Why are 'School Shootings' a purely American phenomenon?

Question

And what causes our society to be so violent? What can we do about it?

"School Shooting" is an American Phenomenon. I'm not bashing America but there are few instances in other countries and usually those are acts of terrorism or sick political causes. There is no evidence that banning fire arms increases violent crime. Quite the contrary. The US homicide rate is almost twice that of most industrialized nations.

Answer 1

It reflects the paranoia conciously fueled by US goverments on US citizens,from time to time, the " enemy " are their neighbours.This not only happens on schools , it is very frecuent at workplaces.

Answer 2

As someone else said, it's not just the US. The media just covers things to make us think things ar a certain way...

This happened last week in Toronto
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/05/23/shooting-school.html

And these earlier
http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2000/03/07/shooting000307.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2000/04/18/taber000418.html

Here's one from Germany a few years ago
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2002/04/26/germany_shooting020426.html

My guess is if you search the worldwide news websites for 'school shotting' you'll get plenty. It's not just us. We get fed the information the media wants us to have, plain and simple. I like to visit other nations news websites cbc,bbc, etc to get their view on things. The same story covered here in the US is sometimes different on their news sites.

So, it's not purely a US phenomenon. AT least we aren't hacking each other to death with machetes in an ethnic cleansing war, or have interstates that have to be closed down because of people shooting at each other across them. We REALLY aren't as bad off as the media portrays us. Sure things aren't perfect, but they could be a WHOLE lot worse.

What can we do about it? Stop being so politically correct, cover news that is actually news and do it in a way that is respectful of the victims and families... we don't need every last detail of everything over and over. If someone is going to do something for their 15 minutes of fame, they know nowadays they will certainly get the media coverage here in the US.

Answer 3

It isn't an American phenomenon I remember one in England I believe a few in Russia. Also the U.S. press doesn't report everything worldwide it isn't polite to mention how since England and Australia banned most if not all private ownership of firearms, gun crime has only risen and violent crime has tripled

Answer 4

This goes on all over the world. Think this through. If I were a hateful killer who wanted to inflict a large kill count do I (A) walk into a biker bar and start shooting? (B) walk into a gun show and start shooting? (C) walk into a police station and start shooting? or (D) walk into a school where everyone is unarmed and defenseless and start shooting? As to what we can do about it, other than arm the teachers and provide armed security at the door, the answer is nothing. You cannot be guaranteed safety in a free society

Answer 5

alright, so others here pointed out it is not an American thing, but then why do they happen at all and why such an increase the past decade or so? maybe we have become so desensitized that the only way to shock anyone is with violent acts of terrorism and violence to innocent civilians.
i know michael moore gets blasted every day, but Bowling for Columbine looked at the issue. one point was how Canadians have easier access to guns, but are less violent, so it is something in our culture. maybe a combination of the example our government leads by coupled with celebrated violence in media - video games, movies.
what can we do about it? spread compassion and tolerance? be kind to one another? i don't know.

Answer 6

To united kingdom girlie Which food market did you pass to which you seen firearms on the industry? Supermarkets are not allowed to sell them! in ordinary terms a qualified gun broker can sell them legally. confident, on an analogous time as shall we use some restraint whilst weapons are worried, banning them isn't the respond! There are some human beings that choose for to pass to the capturing variety and shoot clay objectives and our weapons see no different use. there is maximum of diverse the thank you to confront this situation which you will no longer even start to handle it at right here. Undisciplined infants. because of the fact our government won't enable us to punish childrens whilst they desire it. psychological situations that gets carry of weapons. because of the fact those around him/her are afraid. because of the fact our police are not allowed to accomplish that except this is employing 'non deadly' stress. because of the fact our courts enable the criminal to 'take a plea' to a lesser cost. because of the fact human beings sit down on 'dying row' for 2 many years. confident, we've our flaws, and that i could choose for to make certain a superb style of adjustments ensue in our court docket structures and how the police are allowed to handle any given concern. yet no longer truthfully truthfully everyone choose for to pass out and shoot up a college the two.

Answer 7

As everyone has said this happens all over the world.
Those Islamic people burned down the offices in France and all over the world. Blow up people.
This country has less of that but it is more publized.
It is hard to get messages to someone on a camel.

Answer 8

They aren't. Germany has had a few. England has had a couple. All you have to do is search. America has more, probably a result of a higher population, the number of firearms in circulation, and the higher proportion of mixed populations.

Our society isn't really any more violent, just better publicized.

Answer 9

It's not an American phenomenon, it happens in Europe too. We glorify violence in rap music and video games, which children listen to in order to vicariously rebel, so what can we expect. We reap what we sow. Of course, some will screech that those two things are perfectly innocent, which further proves my point. A society in denial cannot solve it's problem.

Answer 10

I don't know....


I was in Iraq last year and saw a school that was destroyed by insurgents shooting......

Is that the violence you are referencing????

You really ought to check out the crime statistics from other countried before you claim that it is a purely Amercian phenomenon.

Answer 11

It is not just here. It has happened in other countries.

And how about some of the worst massacres their is.... they are carried out by homicide bombers. Takes a real nut to strap an explosive vest to your body and blow up a bus full of innocent school children.