When the Homily is about Immunology

Blame

In a laboratory setting, for some reason, everyone seems particularly interested in blaming someone when something goes wrong. I have seen in some people an almost pathological need to know who might be responsible for a problem - even if it is very likely that no one individual or even no human at all is responsible. I admit, I sometimes really enjoy watching the blame game getting revved up for action and feigning my own participation which, of course, involves intricate means of avoiding blame.

Some Washington State school districts have something called a "virtual academy" which is a means of capturing the tax dollars of home schooled students (I think) and if you go to one of their website you'll see that they ask WHY you wish to homeschool. Naturally it is not an essay question, but rather multiple choice - none of which quite fit the bill. However, with no less than three incidences of serious school violence in the last week, the "school is not safe" option seems more and more viable.

In his bowling movie, Michael Moore links school violence (to a large degree) to gun control issues - amongst other things. I think on all counts he misses the point altogether...I am far more interested in this ever increasing trend toward unventable anger and frustration in our youth? A sign of moral decay?

If there is no absolute truth - as we seem to teach nowadays - do you suppose kids are seeing the hypocrisy of "peace, love, and can't we all just get along?" This extends not just to those who finally snap and bring guns to school, but also to those who mercilessly tease and harass other kids often leading them to despair. It's all the rage (no pun intended) these days to discuss how gay teens suffer in high school, I tend to laugh: try being obese in high school. But my point is, I really wonder if kids are seeing that those espousing moral vagueness cannot reasonably backtrack and start espousing the moral clairty of diversity values and tolerance. We're not that stupid.

With regard to "blaming" gun control, the military industrial complex, or news reporting of crime, I tend to agree with "Larry the Cable Guy" (Yep, I'm a proud red neck hick) who would say that the recent and horrible Amish school shooting can be blamed on guns as surely as Larry's spelling errors can be blamed on his pencil. The notion that guns are to blame is similar to the blame being laid upon the Pope for causing violence in the Muslim world - except in the latter case you are not just negating the free will of an individual, but that of an entire (or at least a significant portion of a) cultural-religious group! An astonishing lack of PC thinking I would say.

I think, world wide, we have lost some sense of our moral compass. Our behavioral expectations have been twisted and turned to the point that I think we are confused. From road rage to school shootings to mosque and church bombings...we seem to be missing the idea of personal moral culpability. Searching for blame...anywhere...except in the person(s) acting. And as I think I've said...I do believe in a wider societal culpability too (which does not neccesarily negate personal free will AT ALL), I just think our fault is more closely linked to the moral relativity we ADORE so much today.

I am deeply saddened that we are in a way making the Amish sleep in the beds we somehow made.