Michael Arnold Glueck and Robert J. Cihak , The Medicine Men
Friday, April 20, 2007

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The month of April has brought us not only showers but also a tsunami of social and media disasters.

There have been three back-to-back news issues that don't seem to quit (the Imus Story, the Duke Lacrosse rape story, and the Virginia Tech multiple murder story).

Although in different places at different times, they are all related.

They are all similarly the fault and result of pathological human relationships and interaction — a sort of omnipresent national mental illness that dominates our thinking.

They all deal with the inability of people to respect and communicate properly with one another.

Lets take a look at these three misbehaviors in both chronological order and degree of seriousness.

Imus

Yes, he sure did use a bad two-letter word. He used a slur that unfortunately is used tens of millions of times daily in this country. The three musketeers (the Media, Al Sharpton, and Jessie Jackson) swam in like piranhas and devoured the talk-show host's flesh and left a carcass.

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Many wonder if Sharpton and Jackson will use some of their attack monies to support the many kids with cancer at the Imus ranch.

Imus has apologized.

The Lynching of the Duke LaCrosse Team

Three Duke lacrosse players were charged with rape. The same three Musketeers whipped the town into a rage and a self-serving district attorney went into action. After a year of torture and hell for the players, the team, the coach, the university, the administration, the parents and the players' friends, the players were exonerated.

There is still no apology from the three stooges or the girl who falsely charged rape — in spite of the fact that this is a far more serious incident.

The Virginia Tech Slaughter

An alleged mentally ill student shot and killed over 30 students and wounded at least 15 more on the campus of Virginia Tech.

The student felt isolated and tormented. He ranted and raved excessively over the same complaints many persons have. The university health system and the campus and local security systems failed. Had the gun shop owner been a little more diligent or asked a few more questions the tragedy might have been prevented. How many college students need or buy a gun in the uplifting spring of the year?

To the great credit of the Korean community, they blamed no one from outside their group. They did not play the victim card. They gathered together to grieve, cry, worship, and pray for the slain or injured students and their families. Their leaders offered assistance in any way they could.

All three of these events might easily have been prevented with simple respect, understanding, tolerance, and better communication.