In contemplating the events in Newtown Connecticut yesterday (12/14/12) I wonder, as many do, what causes a person to erupt in such a violent manner as to kill innocents, much less children. The media repeated the story all day. The rhetoric about gun regulation has already begun.
Still, I am curious if there will be discussion on other possible similarities among the numerous mass murders which have occurred other than semi-automatic weapons. “Mass shootings generate sensational media coverage, yet most media have failed to connect the dots with regard to mental health” (Follman, 2012) Yes, I have also heard from a police officer that a particular type of mental health drug , central nervous system stimulants, seems to weave its way through these issues.
Other issues that I am interested in comparing are financial, parental, relational, and social (We have heard some on the social aspect with many of the perpetrators being loners or outsiders.). Is there a connection? Are there connections? Surely someone has done some research and it would be nice to know if there are other common factors or not.
And what of multiple stabbings? I find several incidents were as many as 22 people are stabbed by a single individual. Do these murders also have a link to people like Timothy McVeigh who used explosives? Bath Maine ring any school bells? Jim Jones used “cool aid” drink and there was Heaven’s Gate though these are called mass suicide. Again I ask, are there commonalities?
Maybe the problem is found in the gender and role confusion men and women face today. Yes, overwhelmingly these events are perpetrated by men yet we cannot lose sight that we have witnessed mothers killing their young. These women have often not chosen the gun though have taken the lives of their babies.
We live in a time where insurance and government create a near “fail safe” for every situation. Is there a disassociation with responsibility? It appears we find culpability with the alcohol, the drug, the weapon, the vehicle, etc. Or, it can be the fault of someone else who allowed too much consumption, too much debt, installed short railings, or a lack of regulation and supervision.
I would like to know of how this issue compares globally. There was the Norwegian shooting July 22, 2011 killing 80. Some have heard that yesterday in China 22 kindergarteners were stabbed by a single individual . Eight kindergartners were stabbed to death in China in 2010. I recall, but cannot find, that on the day of the Aurora Colorado there was a stabbing in a mall in China with multiple victims.
Maybe like in the movies (Twilight, Harry Potter, etc.), evil does exist. In real life these black sovereigns and authorities, these powers of the dark world and spiritual forces of evil realms just don’t make themselves visible to the human eye. Does evil exist? Evil is named conveniently by adding a letter “d” to evil.
Could it be that wickedness is roaming freely in a Godless place? If there is evil then is there God? And, “Where was God?” Is God everywhere or no where? Is God in your life? Is God for real?
I believe he is very real. Not a God that promises physical safety. The God I know uses believing people, all people and any people to serve his purpose. I suppose his reasoning is greater than I can comprehend. The lines of holy writings do challenge me when I read that Eve ate from the forbidden tree; “Why did God allow this?” Abraham was to sacrifice his first born; “Why would God ask this?” There was a great flood killing the multitudes. The list goes on as Joseph was innocently sent to prison, and Jesus was publicly crucified. I skipped many other examples. I don’t claim the answer but the outcomes have always led God’s people back to him.
Is there a root cause? Are there solutions? Maybe no correlations can be found. What are your thoughts?
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/11/jared-loughner-mass-shootings-mental-illness
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-202_162-6325205.html
http://thedailyshift.com/2012/07/08/man-arrested-following-multiple-stabbings-in-phoenix-park/
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/world/europe/23oslo.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/women/andrea_yates/index.html
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