A.H. Scott: Unraveled, We Fall

I have to say this and am going to be unapologetic when doing this; but, every time there are horrific events such as those that have recently occurred, public voices ALWAYS speak about having some kind of budgetary fix for the problem to deal with MENTAL health. And, that is wonderful and fine to hear. But, maybe just maybe, instead of chalking it up to being a problem of a mental health breakdown as being the reason behind why these things keep happening to describing the root of the situation as a singular word.

Some people ain’t ‘crazy’ or ‘sick’ which I am not even diminishing a person who may have psychological problems on using such colloquial terms. I am using it because it is used casually by many of us. I mean no offense to anyone who is reading this. I just needed to find ‘umbrella terms’ to make my point.

At this time, I don’t want to even go down that road of words like psychopath, sociopath, or any other kind of pathology that is rendered from the scads of mental health professionals doing their varied levels of analysis.

Or, it could be the word HATE, which seems to be a considered probability of how some people in this country treats one another. Dismissive interactions and cruelest of words targeted at our fellow Americans exude a staleness of the soul. But, that isn’t the word I am thinking about at this time.

And no that word is not GUNS, although it should be and would be quite fitting to place into the mix.

Guns and their cultural existence is an ongoing debate and debacle in the United States, which turns to be a vipers’ nest that is really in the background of my mind right at this moment.

So, if it isn’t mental health, hate, or guns, what could it possibly be? Hmm, I think I know what fits the bill.

The word I am looking for is one as old as time and maybe it is just seen as controversial.

The word is EVIL. And, yeah, of course it is a hard word to say and use. But, I know I am not the only person that might be thinking of that same word.

I believe there is evil in this world. And, damnit, some people are just EVIL!

There are not in need of being held by the hand in some way shielded from a legal anvil or public damnation by being labeled or mentioned in ‘understanding’ tones of why did what they did.

Or, their frustration with a current issue or some slight they think they’ve been diminished by with the changing demographics in this society. 

Fuck their motivations!

They are just EVIL.

Using that single word just obliterates philosophical puffery and drills directly into the core of what emanates within the barren heart of some people.

No multi-leveled explanation needed or given beyond that word.

I know that’s hard and seemingly cold-blooded to say. But, from many of the mass shootings covered wall to wall by the media, there seems to be a certain type of playbook that unfolds. I call them the 7 Tiers of Tears:

Overly-dramatic music and flashing banner comes across the screen is first.

Breaking news alert and the breathless news anchor speaking is second.

Outline of the event is reported live by a correspondent is third.

On the spot interviews with the wounded, eyewitnesses, and law enforcement is fourth.

Manifesto online or social media rants of the shooter being uncovered is fifth.

Analysis by experts on-air of the shooter’s mental state is sixth.

Elected officials, both in person and on Twitter send along their ‘heartfelt’ support is seventh.

And then from there, the nation’s mourning (once again) begins.

Then, as then and as now (and sure as tomorrow comes after today) – nothing happens.

Wringing our hands and making proclamations of how we are going to make sure this never happens again is just for lack of better words, a verbal circle-jerk to mollify the public to make it seem as if something can be done.

Now, the cynic in me might just say it’s only my imagination in thinking if the shooter were not a white male, but a darker hued, male of Muslim faith who is the shooter in all of these mass shootings around the United States of America; that level of yearning to bridge a bullet-blitz to a mental health problem would never exist. But, then again, I’m not admitting my cynicism on this point. Just sayin’.

Now, for those of us who are rah-rah for getting tougher gun control laws, I am with you on getting something done in that vein. But, it is not the panacea of solving the level of perniciousness within the hearts and souls of some people in this country. 

In this country, we are awash in over 280 million guns; so, even with the most stringent gun control laws, our ability to stay afloat without drowning in tears and fears might be an impossible feat.

Temples, churches, synagogues, movie theaters, malls, bars, community centers, schools, nightclubs; these places of comfort have become no more in the United States of America.

New and tougher gun control laws will only tissue paper over the problem that’s going on, because the people that want to do EVIL will always find a way to do EVIL. Yeah, fuck it; I’m gonna hit that nail again and again of what this situation in this country is – EVIL!!

Evil sits back and snickers when it is mistaken for a problem of mental health.

Evil just is there …..and waits …..for the next mass shooting.

We are America, but are we United States?

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