'We must look in the mirror'

In my opinion the recent school shootings are a sad and horrible manifestation of the decay in our contemporary society. As troubling as the loss of life is, in my opinion, the degeneration of our modern culture is the root cause.
The availability of firearms was much greater years ago. I remember when a rifle could be purchased by mail order from the back of National Geographic Magazine and many other publications.
The local Woolworth’s Department store sold guns.
Never would youngsters consider shooting anyone.
Only recently in the last decade or so have young people turned into mass murderers, killing other young people.
Yes, some would say this is the reason gun ownership must be more restrictive.
However, just blaming the NRA or an inanimate object like a gun in my opinion is a cop out and sadly misses the point. In the current public discourse I hear almost no one questioning what has become of our society.
The Washington political arena has become a national embarrassment.
Our two major political parties have become morally and all too often legally corrupt.
Close to home, the Albany government is a hotbed of felony convictions.
The news media along with the public square has become vitriolic, politicized and in many cases, hateful.
The pastime of movies, television and video games are saturated with violence and the glamorizing of the drug world.
We are now contemplating turning our schools into fortresses.
When questioning why so many young people are resorting to these recent heinous acts, I think we must look in the mirror and consider just how they are being raised nowadays and what examples the adult world is offering.
Bill Lemanski
Tuxedo