Lady Dragonfly wrote:He was referred to a mental institution, examined, and treated. The available information strongly suggests that he was mentally unstable or even criminally insane. That could be a mitigating factor, actually. Especially if the lawyer is worth his/her fee. But the gunman is dead, so the point is moot.
That must be something recent, as the things I read a few days ago didn't include anything with that information, yet people were still chalking this up to insanity without any proof. As far as being medicated and treated? That's laughable, and could very well BE why he decided to shoot everyone. The drugs prescribed in this country are done so willy nilly, and often in a dangerous manner that is harmful to the patient forced to take them. Forced, as in well...forced, and having no choice not to take them, even if they are harmful.
Lady Dragonfly wrote:Magrus, with all due respect, you should study physiology and psychology a bit more before referring to both as "delusional beliefs". Unfortunately, there is something out there the authorities choose to call a "premeditated murder". The human behavior and criminal intent are not regulated by high/low level of serotonin or adrenalin in one’s blood only. It is all slightly more complicated.
Don't patronize me. Psychology is an unstable set of beliefs that are highly subjective, biased, and largely based on theory. Something that is ever changing due to the lack of tangible evidence in order to pin something down and prove it as "true". Studies by "professionals" can only go so far when dealing with peoples thoughts and feelings. These things are only interpreted by the people doing the studied. It isn't math, not all equations simply add up if done properly. There are unknowns involved, and the unknowns are filled with guesses, and it is a study based on trial and error.
As far as the belief of "premeditated murder", it is a purely human concept. Yes, you can argue the logic of it, and the existence of it. On both parts, you would be "right". However, as it stands, history proves many, if not all species WILL act in a violent manner if provoked. Humans aren't any different. That was my point, not the legality of the situation. The article that I read, yesterday I believe? Had nothing on the story of the gunman aside from the shooting itself. Not the why, or even the identity of the gunman.
The gunman could have simply gotten up one morning and said "I want to see what happens when I shoot someone. I'm going to buy a gun" and done so as an experiment. He could have been hurt and wanted to get even. He could have thought all of those people were flesh-eating space aliens and wanted to save the planet by killing them. No one was in his head, and no one can really, truly say what went through his head. People can deduce, and dig for answers, and guess, but they cannot know.
Lady Dragonfly wrote:Do you suggest it is possible to suppress the evidence of "horrid actions" (apparently "known" to a friend of yours and probably somebody else) from the press for a long time? You are kidding.
Your serious? Ok. There are far more prominent instances in which situations were covered up and lies were produced in order to do so throughout history. It has been happening repeatedly throughout history. Many, many times in this country, and the USSR was famous for it. This isn't anywhere near on that scale, but
is done. Yes, I
am serious.
The general habit of people disbelieving something because it is unlikely makes things like this easy to accomplish. It is easier to accept that some kids were crazy, shot up a school, and killed themselves than to accept that for years teachers and parents and other students turned a blind eye on what was really going on. It is called
denial. You reject truth in favor of a more pleasant denial. If those people had accepted what really went on, and done something about it, the incident that day would never have happened. Since they did nothing, the people that did know are in denial. If you wish to go back to your psychology argument, there are documented instances where people suffer/do really bad stuff and they conveniently forget all about it, and will not admit to it ever having happened.
Lady Dragonfly wrote:How do you reconcile a notion of "the general practice of turning a blind eye" with a notion "there have been numerous reports"? And what is your opinion about the "students doing some truly horrid things to other students who are trying to fit..."? I assume your sympathy lies with the abused, though if someone chooses to participate in hazing he is asking for trouble.
My opinion doesn't really matter on that. I was simply interjecting a possible alternative way of looking at this situation and information as well. Apparently more information has been reported since I read the article about the shootings. To be honest, I have no interest in reading it. In my personal experience, where I know people who can prove things have happened to them, the media isn't often truthful.
Lady Dragonfly wrote:That may explain "how it’s all happened", but it doesn’t justify a mass murder.
I am not denying the social aspects of crime, but there should be a personal responsibility for one's actions. It is so popular to blame family and society for everything, including one's own bad choices. A lot of people get angry, but only few commit a murder, let alone a mass murder. Especially premeditated, as seems to be the case at VT.
I never said the gunman was innocent, or deserved a pardon, did I? That he wasn't at fault, or didn't know what he was doing when he did it? I find it to be immature to think that you could place the blame of your actions on someone else. However, there are almost always secondary things which tie into a decision made of this magnitude. I had really bad stuff happen to me in high school, I didn't kill everyone. I
could have, it wouldn't have been too hard. I didn't though. This person chose to. That was his call, regardless of what pushed him to the decision.
Yet, I do believe certain things people run into in their lives would make an action such as this more understandable than say someone who just decided randomly one day he wanted to plan a mass killing/suicide. Much like someone else would plan a random party. Simply for something to do. Much like people are more apt to be understanding of a woman who was raped killing the rapist as opposed to a woman simply killing a random man on the street.