Why Are We So Violent?

A mentally disturbed man with a grudge against the IRS fires a gun near the White House. A Chicago man returns to a plant from which he was fired and guns down eight people. A slumping economy, fears of losing a job and an inability to appropriately cope with crises all can contribute to violent responses, says sociologist Kevin Fitzpatrick, Ph.D. "We live in a society where people get the idea that if they brandish a gun, people will listen. It speaks to a set of larger structural problems related to the easy availability of guns, inadequate coping strategies, a heavily burdened mental health system and a society where violence continues to be an acceptable means of problem solving for youth and adults alike." Contact Gail Short, Media Relations, 205-934-8931 or [email protected].