I‘ve stated before, in this newsletter, that much of our behavior is strongly influenced by programmed thoughts. We are programmed by other’s words and actions, both personally and in the media. To live a healthy, wealthy and wise life, we need to make sure that healthy, wealthy and wise thoughts dominate our minds.
I bring this up, because it happened again. In a way I was there at the beginning, Columbine. In Colorado I coached girls’ volleyball. One afternoon at work I heard news of the Columbine shootings. My thoughts immediately went to this player who spent 2 years on a team of mine before stopping to devote herself to studies. She was in the library studying when the shooting began. It was the last thing she ever did. After I heard the news that day it was about 40 hours before I could speak without bursting into tears. I thought at that time that Columbine was an unfathomably sorrowful incident that would likely be rarely duplicated. But it happened again, and again, and,,,,,,,
I know that the people who walk into public places and start shooting have not been programmed in a healthy way. Every time this happens there is a lot of “weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth” (Bob Marley). And, tears do need to be shed. What happened, again, is horrific beyond effective words. After the tears, there is a lot of casting blame in different directions. Rarely though, do I hear anyone speak of the issue in a comprehensive manner.
People tend to get stuck in the Newtonian physics model of A causes B: A gun killed people. Let’s get rid of guns. Or, some other variable of the same equation.
Maybe we do need to get rid of guns. Certainly I am sick to my stomach when I hear these shooters had automatic, or semi-automatic rifles, but I don’t think that is the whole problem. People are going to have guns and they deserve to have them. Guns should be a privilege that is earned, however. We must make it more difficult for a person to have a gun.
The solution to this problem of mass killings in public places is more complicated than guns. It demands we evaluate several elements of our society. It is time to take our heads out of the sand and be honest with ourselves about what is happening in our society.
So much of has to do with that “programming issue”. We live in a country that is overwhelmed by technology. Computers, TV, movies, YouTube, gaming; and much of it is violent.
Most magazines and TV shows are littered with prescription drug ads. Programming is the art of influencing the dominant thought patterns in the brain. It is impossible to see and hear things repeatedly without them becoming part of your dominant thought patterns. If this wasn’t true no one would advertise, because it wouldn’t work.
One of the results of programming is prescription drug use. Here are some statistics and statements from various government agencies.
America consumes
- 80% of opiates
- 71% of oxycodone
- 99% of hydrocodone
- 66% of the world’s illegal drugs
The rate of antidepressant use in this country of people age 12 and older increased by almost 400% between 1994 and 2008. Ritalin, and similar drugs are now given to children as young as 2 years old. These drugs are a form of amphetamine, speed! Who would even think of giving a child, 2 or 20, speed? Teens and preteens are regularly given antidepressants, in spite of the knowledge that antidepressants are a crap-shoot. You may pick the right one the first time, if not you keep going until you do get the right one. As if there is a right one! Give a person the proper diet, exercise, and proper lifestyle choices and depression almost always goes away. The thought that the first alternative for children should be prescription drugs is insanity!
We may never stop all of the killing, but if we address three areas: Guns, drugs and violent media things will change for the better. We are faced with a societal issue. All societal issues eventually come down to personal responsibility. Every person must ask himself or herself, “How much violence needs to be made readily available to children, or to adults?”
People who go on the internet to view porn, especially regularly, are labeled sick. People who view the same amount of violence, or much more, are normal American teens. Studies done with functional MRI show how violence negatively affects the brain. How is this acceptable?
How can we continue to allow prescription drug ads to be all over our society when their track record is so bad? Drugs should be for a life threatening crisis, or the last resort. Further, we must stop allowing the medical community to experiment on our children with medications. Please understand I am not exaggerating when I say experiment. For some reason it is deemed appropriate to give drugs to kids even when the drug literature says that a drug is only proven safe for adults.
Finally, let’s make it mandatory that people have superb training before they are allowed to have a gun. Let’s make sure that people are held accountable for their own guns, even parents. Let’s have harsh penalties for those who do not keep the guns safely locked away, and for those who illegally sell, or possess, guns.
Maybe you are thinking that this doesn’t have much to do with chiropractic. In many ways it does not. Yet, chiropractic is about a lifestyle that will reprogram your body to healthier alternatives. Hopefully, no one leaves my office without having to think (even just a little bit) about what they need to do to make the most out of the adjustment they just had. Most of all, chiropractic kids are rarely kids on medications, and especially on dangerous Class 2 narcotics and mind altering antidepressants. That’s it, do your best to make the world a better place, have a Merry Christmas, and make 2013 the best year ever.
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