-Tuure Toivikko

That is one point. The other point has been discussed already quite much: I think, Finland is a country of individualists. I noticed that there is much pressure, to find an idendity - I believe, Finns tend to think quite much about “where was I coming from, what am I, where am I going.”. This also yields to a higher pressure to perform.

On the other side, people who don’t get along with the pace are often left alone. It might be true, that strangers and lateral thinkers are welcomed in this society quite much, since a individualistic society gives them their freedom and supports quite much tolerance. But is it just tolerance or already ignorance?

I often noticed, that people in Finland simply don’t care about other’s oppinion, thoughts or problems. Or if they care, they don’t really know how to deal with them. My impression is, that people find it much easier, if they can avoid conflicts or problems, especially of others. I also noticed, that there is less discussion culture in Finland (while I am still in the opinion that Germans on the other side are complaining to much about everything).

But with less discussion culture comes less search for compromises. I call it the “black side of sisu” - If two people have different opinions, they mostly either don’t discuss at all, or the one with the most “sisu” wins.

That way, also the laws and regulations of the superior are accepted willingly. All the political system assumes that the “small man” doesn’t need to think: you can’t buy alcohol after 20:00. You will not find to much colesterine in supermarket products. etc. The state cares about you and almost takes over you the need to think. - Why then thinking about buying weapons?

I think, people sometimes use to less common sense. They make to less effort to find out the “reasons” of rules or to put themselves into others position. An alcoholic? - He can use the public addict care system! An unemployed? - He will benefit from the unemployment money!

In Germany, we sometimes had discussions about so-called “flatrate parties”, where you pay a certain amount of money and you were allowed to drink as much as you can. There was a discussion to forbid them, because youngsters drank themselves to death there. I am sure, there are also many death cases in Finland because of similar excesses, but the media just turned a deaf ear.

It is just to much socially accepted to be unsocial! Finnlad has a very black, cynical humour. Ignorance often even goes so far, that jokes about people with social problems are made instead of seriously coping with that problems.

Furthermore, some problems of the tragedy are of a more global nature and can be found everywhere. In computer games and “Virtual Reality”, we are always trying to come as close to the reality as possible. Then the news reports in the media: although presented more and more real, who can say, that (s)he can understand the full extent of tragedies, wars, catastrophes etc., which are reported, often in just some sentences, paired with actually horrifying images? How should you then find a clear border to the third layer, which is the ultimate reality, your surrounding?

The question now is: Should there really be a new regulation, which e.g. forbids violent computer games? - No, not another mechanism which takes over the thinking of people. People finally should start thinking themselves!

There have been quite many articles about individualism lately, in Finland it might really have gone too far. Some say close societies restrict the individuals and force them to be similar and are therefore bad. Some have written articles about “city villages” such as in Annikinkatu block in Tampere - optional ways for more social living inside a town. I am glad that the subject is still discussed in the media despite the other crisis.

May be the video games, moveis and other media have played their parts, as teenagers seems to think, its funny or cool to kill. In last years even on Finnish television, the amount of violence, brutuality, and blood has increased few folds. Changing the laws and taking the guns away should be the frist and immediate action but it is unfortunate that many think it is last action needed. There is a lot more needed to be done. The cancer is much deeper. Since Jokela incident, there have been more than 100 threats to teachers or students in different schools. And you say Finland is sad? May be not all of it, as after Kauhajoki there have been a new series of threats by students in many schools.

I agree with the fact that healt facilities especially mental care services are very poor in Finland and needs improvement. But if we start to blame government for it, we again lead back to individualistic society where you only look to the state for help. And this indivilusitic society is may be the major source of problems. I don’t know a culture and a country where sick (mentally or physically) and unstable people does not live. But in Finland they are left alone. We need to bring people closer and more dependent on each other. I am not a conservative (as it is a very bad thing to be :o) but I think closer family ties are very important, as from there you learn the very first of your social behaviour.