Numb acceptance

So far in 2009, more than 35 people have been killed in mass-shootings (defined as four or more killings) in the U.S. in four separate incidents, two of which occurred on the same day. There have been 10 such incidents in the past four years, 14 in the past 10.

If you are a typically aged student at this institution, then you grew up during what many refer to as the "school-shooting epidemic," when it seemed that there was a new plot uncovered or carried out every other week. It was a lot like the post-Sept. 11 terror witch-hunt, except the events in question were actually happening.

At this point it seems that we are entering a similar phase; there has been an increase in this kind of brutal atrocity that cannot be ignored.

Equally important to pay attention to though is our reaction to these events: within weeks, even days in some cases, the nation returns to business as usual. The horror is mostly forgotten by all but those directly affected. What does our thick skin mean?

People are exposed to more terrifying acts than ever, but are we really seeing anything new? There have always been random shocking acts of violence, wherever there is a large enough population to work the odds. It's not a question of America's obsession with guns, either, although that doesn't help; where there aren't readily available firearms you see mass-stabbings. The only thing the U.S. boasts is increasingly effective brutality.

It's fashionable to say that every death must be treated as a fresh tragedy, but is that an effective way to live a life, much less save another's? If we are knocked to the floor by every act of horror, how can we keep them from continuing?

Of course it must be mentioned that we are only desensitized to things we see from afar; those who find themselves in the midst of a firefight would describe themselves as anything but numb in that situation. What people may be desensitized to are not the acts themselves, but the reported stories that seem more common every year.

It's very pretty to say that we are a rational species but there will always be those willing to step beyond the norms of society. Perhaps now that we can see killers' acts so often we will accept that all people are animals, realize that there will always be unavoidable acts by lunatics, and those who are rational can hope to completely out-number them.