I had a busy week. I spoke at Metamora and Peoria Notre Dame high schools in Peoria, IL and closed out my trip in Peoria at Bradley University on Wednesday night. Yesterday I spoke at UMASS Lowell to a psychology class and all of their athletes. This morning I was a guest on a radio show in Cleveland to talk about the recent school shooting there. One of the questions really struck me. The interview closed with the host asking/telling me that part of the problem with young people today is that they are numbed to death and wanted me to talk about it. I talked about how death is a lot more prominent now than in the past. I cited a study in Japan that showed about 60% of 8 year olds interviewed thought if you killed someone they would come back to life because they do in video games and how this isn’t only prevalent in video games, but news, movies etc. And how in some ways death is glorified.

As I hung up after the interview and got on my plane from Boston to LA I thought about my answers and I wasn’t completely happy with this answer about violence. I think what I should have added was the fact that when you are 14 and you have a rough life filled with neglect, abuse, mental health issues and constantly being made fun of it’s really hard to value life. You are only here for 14 years and all you know is pain, Why would you think you have a future? It reminded me of what the creators of South Park said in Bowling for Columbine. They said something to the effect of their thoughts on Columbine were that how could high school mean so much to someone that they would kill someone else, themselves and so many other people. I think this is part of it. When you don’t know how much can change later on and all you have sucks you don’t see a way out.

I loved that Michael Moore interviewed Marilyn Manson in Bowling for Columbine. In the movie he said he would have listened to the kids who did what they did that day. This most recent school shooter was a fan of Marilyn’s as well. Maybe it’s time someone take his advice.

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