COMMENTARY: Who is to blame for this cycle of random and wicked violence? We are.
Summary
Ward Brehm argues the nation must accept collective responsibility for a rising cycle of random, brutal violence following shootings at Utah Valley University and a Minnesota elementary school. He blames cultural desensitisation — violent media, social media echo chambers, and weakened communal values — rather than only individual pathology or political failure. Brehm calls for a revival of moral teaching (invoking Jesus’ teachings), stronger community ties, better mental-health support, civic pressure on media, safer schools and active citizen engagement to reverse the trend.
Key Points
- The author says America is collectively responsible for normalising violence through media and culture.
- Recent shootings (Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley, and the Minnesota school) exemplify a grotesque national pattern.
- Violent entertainment and social media are cited as major contributors to desensitisation and radicalisation.
- Solutions proposed include restoring moral teaching, improving mental-health resources, safer schools and civic pressure on media, not censorship.
- Brehm urges people to refuse passivity, strengthen community bonds, model compassion and pray; change in values is essential.
Author style
Punchy — Brehm speaks plainly and urgently: this is our fault and we must fix it, now. If you care about public safety or children, the piece is an emphatic wake-up call worth reading in full.
Context and relevance
The commentary feeds into an ongoing national debate about gun violence, media influence and moral culture. It connects recent high-profile shootings to wider trends in social media, entertainment and community disengagement, offering both cultural diagnosis and civic remedies. For policymakers, educators and parents, it reinforces calls for non-legislative action alongside policy changes.
Why should I read this?
Put simply: it’s blunt and uncomfortable, but it nails a perspective you won’t always see in headline coverage — that society’s values and media diet matter. If you’re fed up with the same tragedies repeating, this short read tells you who’s to blame and what you can push for.
