that is important, not the tool used to accomplish the action. Timothy McVeigh used a mixture of fertilizer and oil to blow the facade off of a federal building. The Hungarians fought tanks with Molotov cocktails. There are recipes for home made explosives all over the internet.

If it is someones aim to wreak havoc, they will find a way. Some of those ways are far worse than guns or knives. It would probably be better if those responsible focused on the core of the problem rather than the means bad people use to accomplish their ends. They will do it by any means available.