I'm finding a lack of coverage on those that actually WERE close to him. that is to say, how come no one knows anything about his parents? family? childhood friends, if he had any? all we've heard so far was... distant: His writing. His film. He was supposedly on medication. He supposedly stalked a girl. He was a loner. No one really knew him. Well, damn it, who DID know him? Who the hell raised him? Where are the people that made him who he became?
I find myself strangely detached from the whole situation. I try to educate myself on what happened, but I can't bring myself to care. Yes, people died, and it's tragic, but honestly, can everyone bring themselves to care about every unjust death in the news? Every unjust death that DOESN'T make news? Countless and unnamed millions, dying in war, terrorist attacks, victims of murder, rape, and drunken manslaughter.... What makes this incident so different? Do people care because the news tells them to care?
It's tragic. Death is tragic. This fool is tragic. Investigators will find out, hopefully accurately, what made him so angry, foolish, and cowardly. And we'll find out it's the same stuff we knew all along. We'll just redouble our efforts, as human beings, to prevent the kinds of things that turn human beings into monsters. The same efforts we've been making. The same efforts we should have always been making.
well, I have to recant part of what I said. Evidently, I had not done nearly enough research... mostly because of how detached I felt from the incident.
1) This event stands out as "the deadliest single-perpetrator civilian shooting in United States history". 2) There is ample coverage on his family and upbringing.
I have to say, I hadn't done enough reading. I hadn't read enough of your original post, Andrew (being at work makes me skim), and I hadn't done any of my own research, only what I'd heard through others.
What I did learn in half an hour from the loyal editors at Wikipedia only further cements what you have already said. There were warning signs... EVERYWHERE. And I'll repeat my own conclusion: It's the same stuff we knew all along that messes people up. People looked down on him because of his mental issues and race, which only worsened that mental state and probably bred counter-racism in him. Some of his own family said he deserved death. This isn't stated anywhere, but I assume no doubt that his parents were disappointed by a mentally handicapped son that would never achieve their American dream. There's slight evidence that his father wished to escape life through running away and anonymity, a mindset that can transfer to and mentally damage one's child.
His parents failed him. His family shrugged him off. He had no friends. His classmates bullied him. And those that could be called mentors did too little too late. He himself refused to be helped. And no one else bothered to reach out. There's no one to blame, yet everyone's at fault.
So while I claim my previous post uneducated and irrelevant, the point I made still stands: As human beings, are we putting forth the kind of efforts we should be?
I find myself strangely detached from the whole situation. I try to educate myself on what happened, but I can't bring myself to care. Yes, people died, and it's tragic, but honestly, can everyone bring themselves to care about every unjust death in the news? Every unjust death that DOESN'T make news? Countless and unnamed millions, dying in war, terrorist attacks, victims of murder, rape, and drunken manslaughter.... What makes this incident so different? Do people care because the news tells them to care?
It's tragic. Death is tragic. This fool is tragic. Investigators will find out, hopefully accurately, what made him so angry, foolish, and cowardly. And we'll find out it's the same stuff we knew all along. We'll just redouble our efforts, as human beings, to prevent the kinds of things that turn human beings into monsters. The same efforts we've been making. The same efforts we should have always been making.
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1) This event stands out as "the deadliest single-perpetrator civilian shooting in United States history".
2) There is ample coverage on his family and upbringing.
I have to say, I hadn't done enough reading. I hadn't read enough of your original post, Andrew (being at work makes me skim), and I hadn't done any of my own research, only what I'd heard through others.
What I did learn in half an hour from the loyal editors at Wikipedia only further cements what you have already said. There were warning signs... EVERYWHERE. And I'll repeat my own conclusion: It's the same stuff we knew all along that messes people up. People looked down on him because of his mental issues and race, which only worsened that mental state and probably bred counter-racism in him. Some of his own family said he deserved death. This isn't stated anywhere, but I assume no doubt that his parents were disappointed by a mentally handicapped son that would never achieve their American dream. There's slight evidence that his father wished to escape life through running away and anonymity, a mindset that can transfer to and mentally damage one's child.
His parents failed him. His family shrugged him off. He had no friends. His classmates bullied him. And those that could be called mentors did too little too late. He himself refused to be helped. And no one else bothered to reach out. There's no one to blame, yet everyone's at fault.
So while I claim my previous post uneducated and irrelevant, the point I made still stands: As human beings, are we putting forth the kind of efforts we should be?
Reply
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