Silence Begets Violence

I think the main reason why the Connecticut school shooting has amassed so much attention is because the killings were mainly done on children, and young children are probably the most protected in our society. Every day we hear of death and murder, and especially mass murder in other countries, that we have become desensitized and are not as affected when we hear about it. However, when we hear about innocent young lives ended, we are more prone to anger because we feel an innate protection and guilt that we couldn't do anything to save them. There are innumerable reasons why the killer did what he did, but I think it comes down to he was emotional unstable, whether it be due to depression, frustration, or a psychological impairment that he has always had. Although that cannot be determined at this point, it still highlights the fact that emotionally unstable people are at a higher risk of violence than others. Therefore, I think that as a society we need to treat mental problems more seriously; many people see them as nonexistent, but depression or other problems are real and can impact the sufferer's and others' lives in real ways. We can only for so long tell our children "Killing is wrong;" after a while, as they grow up other things may happen to them that contradict that statement and lead them to violence. Catholic Social Teaching tells me that we have to treat each person with dignity and respect, and that means helping, not hurting, those with violent tendencies. It is hard to say what we will become as a country from this point; it seems likely that greater gun restriction laws will be initiated, as 52% of Americans say that they oppose gun ownership, and the NRA itself has spoken out against the shootings. Although it will take some time, hopefully our country will be able to recover from this tragedy and implant laws that will prevent it from happening again.

Factory Fire

I believe that as consumers of items created in other countries, it is important to hear these stories so that we understand that our clothes are made sometimes at the cost of others’ lives. However, like the article said, it is sometimes hard to tell which companies have factories that are in unsafe conditions, and which are up to standards. Some companies will monitor and check conditions often, but others will not, and it is impossible to know what companies belong to either category. Additionally, it is hard to find clothes that are not made in foreign countries. I believe that both the government and the corporations are partially responsible, although the corporations more so. The government has a responsibility to first check with large corporations that have workers in other countries, because if workers are mistreated in foreign nations, it could create tensions between America and that country. That being said, corporations are mostly responsible, because they are closer to the workers and can easily send representatives to check their factories, no matter how many factories there are.