When horrific acts of violence happen around the world, our first instinct is to try to understand why. We look for solutions and try to understand what drives people to commit these seemingly senseless acts. When these violent acts happen in our backyards, we begin to wonder about the safety of our families and the people around us.
On December 15, 2012, twenty children and six adults were killed in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut. I was seeing patients that day and did not hear about the shooting until it was mentioned to me by one of my patients. The overwhelming response from my patients that day was shock, fear, sadness and a reflection on their own lives. Many of my patients got in touch with the darker side of humanity and expressed feelings of confusion and fear as to why bad things happen in the world. As I watched my patients react to the mass shooting I noticed that I was numb to my own feelings about what had happened. I connected to their reaction to the shooting but was not connected to my own feelings about it.
In the weeks following the shooting I noticed newscast after newscast recounting the shooting. The media seemed to focus on asking why this happened and why children were the target. People seemed to channel their angst through discussions about gun control and a political dialogue that is still going on today. Despite all of this attention and my own interest in gun control, I continued to feel numb and kept changing the channel when there was coverage on the shooting.
I began to ask myself why I was not reacting to the shooting. Why was I not distraught and consumed by the horror of what happened to these innocent lives? In digging deeper I became in touch with my anger towards the media. I believe that most of these perpetrators of mass shootings are looking for fame that is provided by the media. I decided that I did not want to know the shooter’s name or why he committed this act. I did not want to contribute to the media frenzy that gives these people the attention they are so desperately seeking. I felt good about changing the channel and felt that I was not contributing to giving the shooter any of my attention.
Only after I allowed myself to have this process was I able to pay more attention to the discussion on gun control. I understand and empathize with the people who are seeking stricter gun control laws and with parents that want their children to be safe. I understand that these horrible acts trigger feelings of sadness and confusion about the state of the world. What I do not understand is why these horrible acts need to happen before we engage in important discussions such as stricter gun control.
So why am I writing about this topic and what does it have to do with multiculturalism? My answer is twofold: First, I hope that we can address the media culture and how it grants fame and notoriety to people that commit horrible acts. This perpetuates a cycle that may encourage or provide a format for people to commit these acts. Second, I think that events like these transcend ethnic culture and bring us back to our basic humanity. We are reminded of our fragility and unite to face the horrors that exist in the world. In this instance, the spotlight has shone on the gun culture in America and people are forced to take a closer look. It is worth taking a closer look at this culture in order to deepen our understanding of people’s attachment to guns and in the general hesitation to further regulate gun use. I would like to gain a deeper understanding of the gun culture and why people are so attached to their guns. I am also interested in understanding why people have attached the idea of freedom to gun ownership.
I hope that the dialogue continues and that something other than sensationalizing another shooter comes out of this horrible act of violence.
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