Yesterday, the city of Palm Springs, in Southern California, was shaken by an explosion at a fertility clinic. The attack's aftermath left one person dead and four injured. As of the last report, the person responsible for the attack died in a car explosion. (It is unclear whether this was a separate incident in a different location or as a result of the attack.)

Our society is under the dome of ideology that shows no respect for human life and dignity, and this bombing is yet another sad and devastating example of what happens when a collectivist anti-life ideology takes over critical thinking and morality. It’s an absolute chaos bent on destruction rather than creation and the joy of life. 

As per Associated Press, Akil Davis, who is head of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, was very clear on the initial analysis of the horrific event: “Make no mistake: this is an intentional act of terrorism,” and not some random accident that absolves the perpetrator.

The attacker had an online presence and expressed views on life and death on his website. It is a strange take on the meaning of life, the meaninglessness and emptiness that the attacker saw in many spheres of life.

He describes himself as a “promortalist,” a follower of “Efilism.” Explanations and descriptions of this “philosophy” are scattered throughout the Internet, but most are vague and can be found on Reddit threads. (As of now, Reddit has banned the word “Efilism” from their platform.) The term itself is derived from the word “life” spelled backwards, and it’s been pieced together to form an ideological statement that is essentially pro-death. It is far more radical than antinatalism and sees existence only in negative terms. 

The ideology argues and calls for the extinction of all sentient beings that possess consciousness. This radical view is ostensibly rooted in the desire to prevent suffering, but its negativity and utilitarianism are far removed from any compassion one might feel for another human being.

As expected, the attacker’s website does not in any way represent a carefully reasoned argument against procreation and continuation of life, but an angry rant against “pro-lifers.” The attacker sees no exit from the seriousness of the allegedly incoming apocalypse and is frustrated that others do not possess the so-called enlightenment to see the gravity and the purely evil nature of humanity. In this set-up, God does not exist either, and even if he does, the attacker admits that he would rather choose “Satan.” 
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The fertility clinic represents a different view on life and procreation. American Reproductive Centers, as it’s called, offers help to women and couples who are unable to have children or have difficulties getting pregnant. The services that they offer are not limited to IVF (In-vitro Fertilization) but to other means and processes to ensure procreation, such as surrogacy (especially for gay couples), pre-implantation genetic testing (particularly for Down Syndrome), egg freezing, and elective single embryo transfer, which means selecting the embryo that has no chromosomal abnormalities. 

The clinic itself is selective about what constitutes life, and the services reflect their patients’ desire and means to have children. No matter what one’s views are on the services that this fertility clinic offers, nobody deserves to die. The act of terrorism and hate needs to be recognized as such and strongly condemned by everyone. 

What is most pervasive in our society right now is that we are surrounded by the “culture of death.” There is a sense of nihilism, meaninglessness, and mental disturbance that is also present on a collective level. Isolation, loneliness, and a lack of proper encounters are some of the reasons why violence thrives and is chosen as a way to express frustration. For many, there is nothing to look forward to, and the best way to deal with a lack of a mission in life is to have an absolute exit. But such decisions are, unfortunately, final, for something that could have possibly been a temporary problem.

At the center of it all is self-centeredness, stuck in a cycle of self-loathing that ultimately extends into others, as is sadly visible in the Palm Springs explosion.