  Today there was another school shooting, this time in Pennsylvania. I notice that we went a long time without incidents of this type, but since the war began there have been at least three. Coincidence? I think the government’s public willingness to kill people when it benefits them has gotten into these kids’ heads. We really want to pretend that the country’s international actions have no negative effects on our culture. Unfortunately, mounting evidence says otherwise. This is also my primary issue with the death penalty. If it’s wrong to kill, then it’s wrong to kill. State sanctioned violence is a tool, a construct of politicians. Socrates said it’s better to be the victim of violence than the perpetrator of injustice. But try telling that to the post-9/11 American public. 
