Random Dude wrote:

Big Daikon wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:30 pm 1. Lots of guns available in the US, legal and otherwise.
2. Socio-economic instability.
3. Mental health issues untreated or "overtreated" (lots of weird medication).
4. Creepy copycat culture/a desire for fame by any means.
5. A hopeless nihilistic vibe in the US.
6. Honestly, there has been such a surge in crazy violent crime recently, I feel like there is some sort of "Order 66" being carried out.

Yeah... Valid points I think, but I think there's more to it.

I'd add the gun culture to the list. Years of Hollywood movies glamorizing guns,portraying them as the way to deal with your problem. Also, the idea that guns = freedom always seemed like a cultish mindset to me. And then there's the NRA who sponsors the politicians that enable the easy access.

So you get your unbalanced weirdos (numbers 2,3,4,5), give them easy access to an arsenal and the inevitable happens. Other countries have 2,3,4,5 but most of those places make it difficult for those people to get their hands on guns.

Most? I'm not aware of anywhere in the world where it's easier for a teenager to buy a semi automatic rifle. No license, no training, no checks in many cases. It's idiotic.

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JBTrain wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 2:14 pm

Random Dude wrote:

Big Daikon wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:30 pm 1. Lots of guns available in the US, legal and otherwise.
2. Socio-economic instability.
3. Mental health issues untreated or "overtreated" (lots of weird medication).
4. Creepy copycat culture/a desire for fame by any means.
5. A hopeless nihilistic vibe in the US.
6. Honestly, there has been such a surge in crazy violent crime recently, I feel like there is some sort of "Order 66" being carried out.

Yeah... Valid points I think, but I think there's more to it.

I'd add the gun culture to the list. Years of Hollywood movies glamorizing guns,portraying them as the way to deal with your problem. Also, the idea that guns = freedom always seemed like a cultish mindset to me. And then there's the NRA who sponsors the politicians that enable the easy access.

So you get your unbalanced weirdos (numbers 2,3,4,5), give them easy access to an arsenal and the inevitable happens. Other countries have 2,3,4,5 but most of those places make it difficult for those people to get their hands on guns.

Most? I'm not aware of anywhere in the world where it's easier for a teenager to buy a semi automatic rifle. It's idiotic.

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Merica!

Big Daikon wrote:

Some more points in response:
1. I'd add gangster rap culture. Dudes bragging about killing people.
2. In the After Floyd Era (AFE), some segments of the population have been given the greenlight to commit crime.
....

Uh got a list of gangster rappers/BLM activists who have been mass shooters? Missed that.

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It’s unfortunate that individuals want to point the finger at a problem and make excuses as to why something happens, but they continue to omit why these people do what they do. They do it because they can.

my answer is not full and complete by any means (and I won't be taking the time to read and edit so it is easy for the reader - stream of conscious), however I wonder if partly it is due to the perfect storm of:

**the easy access to the type of weaponry being used

**the lack of access to appropriate and required mental health support (be it talking therapy, medication or whatever)

**individuals becoming more socially isolated with most 'meaningful' interactions via a screen/device,
which contributes to those teetering on the edge of a mental health experience being left to their own imaginations to get caught up in a reality that is of their making in their heads - some might label it a psychotic break, but others might just consider it as something that can occur given the right circumstances that shouldn't be given a label that might hang over a person for a lifetime (those that don't succumb to mass shootings and other behaviours that hurt others).

**things in a person's head where that person doesn't have a good support network or a voice to counter their reality can quickly escalate to a tipping point

**psychological bias when searching the internet and interacting with strangers on forums/reddit/whatever that (for those at risk of psychotic behaviour) causes the person's beliefs/perceptions/etc to be reinforced, and so the perceptions/thoughts/etc get bigger. They might feel that they are part of a group who want to cause a change or take advantage of a broken society. Perhaps they might feel they will step up and act where others merely talk. They might want to 'take out' those they feel represent a part of society that has brought about a world they don't feel they belong in (and feel helpless to change). they may feel they have nothing to lose and have lost (if they ever had) compassion and connectedness to others because of their own circumstances and a break with reality due to a combination of factors.

**lack of sleep, especially if a person is falling into what might be labelled as bipolar personality disorder or similar.

Why more in the USA? The first two points set the USA apart, I think. Also, there's the concept of the 'tipping point' (Malcolm Gladwell) - see below.


________ I don't think I've found the answer, so my post is not much help. But you asked for thoughts, and I felt like having a go at attempting to communicate some of the complexity I think exists to produce this but am not really articulate enough to do so

The tipping point:
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell is a book about how small actions at the right time, in the right place, and with the right people can create a "tipping point" for anything from a product to an idea to a trend. Gladwell is not a sociologist, but he relies on sociological studies, and those from other disciplines within the social sciences to write articles and books that both the general public and social scientists find fascinating and worthwhile. According to Gladwell, the "tipping point" is "that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire."

According to Gladwell, there are three variables that determine whether and when the tipping point for a product, idea, or phenomenon will be achieved: The Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context.

copied from the first reference I found on an internet source: https://www.thoughtco.com/malcolm-gladw ... ry-3026765

Big Daikon wrote:

JBTrain wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 2:28 pm Uh got a list of gangster rappers/BLM activists who have been mass shooters? Missed that.

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Do you listen to much drill rap?


Quick Google search:

Topic is mass shootings not criminality.

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