Gun violence is one alternative response some people take after suffering the stresses of everyday social problems, job loss, bad bosses, co-workers, foreclosures, and others. We have seen several lately, the murder of a prominent abortion doctor, and another at the Holocaust Museum. The stressed individual’s reflexive act is to take the power of government into his own hands. The democratic alternatives, on the other hand, are to investigate and take action which is the best solution derived from discussion and debate. That is the peaceful resolution of major problems which is fostered by education in democratic processes.
Who among us is capable of being radicalized and easily turned to violent solutions? People who are not grounded in the peaceful means of discussion, persuasion, and the debate process will find the ever-present, quick and easy power to have the solution on their own terms, consequences be damned! Discussion, talk, is not so easy. And the talking solution is nearly everywhere ignored and overlooked in the education system. Early in education. Frequently. Effectively. Demonstrably.
Hate-filled people will reveal themselves in discussion. The dangerous narrative of their internal monologue will be dismayingly heard. And something may be done about it. Something terribly wrong may be prevented. Discussion will uncover, reveal, expose the toxic talk. Bring into the open what may be turned aside to more peaceful solutions.
The writing-and-reading discussion and democracy of the internet and blogosphere is absolutely inadequate, not up to the task. Completely useless for peaceful solutions to the gun-violence problem. Think what crucial information is lost in the written word! Intelligence of the nonverbal exhibition of hate becomes crystal clear as it pushes the spoken message to the extremity of violent consequences. Verbal reasoning may be the only act to assure that the hate-filled can be retrieved from a very sad end.
The ultimate goal is to ground all learners in a democratic society in what must be mastered. Discussion. Debate. And the investigations those verbal acts require. Not only will those so trained be better acting citizens themselves, but they will also be the better handlers of communication deficits they see in others.
That is the ultimate and best (and perhaps only) solution to gun violence in our society.
