August 9, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 12

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Friday, August 9, 2019 qa" oF Opinion Page “ElkCituNews Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 When will this nightmare end? ° Beauty wors hip Jesus and Jovanna Rodriguez hold candles during a vigil Sunday at Ponder Park honoring the victims of the mass shooting in El Paso. Photo by Lola Gomez, American Statesman. Glynda Lomax is a Chris- time. achieve the look you believe tian author and podcaster Beauty is a multi-billion everyone else will adore for By Don Munsch, Editor who resides in the Ozark dollar industry. There seems a period of time? This weekend, 31 people were killed in separate shoot- Mountains of Northern Ar- to be no price we are not The worship of beauty has ings. kansas with her two very willing to pay to be beauti- turned the illusion of perfec- bossy dogs. She wrote her ful. tion into a monstrous idol One mass murder occurred in El Paso. The other was in JSirst About Life..column in We live in the Age of the that devours all those who Dayton, Ohio. The El Paso shooting was the 250th mass shooting in the United States this year, according to some 2003 for a newspaper in Selfie. Cell phone photogra- try to achieve it. It consumes data. Unless you actively avoid the news, you would be Dallas. She is planning her phy has caused many to fall their thoughts, their energies well aware of these horrible events. next book. in love with their own faces. and eventually their bank At this point there is a very accounts. Obsession with it Ican only ask the same questions on many other people’s “Madame, beauty is al- real chance that if aliens in- causes unrealistic expecta- minds: What in the world is going on here? ways queen, and the whole vaded earth, it would take tions and destroys relation- Glynda Lomax Some people blame the troubling, deadly trend on a wide world her empire.” ~Joseph hours for some people to ships, ruins marriages and variety of targets, often picking one over the others: Easy II, to Jeanne Bécu, Countess stop staring at their own fac- affects careers. The lack of it stop idolizing those we think access to guns. The gun lobby’s stranglehold on lawmak- du Barry, at Versailles es on long enough to even causes shame, rejection, de- have attained it? ers. Violent entertainment. Video games. Mental illness. notice. pression, and in some cases How long before we all The “dark corners” of the internet. Everywhere we look we And beauty does have its even suicide. It has truly be- wake up and stop sacrificing But, come on. The issue is way too complex for there to see beautiful people be- advantages, make no mis- come a god some are willing our lives and our finances to be one culprit, right? ing honored for the great take. There is no question to lay down everything for. the god of perfect beauty? I don’t have any easy answers because there aren’t any, achievement of being born that being attractive opens When people are willing When will we stop pursu- but I do have some questions. gorgeous. Celebrities on doors for us. But just how to chop off body parts, have ing a fantasy we can never television and at the movies. much are you willing to pay foreign substances _inject- 1. Why say or pretend guns — in this case assault-type Super models in magazines. for the power and admira- ed into their skin or starve have and stop spending all weapons — have little to do with the mass murders? The Beauty influencers on You- tion that comes with being themselves literally to death we have to become the ob- questions will continue about these and other shootings, but Tube. Beauty icons are ev- beautiful on the outside? Are to achieve what some call jects of worship ourselves? the one aspect of these shooting incidents remains constant erywhere we look. you willing to mutilate your beauty, can we say we’ve in the last few decades: the killers’ access to weapons, in ‘America worships youth body, have foreign objects gone too far? “I was brought up to be- many cases assault weapons. I support the Second Amend- and beauty. As humans cre- implanted? Are you willing Our ideal of beauty can lieve beauty is not worth ment and grew up in a home with guns, but I reject any ated with a need to worship, to have chemicals injected appear to be perfection at thinking about, what’s im- arguments that promote the idea that assault weapons or we spend our whole lives or parts that don’t conform first glance, though noth- portant is your soul, your “weapons of war” aren’t an issue in these incidents. Didn’t searching for something or chopped off or pared down? ing in human form will ever mind—you don’t want to be police say the Dayton shooter killed nine people in a half- someone worthy of our wor- Are you willing to go deep truly be perfect. When do a fifty-dollar haircut on a minute? Twenty-seven other people were injured. ship. Television and mov- into debt, starve yourself, we say enough is enough? Jifty-cent head” - Garrison 2. What is the deal with all of these angry, deranged, ies give us a bevy of beauty trade your body’s ability to When do we stop worship- Keillor, We Are Still Mar- young white males? Many mass murderers have been icons to worship and new heal, or risk your life hav- ing an ideal of perfection we ried: Stories and Letters, young white males, although some have been older older ones are being added all the ing surgery after surgery to can never truly attain and 1990 edition, Part 2 white males, such as the Las Vegas shooter. 3. How is life different now than decades ago, when weapons were available but society didn’t have the sheer Criminal justice reforms a deliberative process number of mass killings we have now? What has so drasti- By Representative Todd categories of crimes. The is in addition to Senate Bill the system so rigid and com- cally changed in the last 20-30 years? Russ plex, there seems to be no legislation goes into effect 86, which directs the De- 4. Are the media playing some sort of role here? Over the Sometimes I get asked end to the sentence and so Nov. 1. The new law directs partment of Mental Health years, I have thought about one issue that doesn’t gener- what meaningful criminal many technical details and the Pardon and Parole Board and Substance Abuse Ser- ate the scrutiny it should: the desire for disaffected or dis- justice reform should look fines and fees, it’s nearly to establish an accelerated, vices to use $10 million of turbed individuals to acquire fame from their deadly shoot- like in Oklahoma. Our state, impossible to get free even single-stage commutation the department’s appropria- ing acts. [I will follow other news organizations’ lead in after all, has the highest in- after a person gets out of docket for people convicted tion for the Smart on Crime not naming the killers from El Paso and Dayton and other carceration rate in the world prison. of crimes that have been initiative and $500,000 to mass killings.] for both men and women. We know that mental reclassified, and empow- establish a pilot program to But the media have to report on these incidents in some These are people that have health care services and ad- ers the board to recommend provide offenders incarcer- form or fashion, and it’s hard to believe the TV media become almost permanently diction treatment cost less these people to the governor ated in county jails access would not have around-the-clock coverage in the days of removed from their fami- than incarceration. But, it for reconsideration of their to Federal Drug Adminis- lies and from the workforce. takes a lot of resources to sentences. The Department of Corrections is to provide tration-approved, evidence- and following the shootings. There’s an immediate desire for information on the public’s part. The coverage should This brings dire social con- determine those truly in sequences. Not only are need and those who repre- based a certified list of potentially medication-assisted be sensitive, fair and accurate. treatment for opioid and al- families broken apart, but sent a true threat to the pub- eligible inmates to the Par- The shooters gain fame, no matter what. taxpayers are forced to foot lic. It also takes time to turn don and Parole Board within cohol dependence. Way back in 1999, the Columbine shooters discussed the bill for housing, feeding a massive ocean liner, and 30 days of the act’s effective These are just a few of their motives on videos they left behind. They knew their and taking care of the medi- over the last 50 years that date. multiple measures passed. murderous actions would cause obvious devastation, but cal and basic human needs is what this problem has be- Early projections indicate We still need change for they hoped they would be granted fame — which they knew of these individuals. come like. an estimated 623 inmates those who have paid their they would never be around to enjoy — and create a cult of But, here’s the dilemma: Still, the Oklahoma Legis- who have only simple pos- dues to society and done followers for years to come. Many would say we must lature has taken many steps session sentences will be their time and are coming Ample research has shown that other mass murderers do everything we can to over the past few years to able to be released as soon out of the justice system. were inspired by these two shooters. The shooters at Vir- keep the public safe from help alleviate our grow- as their sentences are com- Those who meet the criteria ginia Tech and Sandy Hook seem to have been inspired by those who commit crimes. ing prison population while muted. Another 338 people to receive a valid driver’s the Columbine shooters, and they, too, desired fame, based On the surface, that sounds keeping a watchful eye on who are serving time for license should be helped so on the evidence and grotesque nature of their crimes. More right. But, at some point, we ensuring public safety. Here simple drug possession and they can get a job and begin recent mass murderers have been motivated by hate, such have got to become much are some of the reforms for another crime will be integrating back into soci- as the South Carolina church shooter and the Pittsburgh more adept at differenti passed the last few years able to have their total sen- ety. In the meantime, law- synagogue shooter, but they likely desired infamy. ing between those truly in- that are making a difference. tence length reduced. makers continue to study tent on harming others and In 2017, the Legislature In the meantime, OMES other criminal justice reform 5. Where were/are the life skills among these shooters to- day? Where does their cruelty and viciousness come from? those who are mentally ill put State Questions 780 estimated last fall that the initiatives. Many will be the or those who have made bad and 781 on a statewide bal- state had saved $63.5 mil- And why were some red flags being missed about some of choices and are battling ad- lot, and voters approved lion in Fiscal Year 2018 in focus of interim studies this these shooters? The latest shooters appear to have dispa- fall. I will keep you posted dictions. Often, after pay- the measures. SQ780 made cost aversion as the result n our progress. rate backgrounds, based on reporting in recent days. The ing their dues in prison for certain nonviolent drug and of SQ780 by reducing the EI Paso shooter has been described a loner who got bullied acrime committed, the latter property crimes misdemean- number of offenders sen- As always, I serve you — in high school and later, according to his alleged manifesto, get caught in our criminal ors instead of felonies, and tenced to prison. This in turn my constituents of District embraced hateful views toward Hispanics, while the Day- justice system and can’t find $Q781 directs funds saved lowered the state’s incarcer- 55 - first. Next in line is our ton shooter seems to have been a severely troubled indi a way out, whether because to community rehabilitation ation costs. The estimated great state. Thank you for vidual and misogynist. One person, commenting on Twit of fines and fees or the lack programs, including mental savings over five years are giving me the opportunity ter, claimed to be a high school classmate of the Dayton of ability to jump through health and substance abuse to represent you at the Capi- $137.8 million. shooter, and said the shooter was a “real scumbag” who the hoops of the system, or services. For the Fiscal Year 2020 tol. God bless you and God threatened people in high school and whose transgressions other factors. This year, the Legislature budget, the Legislature bless Oklahoma! State Rep- seem to have been improperly handled. Criminals should pay for passed and the governor dedicated $1.5 million to resentative Todd Russ can Icould go on. The only thing I know for absolute certain their crimes, and punish- signed into law House Bill Women in Recovery and an be contacted by e-mail at now is these mass killings are extraordinarily sad and con- ment is proper in most cas- 1269 that makes $Q780 ret- additional $1.7 million for Todd.Russ@ okhouse.gov or tinue to put a blight on society. es. The problem is we have roactive as it relates to those mental health services. This by phone at (405) 557-7312.