As a parent, grandparent, local therapist and psychologist , I am profoundly shocked and effected by the rage and destructive behavior of our young people, inflicting violence upon innocent victims.
Such dysfunctional actions effected and caused by both genetics or environmental causations are relevant factors precipitating violent actions. These horrific perpetrators are motivated to kill, injure and traumatize their victims by their abusive and painful social history, their past. Most of these enraged people have been physically and emotionally victimized themselves by caregivers and by entrusted individuals in their past life. Their extreme rage is displaced upon others who, in their distorted minds, are representatives of their painful memories and suffering.
These mentally ill and destroyed minds are numerous and found throughout the world, not just in our country. In the media each day, we are presented with irate young people beheading, bombing and torturing innocent victims including beautiful and innocent young children. Some of the political leaders in the Middle East are themselves afflicted with mental illness rooted in their early years of childhood abuse and the absence of love with role models of violence. All of these lost souls or thugs in gangs entitled, ISIS,Taliban, Hamas and Al Qaeda are lead by maniacal devils who are filled with rage and retaliation for their lives of poverty and the absence of love and nurturance. Such rage is directed at innocent victims such as Americans as reflected by 9/11. Within our own country and regions, we continue to witness this tragedy and rage as demonstrated by college massacres, the Baltimore crisis in April which resulted in fires, police and firemen assaults and destruction of business and the lives of innocent people by disturbed people.
Our country, our world, in my analysis, this cancer of violence is precipitating the suffering and death of innocent people including the perpetrator. All of the proposed interventions such as gun control will not end the growth of this cancer that surrounds us. The only prescription in the termination of this disease is to treat the dysfunction that is plaguing our world. Our government needs to become proactive and increase our Mental Health programs and initiate early intervention in childhood and identify and treat these potential terrorists who begin to displace their misguided rage and anger in nursery school before they move on to the college campus. Parents are, indeed, the first and only “FIRST RESPONDERS” who need to honestly observe, accept and acknowledge the behaviors of their precious angels and report such unusual and inappropriate behaviors to trained clinicians. These fallen angels need immediate treatment before they develop into candidates for the welcoming hands of the ISIS gang or their local gang of violent “surrogate family” members of other disturbed peers.
Parents need to closely monitor their children with an acute awareness of their child”s behavior patterns, media influences and questionable role models. Knowledge is power, the power to love, guide and, yes, intrude upon their children’s privacy and protect them from the cancer of violence and a devastating future. Yes, a comprehensive mental health program that reaches out to all citizens at every economical level would be costly but saving lives is more relevant than counting pennies. Just ask any family member of the victims of the violence that we are witnessing on the social media each day.
My only hope is that the opinion and suggestions of just one individual will influence our politicians to act quickly in the increase of Mental Health funding to reach all needy individuals afflicted by this cancer of violence and prevent any further destructive incidents.
This travesty could touch upon your life and your family at any moment, in any location.
Dr. Fran White
Talbot County
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