The Way I See It -- If our actions are a flagrant abuse, we risk a demotion to outcast and a prison cell

El Paso - 20 dead, 26 injured ... Gilroy - 3 dead, 13 injured ... Dayton – 9, dead 27 injured.      In one week and the 66 injured doesn’t count hundreds of others traumatized by presence or who lost loved ones or whose family and friends were hurt in the melees. Harm ripples out from the core. Politicians, public figures and celebrity publicity hounds all express disbelief, horror, revulsion and ‘thoughts and prayers' for the survivors and families of victim. They like to pretend they care. The usual suspects will demand that we ban guns to make the shootings stop. It is the wrong solution for the wrong reasons. All of the shooters were young. We can reasonably conclude that they suffered some combination of isolation, immaturity, detachment and anger with a society they couldn’t understand or cope with. Social media is killing our society. Electronic contact is banal and sterile. A person can put another down or insult another person without risking a well-deserved slap or punch in the mouth. It is easy to participate in the on-line ‘piranha syndrome’ and join in supporting an insult or put-down: “Yeah (he / she) is a real loser.”   At the same time, we are losing the ability to read facial expressions and body language that warn us when we are treading on socially dangerous ground. Most profoundly, people who are in face to face contact are often not in full presence; they are listening for a beep that signals a new message has arrived, and don’t realize that picking up the cell phone or tablet is an insult to the person across the table who has been relegated to secondary or even unimportant status. Politicians and governments love hatred; they thrive on division and pit one group against others by providing them benefits to ‘level the playing field’. It is a charade to fuel the fires of envy and hatred. We are losing the personal responsibility core of our civilization. Loyalty and honour are rooted in the family and friendships, in the community and finally in the tribe of the nation. We learn that well-being and security of family and friendships is more important than our own. We learn that sacrifice is not something to avoid; it is sometimes a necessity to serve the greater good. We learn to appreciate and reward the sacrifices of others. Commitments to family and community require us to ignore differences and focus on our common interests and desires. Colour and ethnic origins are interesting side issues for exploration, not causes for envy and hatred. Inclusiveness is a mindless, synthetic goal that avoids personal responsibility. We are told we must include people who avoid personal responsibility, make poor decisions, act irresponsibly and blame their dysfunctionality on outside influences. They are the perpetual victims of circumstance. We have groups of people who are openly hostile towards those who look different or don’t act and think the same way as they do. They have never learned the rules of tribal interdependence. We exist in an artificial world of self-containment and independence in a society that survives through mutual aid, respect and tolerance. We have never before experienced the abundance of opportunities that confront us today. Boundless opportunities are meaningless unless we have learned the disciplines to turn opportunities into reality. That brings us back to the personal responsibility core of civilization. Without an understanding of commitment, honor and loyalty we lack the ability to turn opportunity into reality. Humans are social and tribal animals. At every level, we develop a social order with leaders and a descending order of lesser beings. As leaders change, the order below shifts to accommodate. Those who cannot or will not accept the social order (outlaws) are shunned, ostracized and finally cast out. Personal independence carries with it the responsibility to do no harm. If our actions infringe on anther’s rights or security of the person, we risk a deserved demotion in rank. If our actions are a flagrant abuse, we risk a demotion to outcast and a prison cell. Tens of thousands believe that rank or station gives them immunity from tribal rules, but they delude themselves. Inevitably, tribal rules will reassert themselves through rebellion. The disconnect between those who govern and society at large cannot survive. It is a matter of time.                Canada tends to mirror the American experience. We are not immune, just not on the same page yet.

John Feldsted Political commentator, Consultant and Strategist Winnipeg, Manitoba