Forces for Change
I hesitated to write this so soon, while the wounds of Tucson have not begun to heal. Yet, I know that sometimes difficult issues can be stated, put aside and addressed later. So, those of you who think I am inappropriate, I understand. However, I wish you would just take a moment to at least consider what I have to say.
The killer was and is disturbed; that goes without question. On the other hand, how many more times do we have to repeat this pattern?
The signs that he was troubled were there long before the day he bought the gun, long before the day he shot the gun. What do we do with troubled youth? We suspend and then expel them from school; let another agency handle it.
However, the agencies are overwhelmed and can only do so much. So, who do we blame?
Here is what we are missing: This young man called for help over and over, just like the kids at Columbine and the shooter at Virginia Tech. The signs were there and no one was astute enough to really listen. The following gives an overview of what these young people — as well as the scoundrels who “shot and wounded” with their thievery, the Madoffs of the world, and do damage in another way — really want.
The fundamental issues confronted by any civilization or by any person in his or her life are issues of meaning. Here are five components that my mentor, Willis Harman, a futurist, discussed way back in the ‘80’s that have less to do with red or blue states, conservative or liberal leanings, rich man, poor man, beggar-man or thief. These core issues are puzzle pieces that, when put together, can be called “our common future.”
Continued on the next page
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