During the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, I was so busy with patients that I was unaware of the gruesome details that were being revealed. However, as I was driving to go Christmas shopping after work, I listened to NPR (National Public Radio) and received the horrific news. That report made me physically ill. I was tearful and nauseated after hearing those accounts of murder. I was the mother of an elementary aged child and a tween. Therefore, I could only imagine the pain and fear those parents were feeling. All I could ask was:
1. What went wrong with Adam Lanza?
2. What would make a person kill innocent children?
3. Why do civilians need semi-automatic weapons in their homes?
4. As a nation, when are we going to address violence and the affect it has on our children?
Adam Lanza was just one of many examples of mentally disturbed young people who gave clues that they were troubled yet few preventative actions were taken. It was reported that Adam was a very bright kid but who was extremely socially awkward, shy, and had a fascination with the military and guns. When I think of Adam, it reminds me of the countless patients I have seen over the years who were exhibiting behaviors that were concerning. I recall a 7-year-old who kept a knife under his bed. I also had a 3-year-old to angrily declare: “Get your hands off me b****.” I was impressed with the toddler’s ability to speak a multi-word sentence but I did wonder what type of person he would eventually become.
In addition to his passion for guns, Adam was an avid video gamer. He lived in the basement of his mother’s massive home in an affluent neighborhood of Connecticut and played games like “Call of Duty.” In my opinion, the purpose of this military type game is to essentially show as much blood and guts as possible. The proponents of these types of games argue that violent video games do not cause people to commit crimes. The National Rifle Association (NRA) also believes that it is not the gun that kills people. It is the person. However, have you ever listened to a song over and over again and could not get that song out of your head? It makes sense that the same concept could be applied to video games, movies, and songs. These images are being replayed in our children’s minds repetitively until the children are almost numb to how this has impacted them. They are simply desensitized to it. Many of these children have lost the ability to feel compassion and differentiate right and wrong.
However, I also wanted to remind us that the mass murders in Aurora and Newtown still pale in comparisons to the greater than 500 murders committed in 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. For years, young black men have been killing themselves and their neighbors on the streets of Detroit, Compton and St. Louis. Just like Adam Lanza was suffering from mental illness, those young urban kids have their own unique mental baggage like low self -esteem, depression, and personality disorders such as oppositional deviant disorder. For some reason those murders did not incite as much concern as this most recent travesty. I find it disheartening that the nation’s present interest in curtailing violence and the use of guns has occurred so retroactively.
It is not only my obligation as a physician but as a concerned citizen of this nation to bring awareness to the rise in violence and sheer disregard for human life. Children no longer resolve disagreements with fist fights. They bring guns to school. Disgruntled college students no longer make appointments to speak with their professor and discuss how they can improve their grades. They now just show up with an AK-47 and kill the professor and everyone else around.
As I write this, President Obama is assembling a team to offer solutions to the “gun” problem. However, the problem our nation is facing is so far more complex than that. We need additional mental health providers, particularly pediatric psychiatrists. For some African American children, the only time they get to see the psychiatrist is in prison. At least there, they can afford to get the medication they need. We also need a stronger public health infrastructure so that we can start campaigns that declare the dangers of allowing our children to spend hours playing violent video games. For what other tragedy are we waiting before we decide that enough is enough!
Yours in Service,
Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.
Assistant Professor
SLUCare Family Medicine
yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com
