Anger Must Be Controlled

I cannot remember when there has been as much frustration and tension being expressed from the public regarding what is taking place in government. As I travel our state speaking to various groups, there is more anger being expressed than I have ever seen. People are beginning to ask questions and to hold their elected officials accountable. One could muse as to when this anger and frustration began. It could well be that as the economy has weakened with so many people unemployed, we are paying more attention to where our money is going. When we hear of bridges to nowhere, and 14,000 empty buildings owned by the Federal Government, it is enough to cause people to begin to ask pointed questions requiring direct answers. When we see the large salaries of some people in government service while the general public is struggling to live from paycheck to paycheck, we can understand the attitude that is boiling up to the surface.

Safety concerns have come into the forefront for many people as we are seeing more murders being committed against innocent people gathered to enjoy a movie, or sitting quietly in a place of worship. I was asked if I thought we are to the place of the “old Wild West” where everybody will have to be armed with a weapon to provide individual protection. These days of uncertainty, unrest, frustration, and questioning linked with an election year promise to produce much mud slinging and very negative ads leading up to the General Election on Nov. 6.

Whatever the frustration, tension, or point of anger, there will never be any reason to indulge any person who takes those emotions out in public rage by murdering innocent people, no matter how they feel toward others. We are seeing too much abuse, mayhem, and assaults against property and persons in our country. Extreme groups play on emotions of people to the point that those who are unbalanced come to the point of not filtering their anger through proper means and become certain to lash out by committing heinous crimes, even murder of innocent people. 

As long as there have been people, we have had murder -- from the first murder when Cain killed his brother Abel to the present time. A society that places a low value on life will always find people from within the general public who believe they are given permission to take the life of others. That thinking is wrong at every level. Learning to channel anger into a place where resolving issues can be the outcome rather than moving to the place of uncontrollable rage where lives are taken from innocent people, should be the goal of every civilized culture. From where I stand, we must bring our anger under control before more innocent people are killed.

One reminder: run-off election is one week from today, Aug. 21. You can vote even if you did not vote in the Primary Election.

Follow Ray Newman on Twitter @RayNewmanSr