http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18233965

this time in a NASA building, by an "office hothead"

wtf

omg??!!! What is wrong with this world?!!!?!?!?!?!?!

Every time there is an incident like this, our society responds by trying to increase control. We believe that with better security measures, more restricted access to weapons, or more vigilant mental health care, that an incident like this one might have been prevented.

But every time we tighten our grip by increasing our control over how people act, and how they think, a few more people slip out between our fingers.

We build walls when we should be building bridges. Men who carry out acts like this feel powerless, they feel isolated. You cannot make a man feel empowered by taking away his freedoms or restricting his movements. You cannot expect a man to forge real, meaningful relationships, while we all refuse to accept him for who he really is. The real tragedy is what we do to ourselves.

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Originally posted by Arbiter Every time there is an incident like this, our society responds by trying to increase control. We believe that with better security measures, more restricted access to weapons, or more vigilant mental health care, that an incident like this one might have been prevented. But every time we tighten our grip by increasing our control over how people act, and how they think, a few more people slip out between our fingers. We build walls when we should be building bridges. Men who carry out acts like this feel powerless, they feel isolated. You cannot make a man feel empowered by taking away his freedoms or restricting his movements. You cannot expect a man to forge real, meaningful relationships, while we all refuse to accept him for who he really is. The real tragedy is what we do to ourselves.

Really well said

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Every time there is an incident like this, our society responds by trying to increase control. We believe that with better security measures, more restricted access to weapons, or more vigilant mental health care, that an incident like this one might have been prevented. But every time we tighten our grip by increasing our control over how people act, and how they think, a few more people slip out between our fingers. We build walls when we should be building bridges. Men who carry out acts like this feel powerless, they feel isolated. You cannot make a man feel empowered by taking away his freedoms or restricting his movements. You cannot expect a man to forge real, meaningful relationships, while we all refuse to accept him for who he really is. The real tragedy is what we do to ourselves.

Except that you're asking for a change in fundamental human nature. People like this will exist as long as society isn't perfect, and society will never be perfect because humans will never be perfect. It's all very well to say that it's better to treat the cause instead of the symptoms, but the cause is an intrinsinc part of human nature, the desire to push down those beneath us on the social ladder, those viewed as weak or inferior, the desire to segregate those who are too different from ourselves and so forth. These behaviours are as old as humanity itself, they're not something you can 'just cure.'

Some things are ineveitable, and all thats left is to see how well you can deal with them. You can't stop these people becoming what they are, but you can at least try and lessen the consequances when they do finally snap.

well the all news cable channels certainly overblow this type of thing and try to make a pattern where there is none

There is no reason for it either. I can guarantee there was at least one gang related murder in the country that killed more people, but they can't report about that cause it might make them look discriminatory towards minorities.

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Originally posted by metalgearsolid omg??!!! What is wrong with this world?!!!?!?!?!?!?!

+1

OMG OMG OMG!

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Originally posted by Taranis Except that you're asking for a change in fundamental human nature. People like this will exist as long as society isn't perfect, and society will never be perfect because humans will never be perfect. It's all very well to say that it's better to treat the cause instead of the symptoms, but the cause is an intrinsinc part of human nature, the desire to push down those beneath us on the social ladder, those viewed as weak or inferior, the desire to segregate those who are too different from ourselves and so forth. These behaviours are as old as humanity itself, they're not something you can 'just cure.' Some things are ineveitable, and all thats left is to see how well you can deal with them. You can't stop these people becoming what they are, but you can at least try and lessen the consequances when they do finally snap.

Oh, I am not asking for anything at all. I know very well that people will not change. And I also know that we will continue to pursue the foolish avenue of increasing control, even though in so doing we will create two new killers for every killing we stop. Perhaps our response, too, is inevitable - one should never underestimate the human capacity for self-destruction.

But make no mistake, the cycle continues not because our decisions are woven into our genetic makeup. It is the product of our collective choices. Let us not appease our conscience by pretending that we have done everything that we could.

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Originally posted by Taranis Except that you're asking for a change in fundamental human nature. People like this will exist as long as society isn't perfect, and society will never be perfect because humans will never be perfect. It's all very well to say that it's better to treat the cause instead of the symptoms, but the cause is an intrinsinc part of human nature, the desire to push down those beneath us on the social ladder, those viewed as weak or inferior, the desire to segregate those who are too different from ourselves and so forth. These behaviours are as old as humanity itself, they're not something you can 'just cure.' Some things are ineveitable, and all thats left is to see how well you can deal with them. You can't stop these people becoming what they are, but you can at least try and lessen the consequances when they do finally snap.

I don't think that's human nature at all. We have a tendency to move toward others that are like us, but to segregate? That's going to far.

I don't think it's going to contradict our human nature if people were to try to be nicer to each other.

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Originally posted by dj_alfi change your avatar for fucks sake.

this is just the usual violence, he killed one person and himself. if not for the tech shootings this would be business as usual and you wouldnt think twice. theres stories of murder in the news every day only after something like tech do they get all the attention

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Originally posted by josh4 this is just the usual violence, he killed one person and himself. if not for the tech shootings this would be business as usual and you wouldnt think twice. theres stories of murder in the news every day only after something like tech do they get all the attention

I'd also add that because the media responds so immensely to shootings it motivates others to do the same. If a shooter wants to make a statement or get attention, what better way is there than going on a murder spree? Potential shooters see that if their actions are brazen enough, their face/agenda will be seen and heard on a national, and more than likely international scale.

I hate to draw a parallel, but where I grew up there was a series of "copycat" suicides that were fed upon by the media. Each suicide was splashed around the local news for weeks. Each subsequent suicide garnered even more coverage. It was found that many of the suicides saw this media exposure as motivation to do the same; to show everyone how horrific their life was.

I'm not saying that these things aren't news and shouldn't be reported. However, when the media aftermath is motivation for these horrible things to happen, it becomes a vicious cycle.