Breaking news: US mass shooting

by Simon 20 Replies latest social current

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  Simon

  It's getting to the point where CNN should start announcing "breaking news" if there *hasn't* been a mass shooting !

  It's crazy.

  I was watching the 70's documentary they are running and that's the point when media hype about mass serial killers seemed to begin the danger-gun-solution hype cycle. Sure, people had guns before then but nowhere near like it is now.

  When will it end? I don't think it will. I think people are addicted to the guns and also to the news cycles about mass shootings which then promote more the idea that more guns are the solution.

  There are what is known as a "virtuous cycles" and a "vicious cycles" where a feedback loop reinforces positive or negative outcomes. I think gun violence like this is a negative reinforcement that ends up producing more gun violence.
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  Village Idiot

  I believe that most mass shootings are due to the copycat effect that inspires others when such shootings are (unavoidably) sensationalized by the media.
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  freemindfade

  I agree with village idiot 100%
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  breakfast of champions

  Well, I suppose it depends on how you define "mass shooting."

  If you consider 8 people shot and two dead (gunman included) at a movie theater in Louisiana a "mass shooting," well then it is.

  We Americans would simply consider it a really bad movie.
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  Illuminated

  Guns, are not the problem. The amount of non violent gun owners far outweigh these acts carried out by these people. Take the guns away, and a psychopath will find another weapon whether it's knives, cars, bombs, etc, etc.

  I also find it interesting that many of these people who carry out mass shootings are hooked up on some form of antidepressants or other forms of psychotic medication which have side effects of violence.

  Another thought comes to mind, how is it any different or okay for our government to use weapons to murder innocent people/children in other countries, yet on the other hand go on a gun control mission of taking guns away from citizens in our own country due to a few psychopaths who play out the same crimes as our government?
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  cha ching

  Personally, I have often pondered what Simon and VillageIdiot expressed above.

  Sometimes I think that all the details that are given to crimes (though, I would not like to fall victim to the ones that trick you, and want to be aware) give ideas to people. People who may be likely to do something anyway.... but get bigger and better ideas thru the news media.
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  steve2

  There is a similar effect observed when so-called "mental disorders" are formalized into diagnostic categories: it leads to a veritable sudden emergence of cases - as if the publicity and diagnostic formulations "produce" the very behsvior now being observed and assessed. Eating Disorders and more latterly, Body Dysmorphic Disorder are two examples of categories that appeared to produce an explosion of these disorders in Western societies. Of course, the counterview is that those sorts of disorders so to speak have always been present - only now we have a name and classification system for them.
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  done4good

  Guns, are not the problem. The amount of non violent gun owners far outweigh these acts carried out by these people. Take the guns away, and a psychopath will find another weapon whether it's knives, cars, bombs, etc, etc.

  Understand probability theory, and you will understand why you are wrong. More guns = greater probability they will be used, and misused, regardless of the majority of ownership being of those who are non-violent and responsible. This is science, and something right wing nuts just can't get their heads around.

  No one is saying most gun owners are violent. We need to re-frame this discussion as a narrative, so non-math and non-science folks can understand. Too many in the US that just don't know how to understand numbers, so I suppose we need to dummy this discussion down, aka WT style. Maybe then it will sink in.
  

  d4g
  
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  done4good

  Btw, I expect lots of dislikes, and little in the way of cogent argument against my assertion above. Cognitive dissonance at its finest.

  d4g
  
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  Finkelstein

  Maybe a simple drawn out formula might clarify things a little .....
  

  Have easy obtainable access to guns in a society that has the wealth to afford them in a highly populated country like the United States, there is going to be a small portion of guns in the hands of people who are psychologically or mentally off balanced. ????