Socialist America -vs- Sociopathic America

This morning I read a piece on The Other Mccain that, frankly, turned my stomach. Seems those who would turn America into a culture of victimhood have decided that the school dance rape wasn't about the victim at all... it's about society.

Days ago, a madman opened fire on innocent Americans at Ft. Hood, committing premeditated murder because he was "upset". And again, it's not about the victims, but about his "second-hand trauma" caused merely by listening to ACTUAL soldiers who served bravely and came home to his questionable care.

And a few weeks back, we witnessed (thanks to camera phone) the brutal killing of an honor student whose only crime was trying to get home from school. Again, we're asked to look not at WHAT, but at WHY... the murderous thugs had been required to cross gang boundary lines to receive their taxpayer funded education, and we know how traumatic that can be.

Since Joe the Plumber, we've heard more every day about socialism, socialist policies, socialized government programs, and the socialists among us who want to make America a better place.
We'd better worry less about becoming a socialist nation and recognize the very frightening fact that we've ALREADY become a sociopathic nation.

I realize that's not politically or psychologically a correct term. It's now "anti-social personality disorder", or worse, self-defined victimhood. Either way, it's an epidemic. There's even a very vocal contingent that would have us believe an admitted child rapist is simply a victim. After all, he went through some pretty terrible things by anyone's definition, right?

For every evil committed by man, there's a faction of America that wants to excuse the behavior. Decades of wrong-headed social programs have done much to eliminate the idea of personal responsibility and parental complicity. We seek to explain the most heinous behaviors in terms of societal ills, and give those who commit crimes every benefit of the doubt. And it's taking its toll.
In the case of the school rape, the crime extends beyond the rapists themselves. Every single person who looked on without standing up is a co-conspirator. There were people taking pictures with their cell phones -- which means there were witnesses with the ability to summon help who simply chose not to do it. To physically jump into the fray would have been dangerous (although there are those who'd have done it anyway), but a cell phone call could have been made from out of sight of the attackers, and help would have been on the way.

In the case of our home-grown jihadi (I don't care if that's not a popular way to describe him.), there have been reports since that he was acting in a bizarre manner, his statements had long been suspect, and nobody reported him before he started shooting. And NOW, we have the liberal media tripping all over itself to come up with an explanation that portrays this swine as a victim of things he never experienced. That's right -- now you can be a victim even if you've never actually been victimized... you just have to hear about someone else's bad experience to be traumatized. If that's the case, you might expect a rash of psychologists and counselors shooting up everything in sight, no?

The child rapist in question is to be excused because he was victimized by Nazis -- right along with millions of others who suffered the same vile treatment but somehow managed to NOT pass on the evil by raping little kids. His family was murdered, but although unfortunately many others go through the same awful event, this individual responded by victimizing others. And that's perfectly understandable to some folks out there.

And the poor boy who was beaten to death in broad daylight... This one kills me. In the video, you can plainly see cars go right by. Nobody stops to help. Nobody drives their car over the attackers (a completely acceptable action, in my mind). And the amateur videographer never thinks to stop filming long enough to use his phone as a PHONE instead of a CAMERA and call the police. Worse, not one person can be seen on video saying "Stop filming this and use that phone to call for help, you fool!" You'd think-hope-wish some brave soul would have either used their own phone or snatched the one away from the filmer to get some assistance.

Recently, a man was shot very near where I live. Outside, in broad daylight. And when the police tried to help and get the shooter's identity, the man replied he was shot by "A ghost." Because, you see, he didn't want the police to help. And, wonder of wonders, nobody saw a thing. I suspect we'll see future shootings tied to this same incident.

A few years back, Jonathan Kellerman wrote a book called Savage Spawn, about violent children and what creates them. It's an interesting read. He examines the nature vs nurture question and comes to the sensible determination that it's both.

Here's my take. Conscience is apparently developed by the toddler years. We're facing quite a few obstacles to that. We have some parents whose lifelong involvement in social programs has taught them they don't need to actively parent. We have some "enlightened" parents who are under the delusion that children need more space and fewer rules and boundaries in order to explore their world. We have many, many narcissistic parents who think their job is to be cool and be a best friend rather than a role model and enforcer of proper behavior. And we have a society that is determined to find, or make up, any excuse to justify failure to act appropriately.

We're raising an entire generation (and then another behind it) of sociopaths -- people without conscience or empathy who believe they are indeed the center of the universe and that the rules don't apply. The catchphrase of this generation seems to be, "Whatever." Combine that with those moral relativists who enable and excuse it all, and we're well on our way to dividing into Morlock and Eloi, sheep and wolves, predators and prey.

Worry about socialism when it comes to government if you like. But you should worry also about sociopathy, because it's going to have an even bigger effect on where we go and what we become in our future.

Related: I just read the Supreme Court is split on whether to allow life sentences for juveniles. The article mentioned two cases under their consideration...

Terrence Graham was sentenced to life at 17. He violated probation (an armed robbery charge) by taking part in a home invasion. Now 22, old Terrence wants a "meaningful opportunity" to show he's "fit to live in society. That's all -- that's all we're asking for."

Hey, slick -- You had the chance fit into society before you decided to become a violent habitual offender instead. And somehow, after starting out rotten and then spending four years being surrounded by the dregs of society, you're now fit to live with the rest of us?

Joe Harris Sullivan was given life for two counts of sexual battery. At 13, he was convicted of raping an elderly woman and judged to be incorrigible.

So at 13 this person was sufficiently morally stunted to commit rape, but we're supposed to believe that after 18 years locked away from society with other violent offenders, he's actually improved as a human being?

Sociopaths. And we have the Ruth Bader Ginsburgs of the world to excuse them as she says that juveniles are still developing and are not fully culpable for their actions. She says decisions about whether they have reformed can be made only at a later date.

Hey, Ruth... if a person has already become a habitual, violent, antisocial offender as a child, you're far too late to make a decent person of them. Stop endangering the rest of us with your enabling foolishness.