In midst of shootings, two words can save you

I hope most of you have joined me in some deep thought about the epidemic of mass shootings in the United States. And, before your blood pressure goes up, changing guns laws is not part of the discussion here.

For my generation, the only emergency preparedness drills we had in school were fire drills. Guess how rare it is for fire to break out at a school. So rare that, even in this in this information age, it’s difficult to find data about any injuries at all.

Some of you who don’t suffer from procrastination might have one of those emergency supply kits that the Red Cross and Emergency Management officials would love for all of us to keep ready that includes three days of water and food in case a tornado or hurricane finds its way to our neighborhood.  But how many of you know what to do if a gunman comes into your office? What about the store where you are shopping? It’s becoming an increasingly likely reality. Maybe you should talk to a school-aged youth in your family or neighborhood, because they practice what to do if any of a wide variety of emergency situations arise while they are in their classroom.

Many adults have been lulled into a false sense of security because they have a concealed handgun permit and are carrying an “equalizer.” The events of the last week demonstrate that packing heat isn’t the magic bullet in self-defense.

In the June 8 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Jerad Miller and Amanda Miller apparently decided to begin a revolution and ambushed two experienced patrol officers while they were eating lunch. One of the officers returned fire, but was unable to stop the assassins from moving on to a nearby Walmart where they also killed an armed shopper who confronted them inside the front door.

Those who survived the incident unharmed instinctively followed the advice begin by experts at Texas State University’s Active Shooter first responder training program — a program that has now been adopted by the FBI. The instructors at Texas State advise anyone who finds themselves in the midst of an active shooter situation to flee the area if at all possible.

That’s right. RUN! If you cannot make a safe exit, HIDE! Lock and barricade any door you can put between yourself and the suspect. Turn out the light and remain absolutely quiet. This includes silencing your mobile phone since even the vibration of a muted phone can tip someone to your hiding place.

If you show up at the scene of disturbance where law enforcement believes an active shooter is located and you display a firearm, expect to be shot. That’s part of the protocol. You won’t be receiving any first aid until the scene is cleared. If you are there before law enforcement arrives and are attempting to assist others, put down your weapon as soon as uniformed help arrives.

I’m sure you’re still thinking this is a remote possibility that it will ever happen to you. Everyone thinks that, until it happens to them.

Last Tuesday, when a student was shot and killed on the last day of school at a high school outside Portland, Ore. that made 74 school shootings since Adam Lanza went on a rampage Dec. 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary. That day many people thought the event would shock us into “fixing” the country.

A Columbia University fellow has written a book offering a theory these incidents are the result of an epidemic of vicarious violence. L. Craig Williams theorizes that our best hope may be to be more engaged with those around us.

He doesn’t just throw out a sweeping indictment of all entertainment media, but he connects the upward trajectory of violence to the dehumanizing influence of “reality television” as well as the violence in movies, video games and even sports.

“Reality television turns supposed real-life personal heartbreak and tragedy into entertainment. The internet is casually rife with porn and horrific imagery,” Williams said.

“It’s no surprise we’re seeing more and more mass shootings at schools and other public venues, more incidents of road rage, and even more heinous crimes committed by children,” Williams says. “When we’re inured to violence and we lose our appreciation for the value of every human life, society can become terribly cruel, even sadistic.”

Watching a steady diet of clownishly aggressive young women have meltdowns on TV can make viewers disassociate with the people we encounter face-to-face. A steady diet of what Williams calls “junk media” makes viewers more likely to be enraged than engaged when they face a slight difficulty in day-to-day interactions. 

It has been a long-standing tactic among mental health professionals as well as law enforcement that when dealing with an intensely violent situation you have to be smarter than the bad guy, not more violent. By building better relationships with your friends, family and neighbors — and identifying less with the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” — you help make the whole world a more peaceful place.

How often does the whole tantrum-throwing act prove successful anyway? It’s not working for cast members in Real Housewives. It’s not working for political groups when they issue an ultimatum and declare that they will not negotiate.

Angry outbursts have become much too acceptable in our society. Now that everyone has the ability to weigh in on every issue via social media, it has given many of us the idea that we have the right to demand that our every wish be obeyed — or else. If you have an idea on how tone down the anger in our society, I’d love to hear it.