First Things First

The Spirituality of Youth Violence, III

III - Mechanistic Strategies and Research Methodologies:                                     An Indifference to Spiritual Interiority

Immediately after World War II, the principle threats to the health status of America's youth came from infectious diseases.  Polio, diphtheria, measles, chicken pox, and whooping cough -- each struck fear in the hearts of parents.  But over time those threats receded.  Polio is gone. Diphtheria is gone. Measles, chicken pox, and whooping cough are at an all time low.  Indeed, for all practical purposes, yesterday's battles have been won.  But they could well have been lost had we not identified the root cause of those diseases and developed vaccines that could prevent them.

Today, America's youth faces an entirely new set health threats: emotional distress, suicide, violence, substance abuse, and risky sexual behaviors.  Youth violence is especially troubling because of the highly-charged attention it has received.

Yet having developed over the years a myriad of programs to treat the consequences of such behaviors -- analogous to the treatment of infectious diseases prior to the development of preventive vaccines -- we still know very little about their root cause.  This explains why we have been unable to develop an effective national strategy to prevent violent behavior.  Effective prevention depends on a knowledge of root cause.

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The Spirituality of Youth Violence, II

II -- The Critical Juncture: An Indifference to Spiritual Interiority

Indifference or reconciliation.  The choice is ours to make.

Yet, such choices are often perplexing, ranging as they do through the murky depths of the human psyche.  They easily befuddle the most astute observer and tend to dishearten those inclined to reconcile.

But apart from presenting confusion and discouragement, what makes an understanding of this choice so difficult is the use of the term indifference.  To most, indifference implies a moral deficiency relative to another person, such as a want of concern or caring for them.

Not surprisingly, most parents would deny any such assertion.  Few would admit they are indifferent toward their children.  Most parents have strong feelings of love for them and this love is a powerful testimony against any allegation of indifference.  Given this, it would seem that the disjunctive proposition — indifference or reconciliation — holds little, or no, promise for deepening our understanding of the causal dynamics of youth violence.

But before dismissing the term indifference altogether, it is well to remember that it has a logical meaning which transcends the moral sensibility and commitment to caring.

The Spirituality of Youth Violence, I

It happened ten years ago today.

At 11:10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20th, 1999, gunshots rang out from Columbine High School killing twelve students, a teacher, and both assailants. This act reverberated across the land like a mighty thunderclap. It sounded a terror-laden warning. It awakened in countless individuals, families, and communities a truth forgotten, a vulnerability denied, and an anguish concealed. Time stopped as hearts and minds resonated with the harsh moments of that mournful event.

No doubt. Columbine sent tremors of fear across the nation. Like a peaceful sunlit meadow suddenly overrun by a raging mountain storm, the tranquility of trust was replaced by the wrenching uncertainty of distrust. Existential angst seeped into our national consciousness. We asked with uncertain expectation what dreadful journey led Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold to tear the social fabric and tear it so hideously. We became fearful of what was going on in our own neighborhoods, in our own families, and with our own children. We became suspicious of our children’s actions and our children’s friends. We became frightful of the tribute that might accompany their attendance at school. We wondered about our children’s exposure and our powerlessness to intercede on their behalf. We worried about the unknown and the brutal forces that range beyond our control. We asked “what next?” as we braced ourselves for another round of violence.

Eric Harris, left, and Dylan Klebold, carrying a TEC-9 semi-automatic pistol, are pictured in the cafeteria at Columbine High School, in Littleton, Colorado, during their shooting rampage.  Both killed themselves later in the school library.

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