This week's massacre at Newtown has set off the to be expected
firestorm over gun control. I highly recommend this post, Understanding
Mass Murder. Robert, a good college friend, spent a lot of time studying
criminals as well as talking with the survivors of the crimes committed. He
talks about the sense of power shooters like this. (I won't mention the name so
as not to contribute to whatever legacy or infamy he was hoping for.)
You have to understand this to grasp that, for the mass killer, murder is an empowering event. He is playing God with other human lives, and gets a tremendous "rush" of power and control by treating other humans like playthings.
I think this is especially
true when these massacres occur at an elementary school where the perpetrator
know that the kids won’t be able to over-power him (and the teachers are
unarmed).
I find it interesting how
quickly gun control advocates capitalize on tragedies like this to clamor for
more controls on guns. I hear precious little talk about what other factors
(cultural, social, psychological, etc.) that lead up to this. Excuse me if I
get a bit sarcastic but that would take too much time and thought … and
rational argument with people who might not agree. Instead we’re urged to rush
into taking action even if ultimately that action might not prevent another
tragedy like Newtown. And that is the deeper tragedy that most people don’t
see.
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