Murder is a major topic of conversation these days in the local area, following two incidents and four deaths in the past month.

First we had a domestic stabbing and a shooting by a police officer in Marshall which resulted in two deaths. Then there was a shooting situation in Lake Benton that was ruled a murder suicide.

Both situations are drawing strong reactions. A group of Marshall residents organized a candlelight vigil outside the victim’s home.

The reactions are something I fully expected. Violent crime hits home in rural areas more than in urban locations.

In urban centers an ordinary murder doesn’t cause much controversy. Murders happen in big cities. It’s considered part of life, part of the urban jungle.

George Floyd was an exception to the rule. Normally, a murder just gets a short mention on the local news broadcasts and a short write up in the paper. It doesn’t lead to serious reactions unless it happens in someone’s own apartment building or neighborhood.

It’s different in rural locations. We pride ourselves on being safe places where you can feel comfortable walking around downtown in the evening.

Murders are rare. Before our two recent instances, you’d have to go back several years to the murder of a farm couple north of Balaton. You’d have to go back a long way to get to the next one before that.

When it happens, you can almost always count on a community-wide response. I don’t think it’s based on morbid fascination. Instead I think it’s based on genuine sadness.

There’s a sense that maybe our communities aren’t such perfect places. We wonder how and why a murder happens. We want to make sense out of it.

What makes a person commit deadly violence?

Is it genetic?

Is it rooted in someone’s upbringing?

Is it a chemical imbalance in the brain?

We don’t know. We just know that it’s a tragedy.

It’s happened for many centuries. Throughout most of history people just didn’t talk about it. The ancient Greeks and William Shakespeare explored the idea of tragedy within the friendly confines of theaters. Their works have stood the test of time.

With our modern 21st century sensibilities, we’re more able to give thought to violence prevention. It needs to start at an early age.

We need to show children that violence is never justified except in self defense. They need to be taught communication skills and conflict resolution. When children fight or lash out at one another, there’s a need for anger management counseling.

By working together we can make sure that our communities remain safe. We have to do more than just react when murder or other types of violence happen. It needs to be a goal that we keep in mind on a daily basis.

We know that the world isn’t perfect. Family life isn’t always easy. It’s important to approach problems with the idea that violence is never the answer. It only makes the problems worse.

We maybe need to be less tolerant of violence in movies, on television and in video games. When violence is constant in those venues it can easily lead someone to believe it’s no big deal, that it’s a normal and natural part of life.

Real life is not a show or a game. What we do affects real people. We all need to have control over our emotions. We need to have the ability to choose responsible actions.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent