Ideas For Creating A Culture To Curb Violence

1). Abusers, predators, murderers (including serial and mass murderers, rapists, and all other kind of criminals start out as children growing up in home environments. While not all of them have grown up in bad or unhealthy homes, many have! Are you raising children? Commit to raising your children with a balance of unconditional love and reasonable limits; you'll increase the odds that they'll grow up to become empathic, compassionate and self-controlled. Give society the gift of children who will contribute to ending violence in all forms!

2). So many violent criminals of all kinds claim a history of regular viewing violent video games, watching violent movies, listening to music that glorifies or at least condones violence, and/or exposing themselves regularly to such media. Media of all kinds play a HUGE role in shaping our culture, make no mistake about it! So is it no wonder that it is contributing to our culture of violence?
Producers, stop producing the trash. Commercial advertisers, stop your endorsement of it. Parents, hard as it is, limit your children's access to such trash as long as they remain in your households. You can come up with much more that can be done about the media, no doubt!

3). I know that this discussion brings up STRONG feelings, but I cannot help but note that the easy availability of firearms is encouraging violence of all kinds. No, I'm not for any law-abiding citizen losing their gun rights! I know that it's argued that guns have protected innocent lives and while this is indeed be true, far more often people have used firearms to take innocent lives. Parents you MUST block the availability of guns so that your minor children can't access them! How many minor children have accidentally fired guns when parents have failed in this? Gun owners, if you live with someone who you know has tendencies to violence or depression, block their access to firearms! You may be saving lives.

4). How many violent offenders of all kinds have claimed mental illnesses and have been officially diagnosed with them or at least suspected of having them? Too many! Over and over, no one got them the help they needed. Why? There is a HUGE stigma to mental illness and because of this people do not reach out to get help for themselves or for others who are suspected of having mental illness. Health insurance companies, offer more generous coverage for mental health services. Parents, seek to get help for your children if they show any signs of emotional problems where they can pose a danger to themselves or others. All of us should encourage any adults in our lives, who show any signs of being a danger to self or others, to get help. We can all make a difference!

5). So many criminals, including the most heinous mass murderers, have been reported to have felt disenfranchised, rejected, marginalized, and alienated. This does not excuse any crime, but it is a good explanation for so much of it. Students, reach out and befriend those who are being bullied, who seem lost or don't fit in. Workers, reach out and befriend those co-workers whom others ignore or even sun. We all need to take people seriously when they report feeling ignored, marginalized, alienated, and listen. Don't just do this because you see them as "tragedies waiting to happen" but because it is the right thing to do, and to make a difference in THEIR lives. For society, we may be preventing tragedies!

Tired of so much violence, crime and corruption and open to change? Photo Courtesy of MorgueFile.com. "Lights leading to Cross Bible" Photo by jclk8888 This photo can be found here.