Social Dysfunction & Mass Murder

Once again, as details emerge about the tragedy at the Orlando nightclub, we learn that the killer had a troubled childhood and that he was expelled from college and fired from jobs due to violent behavior or threats.  It also appears that he may have been plagued by the guilt of homosexuality (stemming from his religious faith) and that his relationships with women involved domination and domestic violence.

In most past cases of mass murder, we learned that the male perpetrators came from a dysfunctional household, endured abuse from an alcoholic father, failed to establish normal social relationships or demonstrated symptoms of mental illness.  After the tragic event, family members, friends or colleagues recount the warning signs that they observed but did not or could not intercede beforehand.

Focused on international terrorism, Conservative Republicans place emphasis on a military solution, campaigning to beef-up a Defense Department that already consumes a massive portion of our Federal budget.  But while some of the killers may have been influenced by terrorist propaganda, they were already primed by social factors that we do not adequately address.  Sensible gun laws are certainly part of the solution but early childhood daycare, after-school activities, job training, troubled teen programs and an effective mental health care system all need to be adequately funded.  Unfortunately, the same politicians that favor increased military spending and oppose sensible gun control measures also want government out of our lives and refuse to support such vital programs.

Chigger Season

To the dismay of farmers, gardeners, campers, hikers and music festival attendees, chigger season is underway across the American Heartland.  Chiggers are the larval forms of a mite that favors pastures, fields, grasslands and lawns, especially in warm, humid areas; the female mite lays her eggs on vegetation which hatch to release the larvae.  The latter feed on skin cells of mammals (humans included) before maturing into nymphs and then adults.

Chiggers feast on the skin cells by injecting an enzyme that breaks down the cellular structure, allowing the larvae to ingest nutrients; these "bites" trigger an inflammatory reaction, producing red bumps or welts that appear 24-48 hours after the infestation.  As many of us know, this rash is extremely pruritic if not painful; the intense inflammatory response generally fades within a few days.

Those who venture into chigger habitat are advised to shower and wash their clothes in hot water as soon as their activity is completed; of course, this is not always possible for campers and festival attendees.  For those "bitten" by chiggers, cool compresses, anti-inflammatory meds (e.g. ibuprofen) and anti-pruritic agents (e.g. diphenhydramine, topical hydrocortisone) are recommended; avoid excessive scratching which can lead to secondary bacterial infection.  Fever, expanding redness or pustular drainage are signs of infection and warrant medical attention.