I think that this screenshot of a particular op-ed piece from the Washington Post probably captures the factional divide in our country better than anything I have read or heard. The Post writer blamed me for the shooting in Uvalde. She said former President Obama was right to cite me as “clinging to their guns or religion” and therefore, I am at fault. If you are a responsible gun owner and or a person of faith, I’m afraid the Washington Post has indicted you as well.
The German Enlightenment philosopher, Immanuel Kant, coined a term that he called “Categorical Imperative” in his philosophical treatise on the “Social Contract.” The “Categorical Imperative” basically says that morality is based on rational logical actions and cannot be waived to serve passing notions of styles on what is or is not allowed in society.
Personal responsibility is unwavering and rational. The abdication of the categorical imperative or personal responsibility is irrational, and therefore immoral. Irrational behavior is ultimately what causes society to collapse. The current atmosphere of upended rationale to justify witless spending and violating our laws with impunity is something that strikes conservatives (clingers of guns and God) in their hearts.
The opposite of “categorical imperative” is “moral relativism.” Moral relativism says that “good” and “bad” are not objective and are subject to the styles and whims of the day. It states that people living marginally outside the boundaries of the rule of law are not to be judged. Their behavior whether it be stealing from a place of business or disruptive conduct in school must be accepted in the name of “social justice.” Where are our students going to learn personal responsibility when we can’t even agree on what is right or wrong? We can’t even agree on what constitutes a male or female! Moral relativism is an insidious tool of evil that not only allows for, but encourages bad behavior.
The Washington Post’s writer is wrong. The person responsible for the Uvalde shooting is the shooter. The shooter, apparently, has lived his whole life with no accountability. He has been taught that he is not responsible for his actions. He knows that there are no consequences for bad decisions. He is the ultimate example of an individual who has lived with no one teaching him objective truth and objective standards. He was one of millions of boys who have become sociopaths or they live in a basement as part of a group often described as “Failed to Launch.” He was alive during other shootings and heard the same old hand wringing mantra, “It wasn’t his fault. We have to do better.”
The next cowardly little sociopath to kill children is already lurking in the shadows of his mother’s basement. He’s known as a bully and a cruel abuser of animals. He is amoral, meaning he has no moral compass. A sociopath is not mentally ill. A sociopath can very easily pass any psych interview because he knows what the interviewer needs to hear. A sociopath is actually quite bright, but he does not have any empathy for others. He considers other sociopaths his “real” family. He has no respect for his mother and grandmother and he manipulates them into unwittingly supporting his evil intent. He’s listening, watching, and waiting for his fifteen minutes. He’s heard the mantra and knows it’s not his fault.