Insanity Is A Sliding Scale

Einstein said the following about insanity: "Insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results".

If we assume there is any truth at all in his opinion, why are we shocked at this most recent school shooting and mass murder? Have we as a nation and culture done anything to live different lives since the last such event befell us? NO. We have not. We continue to obsess about the politics of money and wars. We continue to bicker about taxes and medicine. We obsess over the next American Idol while doing more texting than we do talking. Nothing has changed...and so nothing shall change.

Inside the disturbed mind of the murderer in this case, his actions made sense. I venture to guess his story will prove out to be a less than ideal picture of life, both recently and throughout his own childhood. I wonder, will the real measure of insanity be how he acted today, or will it be the injustices he was subjected to throughout his life to this point?

I am not seeking to make excuses for him. Clearly no child deserved to die at his hands today. I am simply suggesting that our culture has not been living life correctly for many, many years now. As long as we continue to do so, it will simply be a matter of time before the next shooting is making headlines. No laws being passed will ever stop a tragedy like this. Not more guns, not less guns. Only a fundamental shift in how we treat one another will have any impact at all in turning a person's mind away from committing such actions. We are currently not living life according to the manufacturer's recommendations. We strive for more money. We seek better education and bigger paychecks. We dream of athletic excellence. All noble causes, but there should be a list of things that far supersede these.

There is always going to be mental illness. How then should we treat the afflicted person?
There is always going to be poverty. How then shall we spend our money and support the poor?
There is always going to be crime. How then should we treat the criminal?

Insanity comes in all shapes and sizes. Today it just so happened to be wearing a vest, carrying a gun and walked into a school with evil intent. Look at your life. Is there any insanity there? How about the hours you work in exchange for what you are compensated. How much time does your vocation take you away from your family and from being a positive influence in the lives of your kids?
For me, that is insane.