Commentary Upon Washington State Shooting

The recent shooting at a Washington state school by a 15-year-old freshman is horrific, but once again has unanswered questions …

How did a 15-year-old freshman in high school obtain a handgun?

What is happening to our society and what makes youth today want to do what Fryberg did?

He was on the high school football team and declared 'prince' at the homecoming court. Allegedly it was all over breaking up with a girlfriend. His family is a prominent member of the Tulalip local tribe.

When I went to high school, one would be heartbroken about breaking up with a girlfriend – but even considering harming innocent people out of rage would be unthinkable and unheard of.

So what is the difference of the society I was raised in and society today?

The questions produce a myriad of answers because it is not focused upon one given problem; and it is not the fault of firearms – although a 15-year-old should not have access to firearms without adult supervision.

Those questions will not be examined by the media nor their political counterparts. It is just another excuse to counter the Second Amendment and recognize that, generally, law abiding citizens take firearm ownership seriously.

The NRA and other such organizations are continually demonized as crazed gun lovers and the cause of such occurrences, when in fact they constantly promote safety and responsible firearm ownership and handling. But where is the real blame, where is the gist of the real problem?

It is about time to look past the instrument causing the death and injury, and examine the character of the person wielding it – and the society that produces such persons who kill and wound students, fellow co-workers, and people attending a movie.

As one person who knew Fryberg, stated:

He was not a violent person. His family is known all around town. He was very well known. That's what makes it so bizarre.

In a society who thinks its okay for a president to have sex with an intern, an employee in an office, committing adultery, because “it's his private life”; a society that says it is not okay to sentence a murderer to death, but okay to kill unborn children in untold numbers; a society who picks at morality of Christians, while ignoring violent doctrine of Islam; and a society that has destroyed the important family nucleus and parents have no idea what their children are doing or being there to talk to when they have problems – why should this sort of horrific news be a surprise?

Society has come to expect government to fix its problems, when it is society that must look inward and see that something is wrong. It is time to draw lines. It is time to see that morality is not just a religious doctrine, but common sense and international golden rules that maintains a civilized nation.

It is time to reteach our youth and insist that the educational institution taken over by the state elite take a back seat and that parents take the front seat where they belong. It is time to get central, federal government out of our school system and turn it over to state and local governments coordinated with a parent-teacher relationship.

Teenagers go through a physical and mental metamorphosis and caught in limbo because they are not children nor are they adults. They need parents who teach and demonstrate that talking things out, entrusting personal feelings and thoughts to parents, is the answer instead of letting rage fester into unconscionable actions. 

I do not suggest that society return back to Puritanism, but our youth needs proper guidance and know that character and association is important - and taking anger out on innocent people is so very wrong. There can be a viable median.
When students are taught that the US Constitution is outdated and morality is for religious zealots; and the government mandates against parents on how to properly raise their children - what can one really expect?
There is no blanket answer to these questions because not everyone is the same nor in the same environmental situation; but it certainly is not the fault of the Second Amendment and law abiding citizens insisting upon the right to "keep and bear arms" for self-defense, hunting or sport shooting as their "inalienable" right and part of the natural, universal right of self-protection and freedom of choice.

Society, heal thyself - leaving it government and progressive nosey-bodies produces results like this tragedy.