Going "postal" in the USA,why does it happen so much ?

Question

Are we all going crazy in this country ?

Answer 1

The sensationalist, voyeuristic schadenfreude of the broadcast news media.

Remember Columbine? Remember Virginia Tech? Remember the exhaustive, sensational, constant attention those incidents garnered from the cable news?

It triggered something in the minds of these mentally ill murderers-- the idea that by committing a shocking act, one could guarantee posthumous fame and glory. The gunman at Virginia Tech put together a press kit that he sent to NBC News, knowing it would get aired after his death and guarantee his infamy. They did, and it did.

This most recent shooter in Omaha left a note saying, "Now I'll be famous."

And wouldn't you know it, he is.

Ugh.

Answer 2

It's not just here, it's world-wide and yes, there are some answers;

l) We live in a stress-filled world where people want quick fixes, are irresponsible and are selfish.
2) There is evil in the world, don't ever let someone tell you there isn't, just look around.
3) There are lots of folks with mental health issues that are not getting the help they need or are getting the wrong kind of help (if you want to call it that).

Answer 3

i think that aside from the fact that as a general life has become more stressful on the planet itself...every culture/society has had to adopt a new way of life...i mean, the freekin planet is dying on us...people are being killed from one end to the other and hearing about human loss is not impacting to people as it was decades ago...as a whole western societies have kind of desensitize themselves by becoming less of a community geared, to an individual geared one...if you really think about it...you could live your entire life locked up in your house and completely not have to interact with anyone...we are thought to absorb information and disregard it in a matter of seconds if necessary...think about it...the media is a great example...just by watching the evening news you can see it...right now, they have us focusing all our energy on the tragedy at the mall, and they will drill and pour as much information even if it's repetitive into our head cause that is what they want us to feel/think...cut to commercials, they will give you a brief 10 second, there were 75 people killed in iraq by a suicide bomber...and move on to the gas prices...we will not even think of all those in iraq cause it was not drilled...

we are not fed information that reinforces how precious life is, how we should cherish it, and one another...we are instead, told to be insensitive when others are in pain, or to switch to the next big news of the day...if you think i'm making this up...weren't we totally wrapped up in the stacy petterson case?

Answer 4

I don't know, but I was asleep for 5 and half hours nap... and had this dream. Another crazy event was going to happen.... our troops. it was a nightmare.... so much mess and terrible things....

Then there was women shopping at Target, and there was just chaos... just shire and terrible chaos..... They women were crying and in great distress, and just grabbing clothes all sorts of clothes for our troops... everything undies to t-shirt to bathrooms and all other things.... just grabbing and grabbing and crying, because they wanted to help the troops.... there was so many of them with carts and carts full of things for our soldiers.... some for those who died, a lot of those were had died, because it was just a massacre........

Sorry I had to get that nightmare out of my head,. it was form someone who went postal and our troops were the target

I woke up and had no idea where I was for sure and what time.....

For those who have died at the tragedy that happened in Omaha at Westroads. My heart goes out to them. What is scary, is live near Omaha, in Iowa and I was going to go to that Mall that day about that time......

why do people do these things..... and yet there is no justice done for the families who loved ones died for that young man took that gun and turned it onto himself...... what justice is that.....

I think we are going crazy in this world.... too much pressure to do all this stuff... Make this much money, get these kind of grades in school, marry a decent SO, have the family and the picket white fence, and then there is what the media adds in.... all the need to be thin.... and to be popular, one can't be themselves, unique. We all have to conform to a mold.... and the pressure, and probably years of the unthinkable happening (abuse) screws with someone's head.......

just a thought...

Thank you all for listening to me ranting......

Answer 5

Although this probably falls under MadforMac's category 3, some people do it for their "15 minutes of fame," like the guy that killed all the students at the university last year.

He asked in his suicide note that the news media read it (his suicide note) on TV. What did the media do? They read it on TV, granting his last request. Thereby, in my opinion, becoming complicite in the crime. Why in the world would they grant this murderers last request? I'm still angy with them for doing that. Our media cares about nothing except making a buck!

Answer 6

My personal theory is the additives they put in our food. We are being poisoned by fine chemicals like high fructose corn syrup.

Answer 7

I reckon having easy access to something like an AK-47 can't help.