Family, Values, and Mental Health: Parkland Florida School Shooting—It Was Personal

The recent tragedy in Parkland, Florida was personal. This school shooting involved a deranged individual with known problems. My niece knew the shooter since the two were in eighth grade. Today, my niece is a senior and was one of the many who endured the event as it unfolded.  

Luckily for my niece, she was able to walk out of that event physically unscathed. But like many of the children, she will likely have to overcome the mental anguish presented.

It was only moments after America learned of this tragic event that many immediately jumped on the gun debate we have here in America after every shooting.  


The left wants to talk about a strict gun control policy which some believe entails no guns at all.  

The right wants to discuss more guns while many jump on the fear the left wishes to take guns away completely.

Me?

I want to discuss the real issues at stake which truthfully doesn’t involve the gun debate at all. I wish to talk about values, morals, and a lost tribe. What I really mean is, I wish to discuss the deterioration of family and faith.  

You see, here in America, single families outweigh married couples.

In the vast majority of households, all adults in the house work full time jobs.

Tv, iPads, cell phones, etc are used to entertain kids.

Families don’t eat dinner as a family.

Religious institutional education is ridiculed.

Love is something few truly comprehend.  

What I have written does not mean single parents are bad. But children need “mom AND dad.”

Studies have proven the success rates of children raised with two adults living in the house versus one.  

Other studies show the difference between children raised with families who actually eat dinner together versus those who do not.  

Religious education in children too assist in gaining better success rates as children. Studies from the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops helps put some of this in perspective. (Of note, I do not wear my religion on my sleeve. I’m not some holy roller, not even close but then again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with those who are).

As far as true love goes, how does one truly know what true love is?  

My point about true love goes hand in hand with families lacking the will to teach religious beliefs, especially that founded in the Abrahamic religions considering it is those teachings where we truly learn and comprehend true love.  

But fact is, it is the teachings founded in those types of texts where we truly grasp the concept of love. And, because fewer and fewer engage in religion here in America, yes, that also translates to fewer and fewer understanding true love.

This point has nothing to do with significant others either as it is much more than that.

So now you think I am preaching.  

I am not.  

I am trying to discuss a serious matter about who we are as Americans and our rapid decline in this thing called “family, morals, and values.”

This is the debate we need.  

“The National Center for Health Statistics reports that 7.5 percent of U.S. children between ages 6 and 17 were taking medication for “emotional or behavioral difficulties” in 2011-2012. The CDC reports a five-fold increase in the number of children under 18 on psychostimulants from 1988-1994 to 2007–2010, with the most recent rate of 4.2 percent. The same report estimates that 1.3 percent of children are on antidepressants. The rate of antipsychotic prescriptions for children has increased six-fold over this same period, according to a study of office visits within the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.  In children under age 5, psychotropic prescription rates peaked at 1.45 percent in 2002-2005 and declined to 1.00 percent from 2006-2009.”—National institute of Mental Health  

Of all these children prescribed psychotropic mental health drugs, how many come from broken homes?

How many lack a father figure?

How many attend some type of religious education?  

Are these kids truly in need of these drugs or are these kids in need of structured livelihoods?  

Of the mass shootings we experienced over the past 5, 10, 20, years, how many of the shooters were under the influence of some type of psychotropic drug?  

Answer—Every single one of them.

Unfortunately, no one seems to want to discuss the real issue here in America when it comes to mass shootings.

No one wants to study America’s current socio-cultural dynamic.

No one wants to look themselves in the mirror and ask the truly difficult questions.  

Unfortunately, this is the real subject we need to be focused on--Family, morals and values, and mental health.

Luckily for my niece, she has an incredibly strong family, one which raises her within a strong religious foundation, and she maintains an incredibly strong mental capacity filled with love, forgiveness, and sacrifice.

She is lucky.