Almost everyone by now is aware of the numerous shootings by police that have occurred in the U. S. More recently, we’ve learned about police that have been killed. I will attempt to express some thoughts about enormous societal problems in a very brief commentary.

We know by now of the numerous countries that are experiencing the horrors of war. Some of these countries have been experiencing war since the 1990s. It seems like the U.S. is constantly at war. Anyone ask why?

North America was colonized by English and Europeans who came here for whatever reason. The colonizers destroyed the largest population of Native People as well as much of the natural environment for they did not know how to intelligently select, use and live within the environment of North America.

For generations, settlers tried to rid the country of all the Native People instead of attempting to live together, harmoniously. Why?During the same time, African slaves were brutalized and treated as savages, though their enslavement helped provide white people with great wealth. The American Civil War was another example of great violence and destruction. Wars waged against the Native People continued at the same time of the civil war.

War and more war. To get to the point; we as a society have had a very long history of violence. The statistics about the many various forms of violence in the U.S. are staggering. We ARE a violent society! That’s a reality! Television, the movies have been saturated with depictions of all forms of violence for generations. Adversarial relations have become the norm in so many areas of society. Sports entertainment depicts fierce competition among people, both athletes and viewers of these events. We are losing our caring for quality, meaningful human relations. It’s easier to be noncommittal and simply communicate through emails rather than in person and at a human pace that enables people to fully process information and respond clearly and appropriately. ( What are schools teaching about interpersonal communication?)

Sociologically, economically there has not been an equitable distribution of resources. Essentially the wealthy and powerful get what they want and others are left with the extreme burden of trying to get by. This economic condition can easily be perceived as a form of violence. This can also be extremely burdensome for many people.

This frustration and despair from trying to just get by can be overwhelming for some people. Not knowing where your next meal comes from. When will someone get another job after business closes and lays everyone off. There are frequent increases in the cost of living covering numerous categories of expenses. Simply living at somewhat of a comfortable, humane level has become increasingly difficult; much more for some people than others and this is for numerous reasons. Almost every fine detail around living has been turned into a for-profit venture that at least borders on predatory behavior. This condition has been broadly normalized and most people probably think this makes sense to keep this economy ‘going.’

Certain religious ideations might state this human condition is natural and inevitable. I have no problem stating that is nonsense and an excuse to not make an effort to become fully aware of the human condition and that people can transcend this current condition that has existed, unfortunately, for centuries. Certain beliefs are an excuse for humans not trying to transcend this social condition and become more fully conscious, growing beyond the current inequitable, violent condition that is obviously becoming much worse.

We are a violent society that continuously repeats the past. We are marching in place in quicksand! This is not a good condition for any member of a society regardless of economic status or intellectual and philosophical awareness. It simply is not the stuff for human substance or for a truly social system that understands living congruently with all things which includes the natural environment that we are all part of and dependent upon for solid mental and physical health.

I am convinced all people are more alike than different. We all need food, water and air to survive. We need clothing in cold weather and we need less clothing when it is warm. We all yearn for a peaceful life with quality human relations since we are social creatures wanting to share and engage with other humans. All humans want to be treated with respect and treated reasonably and HONESTLY and non- judgementally. No one wants to be discriminated against and especially for reasons of fear, ignorance and competitiveness. Perhaps we might someday understand the essence of real cooperation that does not allow economic divisions and discrimination.

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Joe Ciarrocca lives in Brunswick.