Shooting at Virginia Tech (1 Viewer)

[Mary M S]

Jeff, I notice and fear the same.

To me I correlate the phenomenon (has anyone done a study?) in terms of the excitability of neurons.

People who are borderline already living in the shadow lands are bombarded by an sudden increase in conductivity (the media) of stimulus.

Net effect, increasing their permeability and lowering the threshold 'trigger' at which an action potential will take place.

When I see this amount (bombardment) of news coverage I think of the old adage, "bad news comes in threes".

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I saw some of that video last night and I just wanted to deck that son of a bitch right in his eye.

Agreed they should stop the endless loop of the pictures and video but they always do that, look at 9/11 when they wouldn't stop the replay of the twin towers going down, I just get to the point where I tune it out and change the channel, there's only so much of that shit I can stand.

It's not even worth it to keep it on for new updates, i'd rather come to a thread like this for updates where I don't have to look at that kids evil face.

 

[Haggai]

I think it's pretty terrible too. Generally speaking, it's a difficult thing for the media because the act itself is obviously newsworthy to some extent (whether it warrants 24-7 coverage is a different question), and a situation like this is always going to raise questions about who the killer was, why it happened, etc. How much coverage to give to those things is sort of a hazy issue.

But deciding whether or not to air a video that the murderer specifically recorded and sent to the media before he went on his killing spree is open-and-shut. You can't broadcast that shit--all it represents is doing the bidding of a killer. All NBC could do was mutter something about how it might help in understanding why it happened, even though the police already said it didn't tell them anything new, and they even tried to cover their butts by saying that they weren't showing it ALL the time, as if that means anything (and as if they could control where/when it gets showed on other networks and on the internet). I'm less concerned about it inspiring the next killer, which is a bit of stretch to assume, than I am about the obvious extra level of pain and grief that it'll bring to the families and friends of the victims. Apparently some of them have cancelled a scheduled appearance on the Today show, which I can certainly understand.

 

[Nathan*W]

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-no...ostemailedlink
Attorney General McDonnell has sent letters to all of the Commonwealth's Attorney's to highlight this particular section of the Va Code and offer the FULL support of his office in the prosecution of the same.

I guarantee if that group comes here, they're going to get hammered.

 

[Cees Alons]

Please keep apparent political content out of this discussion. Even if you don't approve of it yourself.

Two posts removed.


Cees

 

[Dave_Brown]

Seems odd how network television won't show fights or the occasional streaker at sporting events because they "don't want to encourage copy-cats" yet don't bat an eye when it comes to airing the rantings of a lunatic. They even have to give it a cute, headline grabbing title "Manifesto of a Madman."

 

[JohnS]

I can't believe that these church people are this heartless, especially when it for a teenager(kids) funeral.
When all they were there for was to learn and they get executed.
Now not only do the parents have to deal with an unexpected death of one of thier kids, or thier only child, they now have to worry about hate mongers, blamming thier children.
very sad indeed.

 

[MarkHastings]

Yeah, those type of people do NOT represent Religion, Humanity, or even Decency. Their actions are so despicable, that they shouldn't be allowed the freedom to call themselves a church, or even have the gall to call themselves religious.

They are an absolute embarrassment to anything remotely holy or religious.

 

[andrew markworthy]

My gut reaction is to agree with this, but I think there is a valid alternative view. Any disturbed individual will have got all the inspiration they need from the act itself - for them (if you'll pardon this phrase) the 'press pack' will be nothing more than icing on the cake. But for the rest of us, if the contents hadn't been revealed, there would be endless tedious allegations of conspiracy, what was on the tape, in the photos and writings that wasn't revealed, etc, etc. Although revealing the contents is painful, it may in the long run prove to bring greater closure.

I can't speak for how the media in the USA have covered it, but I confess to finding the UK coverage rather too knee-jerk judgemental ('here is clear evidence of a self-pitying lunatic' etc). I think the public are intelligent enough to make their own minds up without being told how to feel and think.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Mary, there is a vast literature on neurological correlates of disturbed behaviour. I don't think we as yet have a definitive answer, but at a grosser level of anatomy, there is general agreement that *some* types of mental illness are associated with unusual brain anatomy. However, other illnesses don't seem to be associated with neurological or anatomical differences. Having said that, I believe there is some research work along the lines you've suggested. Trouble is, I can't recall what it found

 

[Mary M S]

Truly I was using the excitability of neurons as a simile, wondering if 'copy cat' syndrome had been studied in regards to short termed and increased probabilities.
I've seen the numerous advances made (for example) cataloging neurological differences between the brains of twins, one with schizophrenia etc.

When I see this amount of coverage, I always fear 'copy cats'.

It just occurred to me, the situation has correlation to resting potentials since a copy cat who acts within a certain 'window' after a recent and highly publicized notorious act, often produces evidence of extreme morbid fascination (excitation) from all things connected to the prior perpetrator.

I wonder if the the danger decreases (if they do not trigger during that window) due to exhaustion. (another simile) For a time after a crime such as this we should prepare to be on heightened (red) alert and are at greater risk due to a Treppe or wave summation 'type' effect.
A micro bit of our bodies functions having a correlation to our macro world actions.
After extreme stimulation (for some at-risk personalities) hopefully a relative or absolute refractory period finally occurs, and for a time risk decreases for a small percentile. With further research, length of window, might be profiled.

Putting aside, my mumbo jumbled thoughts, Haggi shames me with his reminder that it is the families who lives have been destroyed which should be paramount in all our thoughts.
I mull over these things while agonizing how do we best contain, prevent, guard against and reduce future tragedy?

I admit to wanting to know what he had to say. WHY?
But I only wish to hear/see it once, then never again.
So far - for me - I wonder each time at my need to hear it, since it only deepens personal depression during each hopeless realization that when artifacts are poured over for 'clues', there never is
or ever will be
any possibility of 'reason' for those acts.

 

[Nathan*W]

Well, the WBC is no longer planning on any protests:

http://www.godhatesfags.com/fliers/a...agher-show.pdf

Seems like their ultimate goal is sensationalism to garner media face-time.

 

[bobbyg2]

Seriously, WTF is WTB's problem??

 

[andrew markworthy]

I don't want this to sound like a 'the UK is better than the USA' type issue, but there was a documentary on these clowns on UK TV a couple of weeks ago. I just cannot see anyone getting away with that type of activity in the UK, if only because we have a straightforward law called breach of the peace. Basically, if you do something that significantly disturbs others, you can be arrested and fined or even imprisoned (for reasons too lengthy to enter into here, freedom of expression isn't infringed by this).

My other suggestion is that the best way to deal with this sort of extreme behaviour is not to get angry (that only gives them fuel for their self-righteousness) but to find them funny. Nothing deflates a self-styled hero of the revoltion faster than the realisation that everyone finds him a pathetic joke.

Apologies if this veers too close to the religion/politics boundary. I think it's within bounds as it's discussing an extreme moral stance, but Cees, feel free to delete/amend.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

> Seems like their ultimate goal is sensationalism to garner media face-time.

They also like to bait people into lawsuits.

 

[Henry Gale]

That would sum up Fred Phelps. I read his bio at Wikipedia earlier and his little clan number less than a hundred I think, most of them are relatives.
Lucky for them they're the ONLY ones on Terra going to heaven.
Fred is about 78, so, maybe he could go soon.

 

[MarkHastings]

I don't think they would really care about that either. I would think that most people already feel they are a pethic joke and lack any purpose in this world, but that's still not stopping the group.

They feel superior to anyone no matter what your opinion of them is. In fact, even laughing at them will still confirm their belief that they're better than you.

 

[bobbyg2]

People who think they are better than another person are actually the opposite. You shouldn't place yourself above someone else.

 

[andrew markworthy]

With respect, I think I'm better than quite a few famous people - Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, Franco ...

 

[bobbyg2]

Out of that list, I only knew who Adolf Hitler was...