The following posts discuss tolerance, violence and the reality of both, in sometimes graphic terms. But nothing can prepare one for the ultimate reality of violence which is both harmful and painful; the necessary antidote to violence is tolerance; the necessary antidote to hyperviolence is to restore the appropriate humanity to human relationships. Both are discussed by Steve and I at some length. Like the clap of a zen masters hands: wake up to the reality of systematized violence and hyperviolence and more forcefully than any words: you should learn to be tolerant.

Hyperviolence is an form of intellectual and human deconstruction that comes from the depth and need to be part of a brave new dystopia. It is not at all unique. The grave mistake we make is to think that such hyperviolent behavior by one class of people against another is something new. It is nothing new. The Hellenistic period in the west, and Waring States period in China were full of radically hyperviolent, pure desire driven sycophants. Power, desire and protest and the typical triggers as this picture from Mynmyar shows. Japan of course has a long history of hyperviolence both real and imagined typified by the beautiful destruction in anime where we see Zatoichi the one time Buddhist/ Shintoist hero of Japanese folklore turned into a ruthless killer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g839-k8pf_o China's cultural revolution was the single most hyperviolent and least understood event of the last century. http://www.morningsun.org/index.html The hyperviolence Steve d...

The details that are still way too sketchy as I write this will have been fleshed out soon enough: at least six are known dead in the shooting at Northern Illinois University. We have all become somewhat jaded as news junkies these days, but in awhile even this will fade into a passing reference, as did Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Delaware State. Politicians from both parties, either in the state or nationally, will be unable to resist the urge to cash in on the violence in order to support one or another causes--from stricter gun control to more pro-active counseling services--and there will be the usual media circus at a time when the people affected most need the solace of some simple privacy. I can predict, with absolute certainty, that tonight a reporter from some Philadelphia or Baltimore station will be trying to dig up someone local at DSU to comment on this tragedy, creating the ultimate granfalloon [if you never read early Kurt Vonnegut, that's your problem] out of ...