Reader Opinion
From: Mike Kaplan Many are quick to blame guns, parents and Hollywood for the senseless violence in our schools. These appear to be obvious sources and easy targets. But, as one of your panel on Internight (in tonight's show) suggested, it was 'rage' by those students that caused them to act. So, what could cause this kind of rage?
This was quickly answered by your host with there must be a 'shrink gap'....more shrinks are needed in the schools. Well, the answer may be 'shrinks', but not how the host is thinking. Please read on.
In order to solve a puzzle, crime, problem etc...one has to see the whole picture. In order to see this whole picture, you need to go back in time, much earlier than when the brutal violence in schools began manifesting. If you look only at the point in time around the beginning of these crimes, you will not find its source. The source began much earlier and started to have its effect in much more subtle ways, not noticeable at first. What we see as insane violent acts today, have as its source something that has been building over the last several decades.
Go back to the 50's and early 60's, when violence of this type was unheard of and start from there. You'll also find, at that time, that our academic standards were much higher and SAT scores were higher. Morality was much more elevated while discipline was positive, but firm. Then come forward in time and notice what was added, or changed, or dropped out. Then you'll find the source of the decline in our public schools. Violence is only one symptom and consequence of those changes. It is the symptom that is getting everyone's attention. However, the solutions being proposed in Washington today are an attempt to solve only the symptoms without eradicating their source.
In the 60's, our public schools began a transformation from teaching nearly 100% academic-based skills to taking on the role of 'teaching' behavior. Over time more and more of the knowledge-based curriculum in our schools has been dropped out to make room for more and more psychology-based social training. When I went to school the first of these types of classes was sex education. Now, a very large percentage of classes in our public schools (including the Jefferson County schools...Columbine) have to do with self-esteem, values clarification, peer mediation, conflict resolution and other 'outcome-based' mumbo jumbo. Does anyone, other than teachers, know what is really being taught in those behavioral-molding classrooms?
The 'shrinks' have invaded, not only with their psych-based education, but with there physical presence. How many 'counselors', psychologists, psychiatric nurses along with the psychology-trained teachers are there in our public schools today?
When did they start to arrive?
It gets worse. Where did the need to have 5 million children on daily doses of Ritalin, dispensed by our schools, come from in the last 10 years? What about the 1-2 million on anti-depressants? These drugs, themselves, are known to cause psychotic thoughts and behavior including suicidal urges, aggression and, yes, rage. This is an obvious breeding ground for more violence. One of the Columbine killers was rejected from the armed services for being on Luvox, a cousin to Prozac. If these drugs don't cause dangerous criminals, then why won't the Army accept those using them?
When did all this labeling of children with this disorder, or that disorder start? Look back to when federal subsidies started to be given for every child who is labeled with Attention Deficit Disorder or some other contrived mental disability and you will see an explosion in the number of new 'cases'.
Over the last 30-35 years there has been an erosion of academic standards with the ever increasing presence of 'shrinks' and their so-called progressive education and 'miracle' medications. Yes, your host was right, the problem is with the 'shrinks'.
Violence, crime, immorality, drug abuse, suicides, promiscuity, and illiteracy have all been on the climb ever since the 60's...right around the time the 'shrinks' arrived, and that is the source of not only today's violence, but the entire downward spiral of our educational system. It may be hard to accept especially when all those 'shrinks' are now calling for even more shrinks and more drugging as their 'solution' to the violence. A classic case of "the earlier solution is the problem."
It's time to go back to what worked. Academics, high standards and positive discipline. Enough with the 'shrinks'.
Attached is a report I received from CCHR called, PSYCHIATRY AND THE CREATION OF SENSELESS VIOLENCE: The Connection Between Psychiatric, Mind-Altering Drugs and Acts of Random Senseless Violence.
I believe you will find it very enlightening. I would recommend getting one of their spokespersons on your show.
Sincerely,
Mike Kaplan
Biography: Mike Kaplan is 43 years old. Married with 2 children. A business entrepreneur who recently sold his software sales company and currently splits his time
between fundraising for the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights and helping
to revert the downward spiral in our public schools by exposing the harmful
influence of psychology-based curriculum and psychiatric drugging of our
children.
To: Internight@MSNBC.com
Date: Wednesday, May 12, 1999 1:06 AM
Subject: Cause of violence in kids overlooked