The Rise of Mass Murders...

I came across a very interesting read today in our local paper, the JG, written by a professor of criminal justice at Northeastern University, one James Alan Fox. In the article is described some of the "nuts and bolts" regarding events such as the Virginia Tech shootings, as well as similar past murders.

He starts by relating the event of 1949 in Camden, NJ when a disturbed war vet Howard Unruh took a souvenir Luger and proceeded to kill 13 people in as many minutes. He then goes on about the Aug 1, 1966 shootings at the Univeristy of Texas, Austin, where Charles Whitman climbed a tower on campus and killed 14 people, wounding 31 others before being shot dead by police. Kurt Russell starred in the TV movie about this, I believe. Such other shooters "of note" following this were George Hennard in Killeen, TX; Patrick Edward Purdy in Stockton, CA; James Huberty in San Ysidro, CA; Eric Harris & Dylan Klebold at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO (to name a few). What was interesting to note was that the last seven out of eight mass shootings happened in the last 25 years. A mass murder is defined as an event in which 4 or more people are killed in the same episode, whereas serial killings happen over an extended time, just so we have that straight.

It's not that these MEN (who DO account for 95% if ALL mass murders, btw) have become MORE evil or bloodthirsty, but Professor Fox cites several changes that have taken place that make events such as these more "common". The change of potency of weaponry is a huge factor. Before 1966, the best a shooter could pack would be a rifle, shotgun or a pistol. Semiauto pistols OR rifles today are all too easily accessible (And like I keep saying: when the wrong person wants and needs a weapon such as this, there's hardly ANYTHING that is going to prevent them from securing one, by whatever means).

There are however SOCIETAL CHANGES that bear the brunt of the increasing incidences of heinous acts such as those above.

1) The perpetrators have a long history of frustration and failure and a diminished ability to cope with life's disappointments. (haven't we ALL suffered something like this to some degree?)

2) They EXTERNALIZE blame, frequently complaining that others didn't give them a chance. They sometimes use ethnic, gender, or racial arguments to support this. (If I had a dime for everyone I heard use this excuse...I'd be retired LONG ago)

3) These killers lack emotional support from friends or family. The "He always kept to himself and is a bit of a loner" phrase IS grounded in reality.

4) They generally suffer some precipitating EVENT they view as a catastrophe. This can be some sort of major disappointment; The loss of a job or a breakup of a relationship. At universities, it's often about receiving a grade the shooter feels he didn't deserve. (We all suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune...how we DEAL with it is another matter)

5) They need access to a weapon powerful enough to achieve their goal, namely revenge. (If you can't legally BUY one, you can always steal one, or try the "streets"..no questions asked)

But what has really changed?
For one thing, America has rapidly become more "dog-eat-dog", more competitive in recent years (and the rapid increases in technology is a big player in this). We look up to those that "make it" at any cost, and have less compassion for those that fail. We too easily are ready to vote someone out of the tribe, or call a vote in against that singer. If THAT doesn't increase frustration on the part of the losers, rest assured, nothing ever will.

The traditional sense of community is basically going down the crapper; higher divorce rates (dissolution of traditional family units), the decline in church-going (welcome to hedonism 101), and the fact that more people live in URBAN areas (larger now, thanks to the gobbling up of what once were RURAL areas), where they may not even know their neighbors (sounds like around my neighborhood, except that I don't WANT to "get to know" criminals and homeys all that much). And if mass murderers are isolated people who lack support, this sure as anything exacerbates the situation. Many of these murderers are people who picked up and moved (gee...just like many people wind up doing).

We know many of the WHYS surrounding events such as Virginia Tech, but understanding the motivations behind these killings is not the panacea for complete prevention of them. Professor Fox concludes with: "While events such as this are exceedingly rare, they still do occur. But they are the price we pay for the kind of open, modern, democratic society we live in".

And THAT is the real two-edged sword we dance upon daily.