Controversial Issues: Racial Epithet, Feminine Identity, Mass Shooter Trigger

    I wanted to share some thoughts on three different things that are on my mind lately. One is a recent incident that occurred at my alma mater campus, a place that has been a historic venue for black and white issues. The second is about a famous author that people in my family are currently reading, who has a more controversial current take on sexual or gender identity. The third topic is about active shooters and what pushes them to homicide and suicide, which I think is marijuana.

1. The BYU (Brigham Young University) Women's volleyball played Duke in Provo last Friday, August 26, 2022. A male BYU fan, sitting in the home student section, was caught racially taunting a Black opponent player when she served and during the game with the N word, a racially charged epithet that coming from most people's mouths is an absolute offense and social taboo. The player being harassed had a police personnel placed by them; the fan in question has been banned by BYU from all events, and the religious school issued an apology through social media.

    For the record, I graduated from BYU-Provo in the mid 90s. I am part of the alumni and the common expectations that any college graduate or religion or community should share. We cannot tolerate such ugly hate, vitriol, and racial or any other hurtful epithets.

    The one part of the story that bothers me, which I have to investigate more, to fully flesh out, is whether fellow fans in the section were not able or willing to stop this hateful instigator. I read two articles about it so far, but it appears that the fans surrounding the shouter were not able to shout him down, correct him, or properly intervene. I do not know who this guy was, and I want to, but perhaps he was intimidating enough to those close to him that he scared them from stepping up. I know that I for one, an able-bodied male in my fifties, would have had some pretty strong words or actions with this alleged fan. Or, maybe I would have called law enforcement to intervene and quell such nonsense. 

    I think that this story will have a few more follow ups, but I know that some Duke people feel aggrieved, and hopefully we can all come to a better place because of this gross, unfortunate incident. For the record, I am insulted by this ugly display of terrible communication and virulent speech. For what it's worth, I am committed to stopping such words and attitudes by others. I am grateful that no violence was involved.

2. J.K. Rowling has gotten in hot water, and many famous and other collaborators and fans have disclaimed her statements about her identifying as a born woman and how she identifies as a natural female. That is my characterization of her position about being a woman, and implying how those who were not created, raised, or actually are female affects how she feels about being a female.

    People have taken her comments about being a "normal" woman or female, not a transgender person claiming to be female after being a born male, as insensitive, hateful, and wrong.

    I believe that there are generally male and female people. I think I stand with J.K. Rowling and I support her views. She grew up a girl and female, and a person who has not done that cannot claim the same identity or life experience. I know some people that claim non-binary identity, and I care for them; I do not hate them. However, I disagree with how they view themselves. I wish that they could identify with how they were born.

    This may make me a 21st century pariah; perhaps my views as a person in this age is now considered hateful, small-minded, close-minded, old fashioned, backward, wrong. I do acknowledge that there are some people naturally born as hermaphrodites, having mixed organs or genitalia, and that many people strongly identify with one gender or sex more than another.

    However, we are born the way we are, and we should accept it as much as we can. We should not discriminate or hate anyone for how they feel or act about themselves and their intrinsic identities and views, but I feel like I am with J.K. Rowling. She has said many things, and has continually been called out, but overall, from what I know and observe I agree with her sentiments. Women are women and men are men.

3.  I feel like the great majority of our mass active shooters have consumed levels of marijuana, likely the THC chemical, that has added a trigger or compulsion to their motives and brains that pushed them to such heinous and atrocious acts.

The Las Vegas mass shooter, a 62-year-old, is still a mystery to most of the law enforcement and scientific community. A colleague and I discussed that perhaps he was exposed to secondhand smoke while staying up late gambling in the Las Vegas casinos as he was known to do. He was known for drinking a lot. I read about some of his history of work in the 1970s and 1980s. I think it is likely that he consumed marijuana over the years.

I am not saying that all people who smoke and consume marijuana will become distant, hateful, and become an active shooter. But I am saying that most active shooters in the United States have added this component to their heads, and it has not turned out well.

Many, many innocent victims of their deeds have been the tragic result THC, a psycho-active chemical that has very deleterious effects on certain people, the worst of it causing a person in becoming a violent killer. In my inexpert opinion.

It is not the only answer to knowing the trigger (no pun intended) to those who go off on psychotic episodes and shoot themselves and others, but I think it is one that more people should be aware of. I do think that marijuana kills. Individually and collectively, we need to stop its usage and abuse.

Blog it.