ArtLindsey.com

Something I found to be very disturbing came across my desk the other day. It was a comment written by someone I do not know, and have not met. It reads as follows:

“Thought: whatever the poison is, be it TV, the American Lie, public schools - the dosage is going up, and its reaching mortality sooner - in the teens and twenties”

Just to clarify the context, this statement is in regard to the recent Virginia Tech shootings.

I find this notion to be frightening and altogether absurd. We are facing serious problems as a culture, and as a race of beings for that matter, if all we can do is find a way to affix the causes of our tragedies to deep rooted social ills, and not to the *individual* who actually perpetrated the act.

I would like for the person who made this statement to tell me exactly what the “American Lie” is. This seems this kind of thinking has seemed to reach epidemic proportions with the younger generation, and I find it to be sad.

America, for whatever reason, has become quite soft, and I find it to be most evident in the younger generation. There is a misconception among many that the concept of “fairness” actually exists, and I believe it has led to our current passive, whiney state.

The first thing we must realize (within the context of this discussion) is that America, as an entity doesn’t owe us anything . We have reached a sort of entitlement mentality in this country, and it needs to be curbed before it destroys us all.

Case in point, the constitution of the United States specifically states that we have the right to ”Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The last of the three rights is key here, specifically the use of the word “pursuit.”

Pursuit of happiness means that you will be given the freedom to pursue your dreams and goals. What you make of your life will be up to you. You have the right to succeed in this country, and you also have the right to fail. America is a jungle, and the strong will survive. It is that philosophy which has made America the most prosperous nation on earth. More than that, we should not allow ourselves as a society nor as individuals to be made to believe that success is impossible or that we are being oppressed. A pearl of wisdom I have always carried with me is “Desire is 80% of achievement.” Now, if each of us is honest with ourselves, we will find that to be true. Happiness is something that is to be attained *and* maintained. It is not a free care package which is handed out upon arrival. It’s not a gift basket. It is product which is paid for with blood, sweat, and tears.

In the case of the Virginia Tech shootings, I do not remember the gunman’s name. Nor do I care to. I have already grown weary of the wall to wall coverage, or at the very least the angle at which it has been presented. If the media wants to do an expose’ or tell me some sort of story, tell me about each of the unfortunate souls who lost their lives on that terrible day. Don’t tell me about the killer. I’m not interested. He was just another piece of trash which has cluttered up the news cycle, as we frantically try to figure out “Who he was, why did he do what he did, and who the hell can we blame, just as long as it isn’t him,”

No. I reject that.

This is where the lack of personal responsibility we have fostered amongst ourselves comes into play. We have to blame something else. Like the television or this non-existent “American lie”. Somewhere along the way we’ve derailed ourselves and gotten everything completely backward in the process. This incident was the fault of the shooter, and the shooter alone. We’ve all had violent thoughts from time to time. (If you tell me you haven’t, you’re lying.) This isn’t about the TV, or any other perceived social ill. This is about self control and personal responsibility. Nothing more.

As I mentioned earlier, if you’re looking for a microcosm of America, don’t look for it in the depth of the shooter’s psyche. Look for it in the victims. It is there in which you will find your cross-section of America, its people and it’s culture. Men and women of all ages, colors and creeds with different needs, desires and financial standings. Some may have gone on to be famous and influential, while others may have been content to eke out a living doing something that brings them very little financial reward, but ignites their passion within.

One never knows. But that’s the beauty of the system we have. Anything is possible. God bless those kids and their families. Focus on them. Pray for them. Our energy is much better spent in that fashion rather than dissecting a raving madman or for that matter, the very institution that the fallen at Virginia Tech would one day uphold.

Do not blame a nation. Be accountable for yourselves. You have choices as an individual. Make them. You have control over your influences. Assert it. You are responsible for your path. The sooner we realize this, the sooner all of these perceived “social ills” will disappear.

America is a collective, yes. But it begins with *you*.

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