why is it that most mass murderers (with guns) are American??

Question

They're supposed to be a first world country which means, they ought to have progressed to a state where with a bit of effort and counselling, they ought to sort out their deep dark desires? also, why on a statistics level are shrinks so high on the suicide list??

apparently, its the 3rd fatal shooting in one week (albeit the most gruesome)

i should have added that there seems to be a culture of americans killing other americans, which dont seem to be the case elsewhere on a same scale. there's david berkowitz (serial killer) ted bundy, scores of gunmen going into schools, the sniper, every country has killers and serial killers, and i'm from south africa so dont get me wrong, i'm not "attacking" anyone's society, but just expressing amazement that they call themselves the "great" number one country but cant seem to sort out their internal poo.

wrong answer tabbyfur - you need to read a bit more. I did an independent study / research on serial killers a few years back, and the most info that came forth were white males aged between 20 something and 30 something, first world countries, primarily american...

Answer 1

well:
1. guns are readily available
2. we are a violent culture (so sad, so true)
3. there is a huge class system in effect- violence as a result of poverty...

4. violnce begets more violence
5. rent Bowling for Columbine... it goes into the whole thing...

Answer 2

From my understanding of the question you're asking about serial killers not mass murderers, which is very different. You're speaking of the criminally insane not rebelious religious groups.
Good question. In my opinion, it is a fault in the system. America is based on freedom. The Bill of Rights and the Constitution that are all meant to give us independence and seperation from government to do as we like. With the changing times, we're loosing some rights. People have been detained for picketing the White House recently. New York wants to pass a law that it's citizens cannot eat certain trans-fats... The laws are becoming more stringent. The government is passing more and more laws so that we are getting less and less freedom. They pass these laws because as soon as something happens and it hits the media, people look for blame. Who, what, where and when did it all go wrong?
So true, America does have a problem with that. We have freedom. We have rights to bear arms...
A few of those people have taken too far then blamed it on everyone but themselves. Then it goes to Congress where laws can be passed or strengthned so that it won't happen again. It may be naivety on our end for not expecting it. It might be that we just don't pay attention to the signs and put up our fences so we can ignore everything else.... But I think the better question would be, are these few terrors worth loosing more of our freedoms?
Just my opinion.

Answer 3

Actually mass murder is all over the world in england is was harold shipman, africa had so many mass murders but only a few are known around the world don't forget south africa's aparthied murders,and rwanda where the worst genecide happened, germany where hitler killed thousand of jewish ppl and others who were not german, i could go on america has a very unhealthly obsession with guns children as young as 6 are taken hunting so it comes as to no surprise that murders are mostly commited with guns, but don't be jugemental you cannot judge what you don't understand because i bet if you were an american who owned a gun you would have a totally different view so try to understand that there is more than meets the eye. And as for shrinks if you were a shrink and you had to listen to every bodies issue over a long period of time and you have to deal with your issues as well wouldn't you go nuts and kill yourself, i think being a shrink is a stressful job they need a find a leway inbetween to cope with there jobs and life a shrink may be a shrink but there are human and one could only take so much

Answer 4

a number of reasons: One, it is the sheer size of the population...if you have that many millions of people in the one country, you are going to get a larger percentage of murderers than we have in the UK....the same as they will have a greater number of redheads, disabled people, charity workers, or just about anything else you care to mention.

Secondly, the prevalence and availability of guns must make a difference - regardless of what the National Rifle Association says. You can walk in an buy a handgun over the counter and walk out with it immediately. If you want a machine gun, then you need to wait a week.

The US is the new roman empire...they have all the money and all the guns now. but remember what happened to the romans.

Answer 5

Wow, This seems to be an America bash site. Just look around the world, mass killing has always and will always be with us. We had the IRA bomb us for years on a mass scale, there is genocide taking place in several countries throughout Africa 'RIGHT NOW'! Sadam Hussein till quite recently killed thousands, Oh! Yeah! Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan oh! and that little killing spree that little Austrian went on a few years back, what was his name, oh yeah, HITLER!!!!!!! For goodness sake open your eyes people, it's news!!!! Publish, and be damned the consequences.

I spent 8 years living just 20 minutes away from the Amish school, with this wonderful community and peaceful, simple group of artists, artisans, farmers, and generally amazing people. the person concerned was crazy, just like the person who could be living next door to you. Violence and murder is not solely an American disease, they are a group of people who just like you and I want to live thier lives in peace, just like here there are nutters. They have access to guns freely, we don't, however we have football hooligans, they don't. We have a much higher crime rate than them in what used to be safe rural communities.

Since we now have instant access to news via TV,Radio, Web etc. news travels quicker and faster. There are approx. 350 million people in th US, More is going to happen. And it will be reported world wide.

Answer 6

Well I guess in America, they do it a little different. Here its usally one person, who preys on many. As to other countrys where they blow up their own ppl and its called religion. We have lunatics that shoot, stab etc. AS to where others have suicide bombers. to me theres no difference. Also, I think where ppl are allowed to carry any kind of gun here they want doesnt help much. I am not for guns, but I believe everyone has their right to them. To a certain extent, I dont think 10 yr old kids should be carrying them under any circumstance. For the shrink's, You spend your whole life trying to help "cure" ppl. You listen to others complain all the time and I guess it's just very stressful. Not al of its complaining, I guess but for the most part listening to nothing but tragedies all the time would probably send you over the edge at some point. Leading to many of their deaths.

Answer 7

well one reason is because the US actually keep statistics like this alot countries don't keep this statistics so you never will know how much other countries have when it come to serial killers.
plus the laws here in the US are much lighter then in other countries less of a deterrent. for example go to Singapore and don't flush the toilet you will get a ticket, if you are caught doing drugs with the intent to sell possible death sentence and so the country has the lowest crime rate in the world but the people are not allowed to do anything.
In the US is incredibly easy to hide.
oh and to answer the question about shrinks the reason why their suicide rate is high is because they are shrinks, who are they going to go for help to another shrink clearly this is not too much help cause they already know what the other shrinks are going to ask so therapy does not works as well on them, as it does on regular people the same goes for doctor who abuse pain killers they have to to special rehab center for doctor's because since they are doctors it's easy for then to get a prescription, the same goes for shrinks, psychiatrist can prescribe drugs so you do the math.

Answer 8

Because private citizens are allowed to own guns in the US and because it is the weapon at hand.
In other countries where guns are prohibited by law..the citizenry murder each other with knives and blunt instruments their automobiles, acid....bombs...etc. Mass murder is not unique to any one country. I remember reading a while ago about a japanese man who entered a nursery school and stabbed several children there until he was subdued. The japanese are generally known to have a lower crime rate than most of the 1st world. Agression is quite common in all countries, not just the US. Human beings are agressive creatures and murder is unfortunately a very real aspect of the human condition.

as for shrinks being high on the suicide list...perhaps they are uncomfortable seeing someone for help, when they are supposed to be the person giving help.

Answer 9

First of all the suicide rate for medical professionals is actually highest among dentist's of all things. I want you to have at least some of your info right. We carry guns in America because it is our right under the law. Many people don't like that but oh well. Mass murderers are everywhere. There is more knowledge of their actions in the USA because of the media. That's right the news baby. We (Americans) want that dirt and we want it dished out on the five o'clock news so we can see it. You don't hear about things in the other countries because they don't have the media capabilities that we have here. Also, some countries are more refined in what they watch and what they find acceptable in their homes. So in answer to your question about our progression and our deep, dark, desires, you live in a twisted world, with twisted people. That's what we have "progressed" to, sad isn't it?

Answer 10

In developed countries, I believe people in the US have the most guns.
There are just a bit under 300 million of us, so the percentage of nutcases doesn't have to be higher to result in multiple extrordinarily crazy people. That's what this is about - crazies with guns.

People who make use of psycological services as a youth are sometimes drawn to that as an occupation, sometimes in order to help themselves. Because of that increased proportion of troubled members, the suicide rate is higher.

Answer 11

Those people have the right to carry guns (so the bad people have that right too (bowling for columbine) It has always been a violent culture since the wild west and the indians were murderd by the settlers.