This has been brewing for a while, and is more serious than my usual posts, but this is important. It needs to be discussed. I welcome your ideas in the comments.

I avoid the news like the plague, mainly because it’s depressing, but I can’t help but hear about the school shootings that have taken place. Born in the States, I live in Canada now, where this kind of thing doesn’t seem to occur—at least not in the horrifying numbers happening in the USA.

Children killing other children is more than heartbreaking, more than tragic, it’s a signal that something is seriously wrong with our society.

We need more hugs, less hurt.

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But before I go into my thoughts on the subject, a disclaimer:

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To those of you who prefer to be armed, I’m not here to take away your guns.

I don’t think having a police state with an unarmed populace is a good thing. The revolutionary in me would rather have an America that can defend itself against tyranny.

Of course, I’d rather see a diplomatic approach.

But the reality is there are so many guns in the USA that taking them away from people isn’t necessarily the answer. Especially since most of the people who would voluntarily give them up are the ones we probably don’t need to worry about.

Guns are tools. Like anything, they can be misused.

I do think firearms should be harder to get, that there should be screening processes, that people should have to prove they know how to operate weapons and that they can be responsible with them before they’re allowed to have them, but that’s not what I want to focus on here.

I want to talk about the chilling reality that kids play with guns and other weapons—that they make a game of killing—and the fact that there isn’t enough support for them mentally and emotionally.

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Can we please stop playing at murder?

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Let’s start with a story:

The last time I was in New Orleans, my family and I went to City Park for the afternoon. We enjoyed the Live Oaks, the green grass, the birds, and the pleasant weather.

Then a group of children ran past us, boys and girls, all of them with toy guns. The ages ranged from about 7 to 14 years old.

These kids made a game of shooting at each other. I remember clearly how serious one of the boys was as he shouted, “I killed you!” over and over again.

It disturbed me.

This might seem normal to many people, but I don’t think it should be. If children play at killing each other, it isn’t that big a leap for them to actualize their games.

I never had toy guns as a girl. My family has never had guns, so obviously my perspective is different than someone who grew up around them.

I do remember playing with a friend’s toy rifle, and how exciting it was to run around the neighborhood hunting one another. It was thrilling! But I think that’s messed up. We need to find different ways to create excitement.

More examples:

How many video games focus on combat? How many shoot-em-up movies are children watching from a young age?

Violence is glamorized. Soldiers are heroes. Killing is badass. This is the message our society teaches.

And yes, soldiers are often heroes, but they also tend to return from combat with PTSD.

The fact that so many movies and video games are centered around killing is a real problem, for children and adults alike. It normalizes homicide.

At least Harley Quinn has a baseball bat in this gif, rather than a gun in her hand. But she’s sexy, it’s true. I laughed watching Suicide Squad. I enjoy action movies. Maybe I’m numb to violence in Hollywood, but I'm not sure that's a good thing, and I believe it affects children.

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Mental and emotional health.

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Confession: I hated being a kid.

As an only child with a good deal of intelligence but poor social skills, I ended up being bullied. I didn’t have a thick skin. Kids teased me non-stop, because they knew they could get a rise out of me, and it hurt to be the outcast.

I lived a very lonely life. I can only assume most of the children who are desperate enough to take a gun and turn it on their peers are also lonely.

My first thoughts of suicide were in grade four. Thankfully, I’ve gotten past contemplating that way out, but I’m glad there wasn’t a gun in my parents’ house. I doubt I’d have used it, but it would’ve made it a lot easier had I decided to go that route.

My story isn’t unique, nor did I have it as bad as a lot of other kids do. There are countless children (and adults) suffering from emotional and mental issues. And they need support!

There are too many kids in schools with not enough staff. Teachers are underpaid and overworked.

Many parents are overwhelmed, struggling to get by. Maybe they have mental health issues themselves. They don’t have enough time for their kids, or spend their free time pulled into a screen rather than in thoughtful dialogue and family activities.

The younger generation also tends to have a ton of screen time. Does this help us be human? It’s a topic for another conversation, and again, every tool can be misused, but I believe it factors into mental and emotional health. Connection is key.

Remember, if you see someone suffering, a small kindness can make all the difference.

Often that suffering is kept so bottled up we can’t see it. Be compassionate, smile at strangers, and do what you can to make the world a friendlier place.

And if you’re struggling, please reach out! All of us know what it is to be alone, and more people deal with depression and mental illness than we realize. It’s okay to need help, it’s more than okay to ask for it. There’s no need to suffer alone.

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Unnecessary pressure.

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The pressure put on children in and out of school is unbelievable.

How about we let them be kids instead of labeling them based on test results?

How about we give them time to play and relax instead of scheduling activities every day?

How about we let them explore the world rather than asking them to decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives when they’re still figuring out who they are?

Yes, we all live with stress, but I think we need to reevaluate our priorities. Children aren’t programmed to sit in seats and memorize things, they’re wired to run around and learn from the world through experience.

Honestly, all of these points apply to adults as well. If we’re healthy, spending more time outside, getting enough exercise rather than working our lives away, we’re happier. And a lot less likely to commit a crime.

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Enough with the US vs. THEM.

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I think the biggest problem lies in the mentality that we are separate from each other. It’s the people who feel ignored, abandoned, disliked or hated who tend to snap and take it out on those who hurt them. Or, in the case of hate crimes, the people who feel they are better than others.

We are all interconnected.

It takes a village to raise a child, and that includes other children. We need to teach them how to share, how to accept one another, and how to communicate to settle disagreements.

We need to learn how to do this as adults, as well.

Our world has been at war for a very long time. Yes, part of human nature is violence, but it is imbalanced to an extreme. The war machine is profitable, but it is killing children and adults alike. Is that worth it? I don’t think so.

We need to reach out to one another rather than being afraid of those who are different than us. When we do, often we find we’re more alike than we thought.

We need to stop focusing on boarders and fences, stop being suspicious of each other and make friends instead.

As adults, we model the things our children learn. I suggest we focus on kindness, on helping each other, on including everyone rather than lifting up a few and letting others fall by the wayside.

Our future, and the future of our children, depends on it.

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What do you think?

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I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I’ve been thinking a lot about these points and I hope I did a decent job laying them out.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Even though it isn’t a happy one, this is a discussion that needs to be had so change can come about.

Thank you for reading!

Peace. @katrina-ariel

(all gifs via giphy)

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Author bio: Katrina Ariel is an old-soul rebel, musician, tree-hugging yogini, and mama bear to twins. Author of Yoga for Dragon Riders (non-fiction) and Wild Horse Heart (romance), she's another free-spirit swimming in the ocean of Steemit.

dragon art: Liiga Smilshkalne

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