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There is an awful and predictable sameness to the violence between Israelis and Palestinians, and to the gun violence in the United States. It leaves those of us who are spectators feeling helpless and possibly even guilty. What can and should we do to try to prevent, or at least mitigate, such events?
It seems that there is little I can do as an individual, except perhaps to offer what should be some rather obvious advice, based on a few simple observations and the appropriate metaphor that violent human conflicts are like wildfires.
Some people enjoy violence. Many young men, in particular, seem to like fighting. Since that general difference between men and women seems to be fairly independent of culture, the hormone testosterone probably has something to do with it. And beyond that, the hormone adrenaline, which (I think) affects men and women more equally than testosterone, is probably behind the feelings of excitement that even spectators of violent conflicts may experience. Unfortunately, many of us like to watch a fight.
It’s wise to keep tools of violence away from people who enjoy violent conflict. Gun violence in the United States is a chronic problem mainly because young men, including police officers, often possess guns or have easy access to them. Some police officers are drawn to that occupation by exciting possibilities of…
