What do you think is causing the recent spate of deadly shootings in America? (Poll)

Had to say "Other": meaning

1. Media publicity spurring copycat crimes.
2. Lack of armed citizens to provide a deterrent to the criminals' impulses.
3. Collapse of moral standards of behavior, growth of an unfounded sense of "entitlement", and resulting resentment at not being given what they want in life for free. This isn't mental illness, it's a perverted, evil version of the "Peter Pan syndrome" (I won't grow up...).
 
Mostly media spurring copycat crimes. I forget where I saw it but it was an interesting video of a psychiatrist who said if you dont want copycats:
1. Don't show flashing lights and sirens at the beginning of the report
2. Do not show the face of the person who committed the act
3. Do not announce a body count

and for prevention:
1. Only cover the report locally
2. Make the report as boring as possible

Yet almost every report does everything on the list wrong to lure more viewers to their channel [sad2]
 
The economy.
[ 28% (131 votes) ]
Access to guns.
[ 7% (31 votes) ]
Mental illness.
[ 41% (195 votes) ]
Other.
[ 24% (114 votes) ]


without the mental illness factor, you don't have copycats so the news is only exacerbating the base problem.
 
I think 90% of crime is perpetrated by the same people over and over again.
Above all, I blame the system of "catch and release".
 
Upper Management? :D

I'd say a combination of poor upbringing with a lack of values, along with "new found" financial stress.
 
I say other. Other being mostly the media with a left wing agenda reporting more of these crimes on a national level. Years ago, a guy shooting his wife and kid in Wyoming probably would be hard to find on cnn.com but today, it's the lead story. I want to see some statistics that these crimes are happening at a higher rate before I just believe they are. My gut tells me its the reporting. My gut also tells me It's hungry, I'll be right back.
 
FiremanBob said:
Had to say "Other": meaning

1. Media publicity spurring copycat crimes.
2. Lack of armed citizens to provide a deterrent to the criminals' impulses.
3. Collapse of moral standards of behavior, growth of an unfounded sense of "entitlement", and resulting resentment at not being given what they want in life for free. This isn't mental illness, it's a perverted, evil version of the "Peter Pan syndrome" (I won't grow up...).
Click to expand...

There ya go again Bob, making sense.
+3 to you.
 
Marcus5aurelius said:
Mostly media spurring copycat crimes. I forget where I saw it but it was an interesting video of a psychiatrist who said if you dont want copycats:
1. Don't show flashing lights and sirens at the beginning of the report
2. Do not show the face of the person who committed the act
3. Do not announce a body count

and for prevention:
1. Only cover the report locally
2. Make the report as boring as possible

Yet almost every report does everything on the list wrong to lure more viewers to their channel [sad2]
Click to expand...

So very true IMNSHO!

One day (probably 7-8 years ago) I ran into Jack Levin (professor at NU and "noted criminologist" who gets interviewed on every national talk show every time there is a shooting) on the commuter rail into Boston. I had a "captive audience" [devil] and I cut into him (I've known him for years) as "part of the problem" and "responsible for many deaths" as his sensationalizing them on the snews gives loser wannabees the added impetus to take out others and "earn" their 4 weeks in the national media. By the end of the trip, he was starting to understand where I was coming from and partially agreed with me that the news hype contributes to the body count. [thinking]

In the "old days" losers quietly went off and did themselves in. Nowadays they "go out with a bang" and take as many innocents as they can along the way. Society is way beyond "sick" these days!


MXD said:
I say other. Other being mostly the media with a left wing agenda reporting more of these crimes on a national level. Years ago, a guy shooting his wife and kid in Wyoming probably would be hard to find on cnn.com but today, it's the lead story. I want to see some statistics that these crimes are happening at a higher rate before I just believe they are. My gut tells me its the reporting. My gut also tells me It's hungry, I'll be right back.
Click to expand...

Agreed, see above comments.
 
Tension in the masses

I believe Tommy Lee Jones said in MIB "a person is an intelligent, rational being, but people are unpredictable panicky animals" or something like that. Psychology of a crowd vs an average person.

As individuals most folks have it together. But as a society we're pounded by a commercially-slanted media. Not so much the old 1950's cramming products down our throats (though there is plenty of that) but now the media is selling us news. It seems like whoever can present the news in the most impactful way to get the most attention wins.

I'm so sick of the oversensationalized hypocritical headlines about the most innane things up to the most significant. A week ago I was monitoring Reuters and there was a headline in the AM "Economists optimistic about 1st quarter gains a sign that economy improving" and in the PM "Latest economist poll recession far from over, recovery maybe early 2010". I mean cmon - the news is JUNK nowadays.

You ask me (which you did LOL) folks are cracking from overstimulation from JUNK. Oversensationalize a bunch of nuttos going whoopass with some misplaced firearms and all of a sudden you have a "great story" and 100,000 other nuttos just got a great idea how to "express their opression". Wow, that was way too deep for a Friday. [thinking]
 
The Media makes celebrities out of them. Plasters their photos, manifestos, and deeds all across the 24 hour news networks, and front page in all the publications. The next nut sees how famous the last nut gets to be and tries to up the ante … The reckless reporting is just as bad as yelling 'Fire' in a crowded theater IMHO.
 
I'm not sure that you can attribute it to any one thing. Spring fever? I mean....what?

Perhaps the larger question surrounds traveling through time in America and tabulating who, and the numbers. Include the "why" in a separate para.
We only know our current numbers due to the wonders of instant access. I'm not convinced that it's a new phenomena. Others?
 
Media is interested in focusing on anything that creates attention and works people up. If they were to report on all the people who do benevolent acts it would not be interesting. I am certain there are many more acts of kindness than not. It is about focus.
 
MXD said:
I say other. Other being mostly the media with a left wing agenda reporting more of these crimes on a national level. Years ago, a guy shooting his wife and kid in Wyoming probably would be hard to find on cnn.com but today, it's the lead story. I want to see some statistics that these crimes are happening at a higher rate before I just believe they are. My gut tells me its the reporting. My gut also tells me It's hungry, I'll be right back.
Click to expand...

Just like the stuff down in Mexico, it's been going on for years, but all of a sudden it's making the rounds.
 
Total: 588 votes
The economy.
[ 27% (158 votes) ]
Access to guns.
[ 6% (38 votes) ]
Mental illness.
[ 42% (246 votes) ]
Other.
[ 25% (146 votes) ]



I went with "other," because I'm not sure there's just one cause.
 

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