Humans have a great tendency to blame something else for what they are, when what they are is not acceptableto themselves or to society, or to parts of it.

We are a violent species. There can be no arguement against the overwhelming evidence. We must not reject this part of ourselves, but rather accept it, embrace it, and REQUIRE OURSELVES, AS INDIVIDUALS, TO LEARN TO CONTROL IT.

EVERY ONE, if they are healthy, has dark, hidden secrets that each of us would rather not share with anyone. Fantasy is, among other things, an outlet for those frustrations. It can be a self theraputic tool. If some choose to share those dark elements of themselves, well, that's their choice. I find their strangeness fascinatinghuman beings are not only stranger than they imagine, they are stranger than they can imagine. Art, even more than the written word, is a window to the mind.

It is only when fantasy becomes obsessiona loss of self controlthat it becomes potentially dangerous. Obsession does not remove responsibility, however. A drunk driver is not in control of either mind or body, but is still held responsible for their actions. Someone who was abused as a child and grows up to be a violent person is still responsible for their actions. We are as we choose to be. If we are incapable of making a choice, then we are damaged, and require care and imposed limits on our actions. But even that does not remove our responsibility, it only explains our lack of ability to function normally.

"Desensitization" is a myth invented to remove responsibility from the person, and apply it to an abstraction. If desensitization were valid, every combat veteran, from every war, would be a violent criminal. Every law enforcement officer would become a violent criminal. Every emergency room doctor and nurse would be indifferent to human pain and suffering.

If there is a problem with violence in our society, it is because of two things:

1. In portions of this society, violence, on all levels, is socially acceptable. These tend to be the poorer elements of society.

2. In other portions of our society, lack of responsibility is not only acceptable, it is encouraged. These tend to be the more affluent elements in society.

I conclude with this: Social history is repeating itself. It doesn't have to do so. All that is required to stop it is that people accept responsibility for their actions, and require that others do the same.