There is no question that violent behavior has reached epidemic proportions. It seems that every day there is another senseless, horrific act that leaves us wondering what went wrong and how it could have been prevented.
As a society, we have brought much of this disturbing behavior on ourselves. Many practices which have been accepted as normal, such as abortion and euthanasia, have devalued life. The foundation of our society, the family, isn’t as solid an institution as it once was and children can be insecure and troubled. Sometimes there seems to be little commitment to family life. Add to that the violent programs and video games that children are exposed to for endless hours every day and we have a dangerous mix.
Why are so many people of our nation suffering from depression and what makes them bi-polar? There are so many unanswered questions. Personally, I do not believe a baby is born to be violent.
I look at these people who are so troubled and wonder: Did they ever really feel loved, appreciated and understood? Did they feel like an important part of their family and were they encouraged to contribute to it? Gone are the days when parents and children worked along side one another just to survive. Our wants can be satisfied immediately through credit cards, etc. We have become a nation of ease, in some respects, but also a nation of high stress.
There are many ways to express love to someone else. A touch, kind words of appreciation and praise, time spent doing the things they enjoy, giving them small gifts or doing nice things for them. We don’t all appreciate every expression. Some of the ways to show love really say “I love you” more to us than others. It does seem that our society has become one of personal gratification. Parents sometimes think that buying gifts for their children and then leaving them in the care of others while they pursue their own interests is all that is required. Do their children feel loved and understood. I think people who are troubled are people whose needs are somehow not met and they may act out to get attention or because they think no one cares.
