Why do you think there are increasing instances of "mass killings"?

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   techygranposted 11 years ago

   Why do you think there are increasing instances of "mass killings"?
   
   In generations past there were "mass murders" or "massacres", of course, but over the past 20 years there seem to be several incidents each year in the US in particular.  Do you have theories you would like to share? Are these incidents related to economic hard times? Anti-depressants? Total moral and spiritual breakdown in society? What do you think?

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   handymanbillposted 11 years ago

   Moral breakdown and all the publicity that they get. Things like this are talked about for weeks. CNN,Fox every News paper have the perpetrators picture and live footage for days. The press make a big deal out of other peoples loss and sorrow. Somebody gets big time coverage why they did what they did. Talking heads using other peoples tragedy to get ratings. They will talk the whole thing into the ground.

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      techygranposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for sharing your point of view, handymanbill.  I agree that there is a tendancy for these horrific events to be covered repeatedly, ad nauseum, but is not the same true with certain sporting events? (why we don't have TV or get a newspaper)

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   kem312posted 11 years ago

   Interesting question. First, I think with the rapid-access, quick-fire media sources we have at our disposal, and the technology everyone seems to possess, any random act of violence is made aware to more and more people, faster than it has ever been made available before.
   I also think there are far too many distractions at our disposal, whether it be drugs (alcohol included), video games, social media (as I discussed earlier), typical media (TV, satellite radio, Internet), it's my thinking that we haven't "evolved" in line with the technologies we now embrace.
   Given these "distractions", I think it takes a great deal away from the human element we were forced to live with at any moment throughout our lives. Now that we can ignore anyone we don't want to hear, more and more people are "changing the channel", thus isolating themselves from any sort of interaction.
   A majority of people can go back and forth, without any problem, whatsoever. I think there are more and more outliers that aren't getting nearly enough of the "human touch", and as they isolate themselves more and more, whatever feelings they may have, intensify. There's no outlet. They don't argue with Mom, Dad, or their siblings. If there is an intense anger that needs to be dispelled, they swallow it alone, and it festers.
   That's my thinking, anyway.

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      techygranposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you Kem312-- I tend to think along these same lines when searching for some kind of rationale for this violence.  When I have an IT hangover I go for a long walk with my dog and/or do some info-dumping on my husband of 42 years.  Helps.

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   Lily Lunaposted 11 years ago

   I think part of it is we have lost our sense of community and connection with each other.  It intensifies the sense of separation from others, then you begin to lose your innate sense of empathy.  Could be a moral breakdown although some murders have been committed in the name of morality so that is probably a very small part of the problem.

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      techygranposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      thank you Lily Luna-- it IS complex, isn't it?

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   somethgblueposted 11 years ago

   Because many of these so called mass killings are really a cover, one to distract the public from some other event that The Powers That Be wish to remain a secret and the other to eliminate 'one' in the group of people being killed.
   
   For instance the mass shooting in Arizona was a cover for the elimination of Judge John Roll . . .
   In February 2009, Roll received hundreds of threats after he allowed a lawsuit filed by illegal immigrants against a rancher to go forward. "They cursed him out, threatened to kill his family, said they'd come and take care of him. They really wanted him dead," a law enforcement official told The Washington Post in May 2009.
   While the Gifford's got all the press the real reason was to get Judge Roll out of the way so that legislation could be passed to further strip the public of their rights.
   
   These gunman are actually programed for this kind of thing through mind control, Henkle the man who shot President Reagen another example.
   
   The point being that these are staged events that the public eats up through media hype and sensationalism.
   
   As more is revealed the truth will eventually come out as it always does, however many are conditioned to believe another psycho went on a rampage.

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      kem312posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      With open arms, we welcome the conspiracy theorists. Next, we should talk about how the Jews have persecuted Mel Gibson for several years.
      I truly hope the robots don't invade my home, not knowing how to correctly spell my name.

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      Mazzy Boleroposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm sure there would have been an easier way to bump off the Judge.

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      techygranposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for sharing your theory somethgblue-- I don't really follow American politics, per se, but I am emotionally impacted when I hear about a mass of innocent people being murdered in a public place.  12 corpses would seem to meet that criteria

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      somethgblueposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You don't know how to spell your own name? I don't reckon I'd be sharing that information with folks . . . !?

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   connorjposted 11 years ago

   I believe there is not a significant increase in instances of mass killings. I do believe that it may be perceived this way; however, statistically speaking there has been no significant increase. However, there is no doubt that in one geographical area the preponderance has been significant.

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      techygranposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      no significant statistical increase? that's interesting... do you have a source for this information (with stats) connorj?  thank you for providing this perspective!  and any idea why one geographical area might be so skewed?

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   whittwritesposted 11 years ago

   This is a difficult question to get a grasp of. There are a lot of reasons for the increase in mass killings. I think there is total moral breakdown in our country. There is a total lack of respect for human life. When you can't handle the stress it seems far easier to break out a gun then try other routes. There are no more absolutes of right or wrong it has all been blurred into your morals are what you want them to be and the consequences of your actions are based in some wrong society has dine yo you. Until we get back to teaching our children in school what is true right and wrong I think it is only going to get worse. Also when you have no absolutes there is no more respect for authority once you lose that it is all down hill from there

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      techygranposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      thank you whittwrites for your contribution to this puzzling question... I personally believe that there is a great deal of credence to what you have to say about the diminishment of respect for human life.  I see the same moral breakdown elsewhere.

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   Kari Peteposted 11 years ago

   So, I believe there has been a study on the increase in the incidence of suicides after significant coverage of one suicide in the news.  Since it is my sense that many of these folks are suicidal, there is some generalizability in this. 
   
   However, I also think that we live in a time in which acquiring and learning to use the kind of weaponry that is seen in the recent massacres/mass killings is also much easier.  If you want to impact a lot of people, you only have to go online to buy the ammo or the gear you would need.  You can find detailed descriptions about the making of bombs online, as well.
   
   I don't think there is a complete moral breakdown in our society.  I think that it is just easier for those in our population who are unstable to do more damage than they used to.

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      techygranposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      thanks Kari Pete for your thoughtful response to the question.   So, it is the weapon availability for unstable people that makes it more likely that this sort of trend to mass killing will continue?

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   Martinblade1posted 11 years ago

   I really don't think that the apparent rise in crime can be truly blamed on just one thing other than lack of respect for another individual's life.  Even that though doesn't really satisfy the question because it ignores the world in which we live.  It ignores the people that otherwise wouldn't abuse others, but believe they must to feed themselves. And it ignores that some people seem to always choose criminal activity.
   
   The economy is not all to blame though, all it does is force people to choose between engaging in criminal activities or not.  It is up to people to choose what they will do with the circumstance.  If you really don't respect human life though it is very easy to justify the criminal activity.
   
   Of course, our laws give evidence that we believe there is an absolute moral standard.  Relativistic morals truly can support no laws because what is right for you may not be right for me.  Just one of many reasons why relativism doesn't work.
   
   I'm also not sure about the magnitude of the rise in crime either.  We are more connected to technology and that does increase our awareness of the activities around us.  So it's possible that the crime rate is relatively the same as another similar economic period, say the great depression, but we are just more aware of it now.  However, given that the population of the US has risen significantly since the great depression it makes since that more crime is being committed while the ratios of criminals to law abiding citizens remain the same.

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    miakounaposted 11 years ago

    I think the increase of mass murders or massacres is a link to the increased popularity of online gaming.
    
    Online gaming has themes of mass murders and massacres in order to achieve a higher level in the game. Teenagers and early twenties adults are gowing up with games that glorify murder and glorify killing multiple individuals.  Unfortunately, it is distancing them from reality and making it 'fun' to kill.

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