Mass shootings seem more commonplace in these troubled times. Despite the recent Islamic-inspired atrocities that have made headlines, the fact is most of these shootings have been committed by local citizens, deranged people with a vendetta, often out for revenge for some imagined slight or insult. Many are just wanton killers on a blood lust.
In 1962 when I was 15 years of age my dad said he would take me hunting if I saved my money to buy a rifle.
In October of that year I walked from my high school in New Westminster downtown to purchase a .303 rifle from the Army & Navy store on Columbia Street. I recall paying $17 for the rifle and $5 for the box of ammo.
The clerk wrapped some brown paper around the midsection of the rifle but the stock and barrel were plainly visible. The fact is my parcel was obviously a rifle.
With my purchase over my shoulder and my school books under my arm, I proceeded to walk the five blocks to the Greyhound bus depot on Queens Street.
No one at the depot paid any attention to me and the only comment I got was from the bus driver who wanted to know what the calibre of my rifle was and where I would be hunting.
What was going on? How come the SWAT team wasn't called out? Why didn't the passengers go screaming off the bus when an armed dangerous teenager got onboard? Why didn't anyone call the police?
In the 1950s and early 1960s and long before that there was no such thing as mass killings. No one gave a second thought as I and my buddies at 13 years of age rode our bikes with our .22 rifles slung over our shoulder to go hunting birds in the bush in South Surrey. There was no possession permits required for firearms. It was all perfectly legal.
Remember in the 1950s about 40 per cent of people attended church and the majority of families were intact, mom and dad married. Divorce was rare.
Mothers stayed home at least until the kids started school. Parents were there to teach their morals and manners to the children and the children did not learn it from a stranger running a daycare. Religious and secular families alike believed in the principles of the 10 commandments including thou shalt not kill. Boys and young men were taught to respect women. Boys do not hit girls. Parents could drop their kids off at any theatre and the shows were still under the Hayes Code; they were all rated general.
There was no Internet porn or violent video games to skew young minds.
Respect for authority and the police were reinforced. The lyrics of rock and roll were innocuous compared to the obscene lyrics, especially rap, of today.
The justice system in the 1950s was stricter for these who crossed the line.
The death penalty put an end to the most violent killers; no second chance to kill again.
So what is the real answer to the mass shootings of today? See the above.
Bernard McKay
Prince George
