Casting Aside Finger Pointing

One of the characteristics of any kind of traumatic event or situation is that it often brings out the best in some people and the worst in others. Something terrible happens and there are those who truly rise to the occasion, face it bravely, and actually help confront what has transpired. A perfect example would be the many first responders in New York City on September 11, 2001, who risked and, in some instances, gave their lives trying to rescue others following the terrorists' attack. Then, there are those, who take a terrible circumstance and actually make it worse due to their own narrow thinking and inability to look at matters beyond their own ego or perspective. Sadly, we are seeing examples of this in the aftermath of the recent shootings in Tucson, Arizona, in which six individuals, including a federal judge, were killed and a number of others, including a member of the United States Congress, were seriously injured.

As I write this the "blame game" involving numerous media commentators and politicians from both liberal and conservative persuasions is in full swing. The so-called debates and endless finger-pointing that are going on as to who contributed most to the killer's actions are both disheartening and unhelpful. At this point, I am grateful that at least everyone agrees the mentally-deranged gunman is the primary culprit. Hopefully we will never lose sight of that truism. There are, however, important questions to discuss, debate and, ultimately try to address. What motivated the killer to do what he did? What role did our society play in contributing to the environment in which the killer felt his actions were necessary? What role can members of society, including public figures and social and political commentators, play in helping create an environment in which unstable individuals are not able to gain such easy access to weapons of destruction? These, I believe, are a few of the overriding questions worthy of discussion.

As citizens, all of us are responsible for helping create and maintain s safe and positive society for ourselves. Thus, we should all play a constructive role in seeking answers to the challenges we share, a number of which were highlighted by the killer's devastating actions. Effective and responsible communication can play a major role here. Leaders should (1) bring together groups of people with various perspectives and from varied backgrounds to begin discussing what happened in Tucson and the issues relating to it; (2) ensure they are respectful and honest in their dialog and remain focused on the relevant topics; (3) put forward suggested solutions; (4) share the suggestions with the public; and (5) present them to decisions makers who can actually affect change. These kind of steps puts us on a constructive path and gets us away from the needless finger pointing that contributes nothing to making our lives better and more safe.