“School shootings, public bombings, attacks abroad,” said Optimist sadly. “Why is this happening? How can people do this to others?”

“Do not be a fool,” Cynic replied. “These are the consequences of a life of freedom and choices, for with every action there must exist a reaction. Life always has had and shall continue to have evil. Human nature is riddled with darkness and when these lusts and desires escape mayhem ensues.”

“Life shouldn’t work this way though! People should be better. Maybe if we had taken notice sooner. Maybe if we had stricter control,” Optimist asked.

“Then what,” Cynic replied. “Let us suppose that we had devoted an unlimited amount of funds towards helping our latest shooter. What would that accomplish? Would he be a stronger, more productive person in society? Probably not. Our problem is not that we do not care enough, quite the opposite, we coddle everyone. We allow people to believe in fairy tales for so long that when they finally are exposed to the cruelness of reality they are unable to handle it.”

“What does this have to do with anything,” Optimist asked. “This can’t be the reason for these attacks!”

“Yes it is, think about it,” Cynic replied. “We start life as babes, sheltered by our parents, nurtured. From there we continue through elementary school, life is scheduled and necessities are provided. High School we are given more freedoms but few of the responsibilities that go with them, we drink, we fornicate, we party. College comes and life really becomes wild; we are free after all! No more parents watching over our shoulders. We may have limited financial resources but how many of us actually go without? Then, life hits. We suddenly are on our own and all these freedoms that we believed we enjoyed are suddenly riddled with all the responsibilities that have been hidden. Suddenly we may have to go hungry. Suddenly that work we could always put off until tomorrow or next semester no longer is merely a letter grade but a means of financial support. We find ourselves thrown into a fire that we had not even begun to consider possible and we wonder why some individuals snap?”

“You’re painting a picture with a broad stroke that does not fit everyone! You know there are students who worked and students who did without just as there are those who lived life,” Optimist argued.

“Of that there is no doubt,” Cynic answered. “However, the fact remains, by and large people are unable to handle change, especially changes on a large scale. This generation’s determination for their children to have it easier than them has led to a society of entitlement and victims. Society cannot function at this level and we are now reaping the consequences of these actions.”

“That’s not true, people are stronger than you think,” Optimist argued. “It’s true that we have problems but we are still able to adapt, that’s human nature!”

“Though humanity may be predisposed towards adaptation that does not guarantee that such predisposition will be followed,” Cynic responded. “Immaturity, the curse our lives, our nation, and our species, is a curse of our making. This immaturity must be squashed if we are to overcome its curse.”

“How do you propose we do that,” Optimist asked. “Should we stop having our fun? The very things that you claim are so wrong are the things that make life worth living! Without the freedom to enjoy ourselves what is the point in living? I dare you to find any person of sound mind who would exchange the freedoms we have for any form of security.”

Cynic sighed, “All too often we exchange freedom for security, all too often. I must confess that I am extremely surprised you have not noticed this. Alas, this is a conversation best left until another time. However I am not suggesting the restriction of freedom as you seem to fear. Rather I am suggesting that if we are to allow our youth to experience these freedoms we must also make them aware of the consequences. Life is full of challenge and to pretend that there are no consequences, to make it so simple to wave these consequences away is but to doom ourselves.”

Both took a moment’s pause, reflecting thus far on what had been said. Optimist, who loved the freedom and endowments that youth had granted wondered if it was this very freedom that endangered the country. Cynic, on the other hand, mourned the naivety of youth that allowed them to believe that such recklessness could be taken without any thought of consequence.

With another sigh Cynic said, “Oh to be invincible once more. I once thought as you that the world was full of freedom and with wits and determination anything is possible. However, and you shall realize this all too soon, life is not perfect. There are consequences to every action we take even if we do not realize it at the time. The more freedom we exercise the more consequences we shall have to endure and when the proverbial piper arrives seeking payment many find themselves completely bankrupt. This bankruptcy leads to desperation, anger, and misery and once more proverb serves to tell us how misery seeks company.”

“Why do these atrocities occur,” Cynic asked. “They occur because we have enabled them.”