Guns, BSL, and male role models.

Is it just me, or have there been a lot of school shootings and violence lately? I'm thinking the world really might be ending; it's drowning in people's hatred and mental instability. Here's the deal: no matter what your problem is, killing or abusing animals and children is not the solution.

If you even touch on the thought that abusing and murdering those who are completely defenseless will make you feel better, validate you, make you more of a man, solve your problems, or whatever it might be, you need help. Right now.

I recently took a class in mass media and its effect on people, and the teacher had one very important point. School shootings are not about children shooting other children, or about people shooting other people. It's generally about boys shooting children. The class hypothesized the male role model has become so distorted through media, boys/men have nothing left to resort to other than weapons.

Do I have point? Not really, but it's a subject that needs to be lifted up in society. We have to start talking about these things or the tragedies will keep coming.

Most of my days are spent thinking about dogs -- surrounded by dogs -- and the immediate thought that comes to mind when tragedies like this happen is: People spend incredible amounts of time rounding up animals they think might be dangerous, but humans are much more dangerous than any animal could ever be. Show me a pitbull walking into a school with an assault rifle, killing 27 people and I'll get right behind the legislation against that happening.

Seriously, this isn't a joking matter. It's not funny at all, but I think BSL has come to be because our society is so volatile and dangerous, and this is one danger -- imagined or real -- people think they can control. We can't solve the real problem, so people happily make one up and find a solution. It doesn't matter how many people and pets have to suffer; the problem was solved and one group of people can sleep better at night.

Again, I don't really have a point. I'm still stunned by the idea of an adult going into a school to kill eight year olds.