Written by Julia Reinthaler and David E. Smith

Next week, elected officials in the City of Springfield will hold a hearing about whether to limit drug traffic and marijuana sales within the city limits. We hope and pray that they will seriously consider an ordinance that would prohibit marijuana retail businesses from setting up shop in Springfield.

It is imperative that local officials hear from pro-family residents, especially the clergy! They need to hear your concerns about the consequences of marijuana sales in the area.

The Springfield City Council has scheduled a Committee of the Whole hearing regarding future marijuana sales for Tuesday, September 10th. The hearing begins at 5:30 PM and will be held at the Municipal Center West, Room 106 at 300 S. Seventh Street in Springfield.

Don’t let proponents deceive you with their “tax revenues” talking points. According to a report published by the Centennial Institute, “for every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spend approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.” The costs of legal pot are not worth the costs to families, communities and lives.

Although the licensed growth, sale, possession and use of marijuana will be legal in Illinois effective January 1, 2020, the legislation signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker allows villages, cities and counties to opt out of marijuana retail sales. This gives communities the opportunity to say “no” to drug traffic and the retail presence of a federally classified Schedule 1 Drug, a dangerous intoxicant that the DEA deems has “a high potential for abuse.”

Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community.

According to a 2017 review from the National Academy of Medicine, cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, and among regular users it is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.

According to a 2018 paper published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, people who used cannabis were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later.

Another study, released in Australia, cited that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis experienced even greater pain over time, dispelling the myth that pot relieves pain better than other available pain medicines.

To understand the effects that marijuana legalization will ultimately have in Illinois, we need look no further than Colorado to see a cautionary tale of the unintended consequences of legalization.

In the six years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana has doubled. There have been increased rates in marijuana-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and higher rates of violent crime. Though legal for 21 and older, more than a fourth of Colorado’s middle and high school students use pot more than once daily. Chronic use by those under 25 can lead to a permanent loss of up to 8 IQ points.

Knowing what we know about the tragic and often irreversible effects of marijuana, we cannot in good conscience permit a retailer to peddle a drug that robs so many youth of their future and compromises the safety of our citizenry. Instead of making Big Marijuana richer and the the City of Springfield a haven for those selling the drug and those seeking to purchase it, let’s make it a refuge for families seeking to shield their loved ones from this drug’s destructive path.

Next month’s meeting might lead to a vote that will shape the future of the City of Springfield.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email to Mayor James Langfelder and all ten Aldermen asking them to reduce drug traffic and protect the families they represent by passing a ban on the retail sales of marijuana. And if you’re able, please attend the September 10th hearing and make your opposition known.

Learn more about marijuana’s consequences at NoWeedIllinois.com.

See the U.S. Surgeon General’s Press Advisory about the health risks of marijuana use.

A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois!

Click HERE to learn about supporting IFI on a monthly basis.

Written by Julia Reinthaler and David E. Smith

Next month, Village of Brookfield officials will continue the debate on whether or not to allow marijuana dispensaries and marijuana businesses from setting up shop. No trustees have yet made their opinion known except to say they need input from residents.

According to an article by Bob Uphues:

The village board likely will take up the subject of recreational cannabis at its next meeting on Sept. 9. However, if trustees decide they want to allow a cannabis dispensary to open in the village, it could still be at least a couple of months before local laws regulating such businesses are nailed down.

It is imperative that local officials hear from pro-family residents, especially the clergy!

Don’t let proponents deceive you with their “tax revenues” talking points. According to a report published by the Centennial Institute, “for every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spend approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.” The costs of legal pot is not worth the costs to families, communities and lives.

Although the licensed growth, sale, possession and use of marijuana will be legal in Illinois effective January 1, 2020, the legislation signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker allows villages, cities and counties to opt out of marijuana retail sales. This gives communities the opportunity to limit drug traffic by saying “no” to the retail presence of a federally classified Schedule 1 Drug, which is a dangerous intoxicant that the DEA deems has “a high potential for abuse.”

Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community.

According to a 2017 review from the National Academy of Medicine, cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, and among regular users it is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.

According to a 2018 paper published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, people who used cannabis were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later.

Another study, released in Australia, cited that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis experienced even greater pain over time, dispelling the myth that pot relieves pain better than other available pain medicines.

To understand the effects that marijuana legalization will ultimately have in Illinois, we need look no further than Colorado to see a cautionary tale of the unintended consequences of marijuana legalization. In the six years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana has doubled. There have been increased rates in marijuana-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and higher rates of violent crime. Though legal for 21 and older, more than a fourth of Colorado’s middle and high school students use pot more than once daily. Chronic use by those under 25 can lead to a permanent loss of up to 8 IQ points.

Knowing what we know about the tragic and often irreversible effects of marijuana, we cannot in good conscience permit a retailer to peddle a drug that robs so many youth of their future and compromises the safety of our citizenry. Instead of making Brookfield a haven for those selling the drug and those seeking to purchase it, let’s make it a refuge for families seeking to shield their loved ones from this drug’s destructive path.

Next month’s meeting might lead to a vote that will shape the future of Brookfield.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email to Village President Kit P. Ketchmark and all six Village Trustees asking them to reduce drug traffic and protect the families of the community by passing a ban on the retail sales of marijuana. You can also call Mr. Kechmark’s office at (708) 485-1400 to urge him to ban retail marijuana sales in Brookfield.

Learn more about marijuana’s consequences at NoWeedIllinois.com.

See the U.S. Surgeon General’s Press Advisory about the health risks of marijuana use.

A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois!

Click HERE to learn about supporting IFI on a monthly basis.

Unplanned and 40 Days for Life… pro-life responses to extremism in Illinois.

Find a campaign and sign up for vigil hours here: https://40daysforlife.com/browse-campaigns/

Forty-six years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in America through a 7-2 decision in Roe v. Wade. Then in 1992, in a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed the right to terminate preborn babies in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Over the past 45 years, over 60 million innocent human lives have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience and the non-existent constitutional “right to privacy.”

There is a large Planned Parenthood surgical abortion center located in Flossmoor that is open 5 days a week, ending innocent lives right in your back yard. Christians and non-Christians are their targets. How the Christian community responds is what will determine who will win this urgent battle for Life.

We invite you to join with others who refuse to wave the white flag of surrender and who are committed to disseminating truth about abortion and its victims.

Invitation

We urge you be part of this nationwide, peaceful, prayerful 40 Days for Life effort to save lives and share truth. (See flyer HERE.)

The Southland 40 Days for Life team is hosting a special church leaders’ luncheon on September 19^th at the Tinley Park Convention Center. We want you to hear the vision, understand the importance, and learn the details of the upcoming “40 Days” campaign, which runs September 25th to November 3rd this year, which you can then share with your members.

We must not be silent any longer. In a society that has advanced every form of hedonism, the foundational battle is life versus death.

What does the Bible have to say about life?
For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. ~Psalm 139:13-14

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live. ~Deuteronomy 30:19

Yes, there is a battle and Ephesians makes clear who we are fighting:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ~Ephesians 6:12

At the heart of this matter is a spiritual battle, and prayer is our most effective weapon against it.

Enter 40 Days for Life!

We have the tremendous opportunity to pray for expectant mothers to choose life and to pray for those deceived by the lies of the wicked one.

The stated vision and mission of 40 Days for Life:

Vision

40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion.

Mission

The mission of the campaign is to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40-day campaign of prayer, fasting, and peaceful activism, with the purpose of repentance, to seek God’s favor to turn hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life, thus bringing an end to abortion.

In other words, by partnering with 40 Days for Life we can live out Ephesians 6:13-18: “your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace…. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”

There is power in prayer! And there is even greater power when we gather with fellow Christians in prayer!

We cannot and should not be silent. Instead, we can be a silent witness and a prayer warrior for those little ones who cannot speak for themselves.

Please join us to learn more. If you are unable to join us, please send another church leader who you think would be interested in this prayer campaign.

RSVP to v.kathy@illinoisfamily.org or call (708) 781-9329.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Dr. Rich Mantoan
Leader: 40 Days for Life
(708) 557-0011 or southlandsmiles@gmail.com

>Download Flyer HERE<

Written by Julia Reinthaler and David E. Smith

Next month, Village of Libertyville officials will continue the debate to limit drug traffic by passing a local ordinance that would prohibit marijuana dispensaries and marijuana businesses from setting up shop. This past Monday (August 26th), approximately 100 folks showed up for a hearing on this subject. Observers tell us that the crowd was evenly split on the proposal.

It is imperative that local officials hear from pro-family residents, especially the clergy!

Don’t let proponents deceive you with their “tax revenues” talking points. According to a report published by the Centennial Institute, “for every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spend approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.” The costs of legal pot is not worth the costs to families, communities and lives.

Although the licensed growth, sale, possession and use of marijuana will be legal in Illinois effective January 1, 2020, the legislation signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker allows villages, cities and counties to opt out of marijuana retail sales. This gives communities the opportunity to say “no” to the retail presence of a federally classified Schedule 1 Drug, which is a dangerous intoxicant that the DEA deems has “a high potential for abuse.”

Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community.

According to a 2017 review from the National Academy of Medicine, cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, and among regular users it is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.

According to a 2018 paper published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, people who used cannabis were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later. Another study, released in Australia, cited that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis experienced even greater pain over time, dispelling the myth that pot relieves pain better than other available pain medicines.

To understand the effects that marijuana legalization will ultimately have in Illinois, we need look no further than Colorado to see a cautionary tale of the unintended consequences of marijuana legalization. In the six years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana has doubled. There have been increased rates in marijuana-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and higher rates of violent crime. Though legal for 21 and older, more than a fourth of Colorado’s middle and high school students use pot more than once daily. Chronic use by those under 25 can lead to a permanent loss of up to 8 IQ points.

Knowing what we know about the tragic and often irreversible effects of marijuana, we cannot in good conscience permit a retailer to peddle a drug that robs so many youth of their future and compromises the safety of our citizenry. Instead of making the Village of Libertyville a haven for those selling the drug and those seeking to purchase it, let’s make it a refuge for families seeking to shield their loved ones from this drug’s destructive path.

Next month’s meeting might lead to a vote that will shape the future of Libertyville.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email to Mayor Terry Weppler and all six Village Trustees asking them to reduce drug traffic and protect the families of the community by passing a ban on the retail sales of marijuana.

Learn more about marijuana’s consequences at NoWeedIllinois.com.

A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois!

Click HERE to learn about supporting IFI on a monthly basis.

It doesn’t matter what the communities around the City of Naperville do. If you normalize marijuana use, commercialize the product and increase access, you’re going to see an increase in drug traffic and use in all age categories. It is time to take a stand and keep recreational marijuana out of Naperville!

What: Rally in support of opting out of marijuana retail businesses

When: Saturday, August 31st

Time: 10 AM to 11:30 AM

Where: Central Park – 104 E. Benton Avenue, Naperville (behind the Y).

Take ACTION: Heading out of town this weekend? You can send an email to the entire City Council and the Mayor at once with this address: council@naperville.il.us

It couldn’t be easier! Simply ask your elected officials to limit drug traffic and protect the families and businesses of Naperville by banning retail sales of marijuana.

It is imperative that local officials hear from pro-family residents, especially the clergy!

More ACTION: Come to the pre-Council Meeting Rally Tuesday, Sept. 3rd, 6 – 7 pm at the Dandelion Fountain.

• Like us on Facebook: Opt Out Naperville

• Use our hashtag #OptOutNaperville

>Click HERE for a flyer<

Background

Although the licensed growth, sale, possession and use of marijuana will be legal in Illinois effective January 1, 2020, the legislation signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker allows villages, cities and counties to opt out of marijuana retail sales. This gives communities the opportunity to limit drug traffic by saying “no” to the retail presence of a federally classified Schedule 1 Drug, which is a dangerous intoxicant that the DEA deems has “a high potential for abuse.”

Don’t let proponents deceive you with their “tax revenues” talking points. According to a report published by the Centennial Institute, Colorado Christian University’s think tank, “for every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spend approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.” The costs of legal pot is not worth the costs to families, communities and lives.

Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community officials.

According to a 2017 review from the National Academy of Medicine, cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, and among regular users it is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.

According to a 2018 paper published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, people who used cannabis were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later. Another study, released in Australia, cited that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis experienced even greater pain over time, dispelling the myth that pot relieves pain better than other available pain medicines.

To understand the effects that marijuana legalization will ultimately have in Illinois, we need to look no further than Colorado to see a cautionary tale of the unintended consequences of marijuana legalization.

In the six years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana has doubled. There have been increased rates in marijuana-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, increased use in every age category, and higher rates of violent crime.

Though legal for 21 and older, more than a fourth of Colorado’s middle and high school students use pot more than once daily. Chronic use by those under 25 can lead to a permanent loss of up to 8 IQ points, which to a person with an  average IQ, could mean the difference between a good paying versus a minimum wage job.

Knowing what we know about the tragic and often irreversible effects of marijuana, we cannot in good conscience permit a retailer to peddle a drug that robs so many youth of their future and compromises the safety of our citizenry. Instead of making Big Marijuana wealthier and the City of Naperville a haven for those selling the drug and those seeking to purchase it, let’s make it a refuge for families seeking to shield their loved ones from this drug’s destructive path.

Learn more about marijuana’s consequences at NoWeedIllinois.com.

Written by Julia Reinthaler and David E. Smith

Early next month, the Grundy County Board will debate the future of marijuana sales in your area. They will discuss the possibility of passing a county ordinance that would prohibit marijuana dispensaries and marijuana businesses throughout Grundy County.

It is imperative that local officials hear from pro-family residents, especially the clergy!

Don’t let proponents deceive you with their “tax revenues” talking points. According to a report published by the Centennial Institute, “for every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spend approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.” The costs of legal pot is not worth the costs to families, communities and lives.

Although the licensed growth, sale, possession and use of marijuana will be legal in Illinois effective January 1, 2020, the legislation signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker allows villages, cities and counties to opt out of marijuana retail sales. This gives communities the opportunity to say “no” to the retail presence of a federally classified Schedule 1 Drug, which is a dangerous intoxicant that the DEA deems has “a high potential for abuse.”

Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community.

According to a 2017 review from the National Academy of Medicine, cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, and among regular users it is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.

According to a 2018 paper published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, people who used cannabis were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later. Another study, released in Australia, cited that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis experienced even greater pain over time, dispelling the myth that pot relieves pain better than other available pain medicines.

To understand the effects that marijuana legalization will ultimately have in Illinois, we need look no further than Colorado to see a cautionary tale of the unintended consequences of marijuana legalization. In the six years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana has doubled. There have been increased rates in marijuana-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and higher rates of violent crime. Though legal for 21 and older, more than a fourth of Colorado’s middle and high school students use pot more than once daily. Chronic use by those under 25 can lead to a permanent loss of up to 8 IQ points.

Knowing what we know about the tragic and often irreversible effects of marijuana, we cannot in good conscience permit a retailer to peddle a drug that robs so many youth of their future and compromises the safety of our citizenry. Instead of making the county a haven for those selling the drug and those seeking to purchase it, let’s make it a refuge for families seeking to shield their loved ones from this drug’s destructive path.

Next month’s meeting might lead to a vote that will shape the future of Grundy County.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email to County Chairman Chris Balkema and the other seventeen board members to urge them to reduce drug traffic and protect the families, businesses and schools in the county by passing a ban on the retail sales of marijuana.

Learn more about marijuana’s consequences at NoWeedIllinois.com.

A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois!

Click HERE to learn about supporting IFI on a monthly basis.

A fundamental right to abortion on demand. No independent rights for unborn babies. The Reproductive Health Act is law in Illinois. Life activists are responding.

Written by Julia Reinthaler

On Monday, August 12, the Public Safety Committee and the Conservation, Planning and Zoning Committee of the Woodford County Board will debate the future of marijuana sales in Woodford County. Both committees will discuss the possibility of passing a county ordinance that would prohibit marijuana dispensaries and marijuana businesses throughout Woodford County. Although the licensed growth, sale, possession and use of marijuana will be legal in Illinois effective January 1, 2020, the legislation signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker allows villages, cities and counties to opt out of marijuana retail sales. This gives communities the opportunity to say “no” to the retail presence of a federally classified Schedule 1 Drug, which is a dangerous intoxicant that the DEA deems has “a high potential for abuse.”

Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community.

According to a 2017 review from the National Academy of Medicine, cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, and among regular users it is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.

According to a 2018 paper published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, people who used cannabis in 2001 were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later. Another study, released in Australia, cited that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis experienced even greater pain over time, dispelling the myth that pot relieves pain better than other available medicines.

To understand the effects that marijuana legalization will ultimately have in Illinois, we need look no further than Colorado to see a cautionary tale of the unintended consequences of marijuana legalization. In the few years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana has doubled. There have been increased rates in marijuana-related emergency room visits, increased traffic deaths, and higher rates of violent crime. Devastatingly, more than a fourth of Colorado’s middle and high school students use pot more than once daily.

Knowing what we know about the tragic and often irreversible effects of marijuana, we cannot in good conscience permit a retailer to peddle a drug that robs so many youth of their future and compromises the safety of our citizenry. Instead of making Woodford County a haven for those seeking to purchase drugs, let’s make it a refuge for families seeking to shield their loved ones from this drug’s destructive path.

Monday’s committee meetings might lead to a vote that will shape the future of this debate.

Take ACTION: If possible, please attend these meetings and raise your voice in opposition to the sale of marijuana in Woodford County. The meeting details are as follows:

Public Safety Committee

Date: August 12, 2019
Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: County Board Room
Address: 115 N Main Street, Eureka, IL 61530

Conservation, Planning, and Zoning Committee

Date: August 12, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: County Board Room
Address: 115 N Main Street, Eureka, IL 61530

More ACTION: Click HERE to send an email to all 15 Woodford County Board members asking them to protect the families of the county by passing a ban on the retail sales of marijuana.

Learn more about marijuana’s consequences at NoWeedIllinois.com.

A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois!

Click HERE to learn about supporting IFI on a monthly basis.

El padre del tirador de El Paso, Texas, Patrick Crusius, que asesinó a 22, hirió a más de 20 y traumatizó a innumerables personas en Walmart el sábado, escribió una memoria autobiográfica en el 2014 que detalla sus 40 años de abuso de alcohol y drogas que resultaron en dos divorcios, incluso de su segunda esposa, la madre de Patrick —cuando Patrick tenía 12 años.

Con cada horrible matanza en masa, los “progresistas” predican en contra de las armas. Una y otra vez, cuando un hombre mata a personas inocentes, los liberales ponen en su mira la posesión de armas, que es como mirar el problema de los adolescentes que se cortan y proclamar con enojo que el problema es el acceso fácil a las navajas. Las mujeres también tienen acceso a las armas. Si las armas son el problema, ¿por qué no hay mujeres que asesinan en masa?

Por supuesto, el control de armas y la obsesión de la izquierda de matar a la Segunda Enmienda por mil recortes regulatorios son cuestiones políticas, pero si la izquierda realmente se preocupara por proteger a la sociedad de la violencia armada, mirarían más allá de la barata, superficial pero buena-para-reunir-las-tropas cuestión de controlar las armas. Analizarían más profundamente el problema de la disfunción familiar que probablemente contribuye en muchos casos a los asesinatos en masa y que ciertamente contribuye a la violencia de las pandillas que afecta a todas las grandes ciudades estadounidenses.

Quizás las armas no son el problema central. Quizás la descomposición de la familia inflige un daño incalculable a los niños. Quizás el colapso en la familia hace que los niños sean menos capaces de responder de manera saludable a otras pruebas en la vida. Si solo los “progresistas” se unieran a los conservativos para reprender a los que celebran el divorcio fácil, el sexo y los nacimientos fuera del matrimonio y los hogares sin padre o sin madre, tal vez la sociedad podría comenzar el lento proceso de deshacer el daño causado por una sociedad empeñada en sacrificar a los niños sobre el altar de los deseos de los adultos.

Todos los niños se ven perjudicados por el colapso y la disfunción familiar, pero debido a que los niños y las niñas son por naturaleza diferentes, se ven afectados de manera diferente. Algunas feministas de segunda ola y prácticamente todo el culto “trans” han contaminado al mundo desarrollado con la mentira de que hombres y mujeres son ontológicamente idénticos e intercambiables. No lo son y es por eso que los asesinos en masa son exclusivamente hombres.

Los niños no son peores humanos que las niñas. Son diferentes y, por lo tanto, las fuerzas culturales los afectan de manera diferente. Bien criados, los hombres son heroicos defensores y protectores de mujeres y niños. Criados incorrectamente, algunos se convertirán en depredadores contra quienes nuestros héroes luchan valiente, heroica y sacrificialmente.

Aquí hay una lista de los asesinos en masa estadounidenses (sí, los asesinos en masa se encuentran en todo el mundo). Tenga en cuenta que no todos usaron armas:

Andrew Kehoe mató a 38 niños de primaria, 2 maestros, otros 4 adultos e hirió a 58 en Bath Township, Michigan, en 1927. Kehoe usó explosivos. Su madre murió cuando él tenía 5 años. Su padre se volvió a casar y Kehoe tuvo una mala relación con su madrastra

Howard Unruh mató a 13 en Camden, Nueva Jersey en 1941. Sus padres se separaron cuando él tenía 9 años, y fue criado solo por su madre.

Richard Speck mató a 8 estudiantes de enfermería en Chicago en 1966. Usó un cuchillo. Speck amaba mucho su padre quien murió cuando Speck tenía 6 años. Su madre se volvió a casar unos años más tarde. El padrastro de Speck era un alcohólico emocionalmente abusivo con antecedentes penales.

Charles Whitman mató a 16 personas en la Universidad de Texas en Austin en 1966. Su padre abusó física y emocionalmente de Whitman y su madre.

James Ruppert mató a 11 familiares en 1975 en Hamilton, Ohio. Su madre le dijo que había querido una niña. Su padre tenía un “temperamento violento y sin afecto” por James o su hermano mayor Leonard. Su padre murió cuando James tenía 12 años. Su hermano de 14 años asumió el papel de patriarca e intimidó a James.

James Huberty mató a 21 e hirió a 19 en un McDonald’s en San Diego en 1984. Su madre abandonó a la familia cuando él tenía unos 10 años.

George Hennard mató a 23 e hirió a 27 en un restaurante Luby’s en Killeen, Texas, en 1991. La infancia de Hennard fue turbulenta e inestable, al igual que el matrimonio de sus padres, que terminó en divorcio cuando Hennard tenía 27 años.

James Pough mató a 9 e hirió a 4 en 1990 en Jacksonville, Florida. Su padre dejó a Pough y sus ocho hermanos menores cuando Pough tenía 11 años.

Timothy McVeigh mató a 168 e hirió a 600 en Oklahoma City, Oklahoma en 1995. Usó explosivos. Su madre abandonó a la familia cuando tenía 10 años. Fue criado por su padre que trabajaba de noche. Los niños rara vez vieron a su madre.

Michael McLendon mató a 10 en Alabama en 2009, comenzando con su madre. Según los informes, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/us/12alabama.html  estaba “molesto con su familia desde que sus padres se divorciaron”.

Adam Lanza mató a 20 niños de primaria, 6 miembros del personal y su madre en Newton, Connecticut en 2012. Sus padres se separaron cuando tenía 16 años y se divorciaron cuando tenía 17.

Wade Michael Page mató a 6 e hirió a 4 en un templo sij en Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Los padres de Page se divorciaron cuando era joven. Su padre se volvió a casar cuando Page tenía 10 años. Su madre murió cuando él tenía 13 años. Según se informa, Page no se llevaba bien con su padre, y en algún momento de sus años escolares, su padre y su madrastra se mudaron fuera del estado, dejándolo para que se separara tiempo entre su tía y su abuela.

Dylann Roof mató a 9 personas en una iglesia de Charleston, Carolina del Sur, en 2015. Roof se crió en una familia inestable en la que su padre abusó verbal y físicamente de su madrastra.

Chris Harper-Mercer mató a 10 e hirió a 9 en Roseburg, Oregón, en 2015. Sus padres se separaron cuando tenía menos de 1 año.

Stephen Paddock mató a 58 personas e hirió a 851 mas en Las Vegas, Nevada en 2017. Su padre Benjamin era un criminal de carrera que fue encarcelado desde el nacimiento de Stephen Paddock hasta los 3 años y entre los 8 y 13 años.

Nikolas Cruz mató a 17 estudiantes y personal e hirió a 17 más en la escuela secundaria Marjorie Stoneman Douglas en Parkland, Florida, en 2018. Nació de una madre drogadicta y fue adoptado al nacer por una pareja mayor. Cuando tenía cinco años, fue testigo del ataque al corazón y la muerte de su padre, y luego, un año antes de su ataque violento, su madre adoptiva tambien murió.

Hace 23 años, un artículo en el Washington Post ofrecío una imagen dolorosa del futuro:

Los psicólogos han advertido durante años que los jóvenes como McVeigh, nacidos a fines de la década de 1960, cuyas familias se fracturaron en números nunca antes vistos, cuyas frustraciones económicas superan mas alla las de sus padres, están extrañamente alienados y son vulnerables a los movimientos ideologicos marginales. Desde este punto de vista, los trastornos sociales y económicos de los últimos 20 años han plantado un virus en la sociedad estadounidense con una capacidad de daño aún no realizada.

Las frustraciones económicas pueden ser la causa inmediata o un factor contribuyente para aquellos cuyas necesidades psicológicas y emocionales no se resolvieron cuando eran niños, por lo que no pueden hacer frente a los obstáculos de la vida. Pero la causa última es probablemente algo más profundo, más profundo que la inseguridad económica.

Por supuesto, solo una pequeña fracción de los niños de familias disfuncionales se convierten en asesinos en masa, así como solo una pequeña fracción de personas traumatizadas, con enfermedades mentales, intimidadas, tímidas o poseedores de armas se convierten en asesinos en masa. Y algunos asesinos en masa crecen en familias intactas y funcionales, tal como es el caso de Connor Betts, el tirador de Dayton, Ohio.

Pero, ¿podría el colapso familiar contribuir al impulso de hacer violencia en muchos casos? ¿Podría una estructura familiar intacta ayudar a prevenir tales deseos en niños que tienen otras condiciones que los ponen en riesgo de comportamiento antisocial? ¿No hay pruebas suficientes para justificar la inclusión del fracturamiento familiar como un posible factor contribuyente en las noticias sobre asesinatos en masa? ¿No hay pruebas suficientes de que el colapso familiar pueda contribuir a los asesinatos en masa para justificar los estudios de su posible efecto causal?

Tal vez la poca atención dada a los posibles efectos del colapso familiar en la juventud, particularmente en los niños, refleja nuestra profundamente arraigada ética cultural de divorcio fácil y el egoísmo individual de los demócratas y los republicanos—incluidos muchos cristianos—que no quieren enfocarse en el daño causado a los niños a través del divorcio. Los asesinatos en masa y la violencia de pandillas deberían llevarnos a preguntar qué estamos dispuestos a sacrificar como individuos para proteger nuestros hijos del daño del colapso familiar y proteger a la sociedad de los efectos de dicho daño.

Si los estadounidenses son demasiado egoístas para preocuparse por el daño hecho a los niños por el bien de los niños, entonces deberían preocuparse por el daño hecho a los niños por razones egoístas. Algunos de estos niños perjudicados volverán su dolor contra la sociedad.

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