Mass shootings a problem of moral anarchy

In a somewhat rare occurrence, I agree with Jay Bookman (“Are mass shootings a ‘mental-health problem?’” Opinion, Nov 8) to a degree. He writes that these mass shootings are not a mental-health problem, so a mentalhealth solution will not work. We agree on that, and we agree in principle that the solution should be related to what the problem actually is — that calling the problem something it is not distracts from employing a proper solution.

Where we diverge is that he then argues that this is a gun problem, and his proposed solution is political, as if the problem was a political one.

The problem is a moral one. It is evil within the hearts of men and women alike. And this problem has been nurtured by our “higher” education system which now teaches us that we each decide our own morality — I decide what is right for me, and you decide what is right for you. Unfortunately, it also means that these killers get to decide what is right for them too, and they do.

Until we fix this with a moral solution that re-establishes objective moral values — that some things are right and wrong, no matter what you and I believe — we will continue to see escalation like this. This is where relative morality leads — it is every man for himself. That is moral anarchy, and these mass shootings are the product of such flawed ideology and reasoning. DAVID R. BOAG, FAYETTEVILLE