OPINION:
Most children, raised in loving, nurturing environments in which they are valued, grow up to become well-adjusted, productive adults. They contribute to the general health and welfare of the family, neighborhood and community. Some rise to national and even international prominence for invention, critical thinking, character and courage.
But as always, there are others, malleable little ones subjected to physical and mental abuse, abandonment and lack of education, attention and care. These individuals become known by police reports, welfare rolls and general troublesomeness. Few though they be relative to the general population, these are the ones who gain notoriety for acts of violence that stun most who learn of the misdeeds. In an effort to excuse the guilty, many people try to avoid this behavior’s obvious foundational causes.
Yes, there are exceptional cases in which someone from a good and loving home becomes a violent criminal; perhaps these are caused by birth defects or specific traumatic events. More often than not, however, the reasons behind abhorrent acts are the aforementioned failings and/or absence of loving caregivers. The products of such dysfunctional, loveless upbringings are the ones who, along with their surrounding peer groups, produce evil in any culture. We would be wise and better for it to recognize and address these cultural failures.
H. LEE LAPOLE
Loveland, Ohio
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