USA, Mass Shootings and Reaching Higher
abracad, · Categories: externally authored, spiritual politicsBy Dr. Stewart Bitkoff
The last few days have been filled with NEWS about the Mass Shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. Watching TV coverage I over heard the Mayor of Dayton indicate that this shooting was the 250th Mass Shooting in the USA; while it is difficult to determine how accurate this number and there is discussion about what constitutes a mass shooting, clearly, we have an ongoing problem that has not been effectively addressed by any segment of our society. Again, sadly many are dead/injured and many others suffering at the hands of 2 very misguided individuals.
This problem does not have a simple, one or 2 step solution: it will take years and people working on different levels of our society to turn this around; limiting sale of fire arms and back ground checks on gun purchases is a beginning. These two changes will not get the whole job done but are a long sought starting place. Comprehensive action is very late, must be put forward quickly and relatively free of selfish interest. Finally- we must work together.
The President has offered that both of these shooters have mental/psychiatric problems and this aspect of the problem seems obvious yet little has been done about this. Where I live there is a shortage of psychiatrists, mental health programs and seemingly no comprehensive discussion and limited targeted action on how to make healthier people who reach higher and help each other
As a psychiatric rehabilitation professional, the underlying problem has always been about how to help people reach full potential. The overall focus of a society must be on raising physical, mental and spiritual health, not just eliminating illness.
Again, the real issue is how to make better people who do not do horrible things to others. To correct this situation, there needs to be many social actions, many approaches and solutions.
Today always the discussion gets turned toward one solution and one program/cause. And it seems we just argue with each other about which is the best option and very little action is taken.
Question/Answer
Q: So again how do we solve this problem of mass shootings?
A: I offer, by raising better people who do not do these horrible things to each other.
To accomplish this what is required is a multi-level societal discussion and action plan, with people who are relatively free of self interest working together, to accomplish this goal.
Taking The Discussion Further
For those readers who wish a more comprehensive conversation then that offered above and want to know what they can do to help self and others, in 2016, I published a book entitled: Light on the Mountain (available on Amazon, 99 pages); which is a spiritual parable on the state of our society and one vision of what it will take to turn things around. Again people must work together, have a common philosophy/core value system, and have reached the level of thinking and operating for others as much as thinking and operating for self.
Please note this reference to other writing is not intended as a plug for my book; it is offered as a way not to repeat material that I previously presented in the only way that I could, a parable.
If interested pick-up this book and give it a read. Also included is a paper which offers an immediate personal solution entitled, ‘The Sufi Call: Making a Better World.’ To read just the paper go to my free blog: https://www.stewartbitkoff.com/the-sufi-call-making-a-better-world/.
Conclusion
From my perspective, spiritual learning and higher knowledge are the ancient treasure waiting to be discovered and are the missing piece- a catalyst- to help make other essential pieces of our personality and skill set work together; they are a vehicle to help accomplish this goal of making a better world.
No. I am not a dreamer- but a spiritual traveler that knows, because of training and experience what needs to be done. May you benefit from this writing and reach higher.
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Filed in: externally authored, spiritual politics
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