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But you are not in agreeance that stalkers are cowardly people?
Your response makes you seem like a stalker in denial lol.
That depends on how and who we define stalkers by.
What I do of finding people on the Net has been described as stalking.
Shrug, it's what I do, what I'm good at. It's not pretty being a spook, but someone has to do it. As far as being a coward, well that's a matter of opinion, too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by silibran
I think there are reasons why we didn't have mass killers for years until Whitman, and seldom thereafter until Columbine. We have vastly more guns out there, and a lot of people own many guns of various sorts. And, we have a script. This is what unhappy men do: they get a gun, or guns, and they go on a killing spree and then they die a "heroic" death. It is as if they are acting out a suicide mission that they understand and follow.
Thank you silibran and Stan4 for your comments...as a woman, I'm not sure I understand why we (women) haven't committed a complete annihilation of a continent. But I digress...a topic for another time and day.
But if they are in the army and they shoot the enemy we give them a medal for their bravery.
Are you trying to equate mass murderers to combat? There is off topic and then there is OFF TOPIC. There are so many differences I can't even begin to count the ways. Some medals are given, not for killing the enemy, but for saving and protecting your brother in arms without firing a shot.
Thank you silibran and Stan4 for your comments...as a woman, I'm not sure I understand why we (women) haven't committed a complete annihilation of a continent. But I digress...a topic for another time and day.
That comment, about having not annihilated a continent got me thinking for the easiest way to do that as an individual is through forest fires.....and a search turned this up.
Just found something interesting in that when it comes to arson, women "aren't out in the cold".
That depends on how and who we define stalkers by.
What I do of finding people on the Net has been described as stalking.
Shrug, it's what I do, what I'm good at. It's not pretty being a spook, but someone has to do it. As far as being a coward, well that's a matter of opinion, too!
Seldom was not a good word choice. What I've noticed is that mass shootings occur more frequently since Columbine, and intervals betwwen them keep getting shorter. I doubt we have a serious disagreement.
I do believe he was trying to top the last record in Orlando of 49 killed, and the next mass killer will have to top 59.
He could have set a record never to be broken again, if he had used all his bomb making material, in his car and his house in Mesquite, and brought down one of those 3-4-5,000 room casino hotels on the Strip, with, at any time, 3,4,5,6, or 7,000 people staying in one of those hotels. That would have even broke the record of 9/11!
So one big thank you to Stephen Paddock, you didn't bring down the Mandalay Bay hotel for a grand finale!
I think there are a TON of factors why people commit mass murder with guns and I beleive #1 is our American fascination with guns and violence.
The right to bear arms is an essential part of life in America and ironically is probably the best check so far on authoritarianism, but is also the cause of so much pain and suffering through needless violence. Being that it is SUCH a large part of our society as a whole, it makes sense why people with issues would gravitate toward the repeated rituals of a mass shooting. It's easy to get guns either legally or illegally. It causes tons of damage. It's a distant/detached/cowardly form of violence. It is in large part the lack of humanity/empathy or the refusal to see it. To be so detached, to dehumanize.
#2 In our current society we feel like we don't belong. We isolate ourselves and white men especially are feeling more and more isolated in "their own," country. There is something to be said about tribal banding, and behavior. Where we need to feel needed. And important to a group. When you're a failure; or if you have a lot of money and nothing to spend it on, or no internal drive to do anything, that can bubble up and over.
#3 Anger. This relates to #2 a bit, but I think as I have personally experienced that anger can manifest itself externally and internally. I've have and am dealing with how to manage anger issues. They can in part be due to a chemical imbalance, lack of sleep, bad diet. But also due to, as the article suggests, the lack of "play," OR more aptly the lack of a meaningful hobby or action. Running has become my meditation although it's one part of managing my behavior. Finding a creative outlet can be a cathartic form of meditation in its own way.
#4 Actual internal psychological issues. Which through copy cat actions can be much more susceptible to #1, especially if these people are detached. PTSD, depression, childhood issues and just plain being unable to cope in the world need to be addressed. This "controversial" statement may get buried, but if the presidential election is a reflection of our country's mental state as a whole, then it's quite obvious we have issues. We wanted someone to save us and would believe anything to get there, the hate, the fear, the brashness. There's a reason why that was attractive. This isn't an indictment on any one party, but rather the reflection of how confused we are as a country. The mantra used to be "pull yourself up," and yet we have a lot of people looking for a savior, who are sadly not knowing how to do it for themselves.
I think there are a TON of factors why people commit mass murder with guns and I beleive #1 is our American fascination with guns and violence.
I think we have to back off this whole discussion and consider that these mass murdering shooters are an aberration...it's not a norm. They get lots of media attention certainly, and they exceed other countries by far.
However because they are aberrations any attempt to classify them will just not make sense, it's impossible - there are 44 million gun owners in the US and mass murders are performed by .0000227% of gun owners (something like 3 millionth of 1 percent). Likewise if you attempt to segregate by sex, by age, anything - there is no possible way to make an overall conclusion, making this topic pointless.
Take each one at a time, starting with the mental state of each shooter.
Gun violence in the US in itself however is much easier to define and classify (mass murders simply being a statistical insignificant, although high profile and emotional portion of total gun crime), and people have done that - simply enough those are with young urban males of a certain demographic group.
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