Desensitization and oversensitivity

Last night was the season premier of "Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel. My beloved and I have been addicted to this show since season 1! It is just amazing what those guys do. I especially love the guys that head up there with something to prove and get humbled by what it is really like out on the Bearing Sea. I have known two fishermen in real life. One was in basic training and he too was from Alaska. The guy was small, but a rock. He humbled the Drill Sergeants when they tried to 'smoke' him (get him to burn out) in push-ups. He could do them all day. The other was my step-father (for all of four weeks). That man was a mountain. He used to go out with the fishing boats out of Chincoteague Island (MD/VA). I never got along with him real well - but I digress from what I wanted to blog about. Before I move on, I am man enough to say that I am not man enough to do that job! LOL

Last night I only watched the highlights from Season 3 because I wanted to wait to watch the premier with my beloved. One of the highlights was when the Ocean Challenger sank with four men on board, before the crabbing season had even began. Well, one the captains was quoted as saying that he wasn't sure if it was "desensitizing" him to death in general. I don't think that was the case with him, because he sort of broke down right there on camera (I say good for him, such things should be sad). But it made me think about some things.

We have video games that are "first person shooter" types of games. And blowing up aliens is one thing, but the ones like "Grand Theft Auto" make me nervous. I am no scientist, but I see what happens at places like Columbine, Virginia Tech, and the recent YouTube beating - and I think we as a society (at least American society) is becoming desensitized to death, or at least violence. I have a lot of theories as to how we got to this point, but I don't think I have enough time to type it all out, but it makes me nervous for my children, and (eventual) grandchildren. We can't protect them from everything, but we can help them guard their hearts and minds.

But then there is the other side of the coin. We have inane laws and reactions to some of the most mundane accidents, and maybe my view is skewed because I have become desensitized but, where is the balance? Where are the parents teaching/training their children to obey and respect authority? Where are they teaching them to think about consequences? And it's not just teaching our children when they are young. I mean there are some really crazy thought processes used by adults. But when something that should be common sense is not followed, and some sort of accident occurs, why is it that there is a knee-jerk reaction to have some law passed to prevent such a tragedy?

One thing that is true, you cannot legislate common sense, or morality. You can have laws, and enforce such laws, but it does not change the individual. The laws govern the action, but do not shape the (wo)man's heart/mind. The best thing we can do for society (especially as parents) is to teach things like common sense, personal accountability, respect of authority (so long as it does not go against God), and that there are such things as right and wrong.
Verse for today:
Psalm 103 : 8-13, ESV
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.