The other day I chanced on a Facebook comment that got me thinking. Yes, sadly, it was about the recent shooting in Uvalde Texas. The suggestion was to harden public schools with armed guards, single entry access and so on. My first response was a sense of dismay. And I also understood the reason for the suggestion, to provide safety for our children.
I almost responded to the post but did not. I had to work through my own feelings and thoughts on the issue. Because of my training as a mental health counselor, I know that humans are social beings. In essence, this means we need caregiving as infants and children, and lots of guidance and support for years to become mature, successful adults. Our cultures are organized around this reality, families, clans, communities.
Since schools, grocery stores and the many other public locations where shootings have occurred are often community spaces, I researched the attributes of communities. Thanks to an article at www.yourarticlelibrary.com I found 13 attributes of communities. Some are obvious; a group of people, a specific location, a sense of permanence, no legal status, a name, a variety of sizes, concreteness (it’s real, not imaginary!), and uniqueness.
The other attributes are more experiential and emotional. There is “community sentiment” meaning people identify with that community. For example, I remember when traveling that it felt good to run into someone from my home state. We felt a bond. Another attribute is “naturality.” The organization of the community is based on human needs and desires, not dictated by external entities. Think of local decisions about school structures, parks, etc. Next, members of a community feel that there are similarities among members. Not that everyone is identical, but that there are shared values, customs, and traditions. Think of unique community celebrations. And the last element of a community is that social life within the community is fully organized and available to members. I believe that this refers to the ability of community organizations to meet emotional and spiritual needs. Think of hospitals, churches, food banks, mental health agencies, etc.
One of the statements in the article that resonated for me is “a community is a society in miniature.” The suggestion to harden schools to make them safe would weaken not strengthen a community, undermining trust and connectiveness. How did we get to this point? Self- protection takes precedence within a community? What is our fear? How do we build or rebuild our many communities?
How healthy is/are the communities you dwell in?
Next blog, I will explore what a healthy community is like. And thoughts on how to achieve health.
