Not a single post on Wednesday's tragedy?

[zeke4ahs]

Going to try and keep this , at the start at least, from being political. Been thinking about this for awhile. Why do you think it is, that in the U.S., the large majority of our mass murderers are young, white, males? While no one can deny the problem with violence in the Black community, it doesn't seem to breed this. Theories? As a teacher and spending lots of time with kids and families from all cultures, you'd think I'd have one. I've got nothing. Anyone?

 

[NPT]

That is so true...just like most serial killers are white. I have no idea why it's this way. It's so sad to see stuff like this happen.

BTW if anyone wants to donate they can do it here.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

White men are constantly bombarded with the idea that they are having what is rightfully theirs taken away from them. Some of it is blatant racism (black men are coming to steal all the white girls!) and some of it is somewhat more subtle (complaining about welfare queens, because we all know that's a black woman that comes to mind). However it is accomplished, white men are convinced they have become the victims. We constantly whine about our country being taken from us, and complain about "reverse discrimination." When we don't get the promotion we want, and the person who gets it instead is a woman or a minority, it doesn't even cross our minds they might have been more qualified. Of course it was affirmative action.

A large number of politicians and media figures have a vested interest in convincing white males that they are victims. Doing so is worth money and votes. Once in a while, someone is going to decide to do something about it himself.

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

When we don't get the promotion we want, and the person who gets it instead is a woman or a minority, it doesn't even cross our minds they might have been more qualified. Of course it was affirmative action.

...which I've always seen as a pretty compelling argument for doing away with affirmative action programs. Sometimes it may play a part, sometimes it doesn't. But I'm sure that, whatever the case, some people will always ascribe most any professional or academic advancement by minorities as only the result of affirmative action. And that's really unfair, especially to those who truly excelled on their merits.

We really should strive to judge people on merits, not their race, ethnicity, sex, religion, etc. So long as the law takes these characteristics into account, it should come as no surprise that people do as well -- and, often times, quite unfairly.

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

A large number of politicians and media figures have a vested interest in convincing white males that they are victims. Doing so is worth money and votes.

Thank God no politicians and media figures seek to convince blacks, women, Hispanics, etc. that they're victims for the purposes of gaining money and votes. Imagine the chaos that would ensue.

 

[zeke4ahs]

White men are constantly bombarded with the idea that they are having what is rightfully theirs taken away from them. Some of it is blatant racism (black men are coming to steal all the white girls!) and some of it is somewhat more subtle (complaining about welfare queens, because we all know that's a black woman that comes to mind).
If that is the case, then a lot of these kids have to be hearing it from their parents, as they aren't really old enough to have lost out on jobs, etc. But most of these types of murders aren't racial... Columbine, elementary school, movie theater, sorority in Ca. But all by young, white men. And most of these kids have signs of mental illness, been bullied etc. But Black kids have mental illnesses and get bullied and don't react this way.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

Thank God no politicians and media figures seek to convince blacks, women, Hispanics, etc. that they're victims for the purposes of gaining money and votes. Imagine the chaos that would ensue.

It's a special kind of victimization. There is a big difference between "You are getting screwed, but government can help," and "You are getting screwed, and government is actively involved in the screwing." It's almost like they are inciting violence on purpose.

 

[Aloha Hoosier]

Murderers of other demographics do their killing one or two victims at a time? The largest male group in the U.S. Is white? Most recent mass killings weren't carried out by racist white males, but by mentally disturbed white males (Sandy Hook and Aurora) and radical Islamic males (Fort Hood and Boston).

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

Murderers of other demographics do their killing one or two victims at a time? The largest male group in the U.S. Is white? Most recent mass killings weren't carried out by racist white males, but by mentally disturbed white males (Sandy Hook and Aurora) and radical Islamic males (Fort Hood and Boston).

Don't forget Oak Creek.

I see similarities between Islamic killing sprees and white supremacist killing sprees. In both cases, you're talking about a killer who is convinced that society is out to get "his people."

 

[zeke4ahs]

Murderers of other demographics do their killing one or two victims at a time? The largest male group in the U.S. Is white? Most recent mass killings weren't carried out by racist white males, but by mentally disturbed white males (Sandy Hook and Aurora) and radical Islamic males (Fort Hood and Boston).

That's what I said... But why do young white males do this?

 

[Aloha Hoosier]

Don't forget Oak Creek.

I see similarities between Islamic killing sprees and white supremacist killing sprees. In both cases, you're talking about a killer who is convinced that society is out to get "his people."

I did forget Oak Creek. There are similarities.

 

[SuperHoosierFan]

...which I've always seen as a pretty compelling argument for doing away with affirmative action programs. Sometimes it may play a part, sometimes it doesn't. But I'm sure that, whatever the case, some people will always ascribe most any professional or academic advancement by minorities as only the result of affirmative action. And that's really unfair, especially to those who truly excelled on their merits.

We really should strive to judge people on merits, not their race, ethnicity, sex, religion, etc. So long as the law takes these characteristics into account, it should come as no surprise that people do as well -- and, often times, quite unfairly.

White men are constantly bombarded with the idea that they are having what is rightfully theirs taken away from them. Some of it is blatant racism (black men are coming to steal all the white girls!) and some of it is somewhat more subtle (complaining about welfare queens, because we all know that's a black woman that comes to mind). However it is accomplished, white men are convinced they have become the victims. We constantly whine about our country being taken from us, and complain about "reverse discrimination." When we don't get the promotion we want, and the person who gets it instead is a woman or a minority, it doesn't even cross our minds they might have been more qualified. Of course it was affirmative action.

A large number of politicians and media figures have a vested interest in convincing white males that they are victims. Doing so is worth money and votes. Once in a while, someone is going to decide to do something about it himself.

Well, I gotta invoke Herman Cain here because "I don't have facts to back this up", but I thought serial killers, for the most part, stayed within their own race. I don't recall ever hearing of a white serial killer who targeted only blacks and Hispanics.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

Well, I gotta invoke Herman Cain here because "I don't have facts to back this up", but I thought serial killers, for the most part, stayed within their own race. I don't recall ever hearing of a white serial killer who targeted only blacks and Hispanics.

I don't think that's the issue. I think the issue is how certain elements in society keep bombarding these white males with the most abject pessimism about what the future of white males is in the U.S., that some of them snap. I don't think it really matters what the race of their victims is.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

I did forget Oak Creek. There are similarities.

Let me add, just to be clear, since this is already a complicated thread, I don't think all white-perpetrated killings are racially motivated. Clearly Oak Creek and Charleston were. But Aurora and Sandy Hook? Not that I know of. I think the culture of victimization among white males is partially to blame for all of these killings, but it's only the clearly racially-motivated ones that I was comparing to Islamic violence. I'm sure you understood that, but considering my comments to others in this thread, I wanted to put that on the record for everyone.

 

[DougS]

A really simplistic theory - maybe its easier for the white males to get the guns?

 

[Ladoga]

How many of these mass murderers and serial killers are mentally deranged to the point of homicide? Nearly all of them.

In almost every - but not all - cases there is nothing about any racial or national origin nor religious hatred. There is just a totally insane perp who goes to the easy places to find victims. That is to gun free zones like schools, theaters and churches to find what they want - completely defenseless victims.

Oh and by the way, the President said they don't have these events in other western countries - well, Mr. President, the list of these events is very long and only occurs in about 35 other western countries - perhaps you just didn't notice or your researchers are lying, through you, to the American people when they wrote that speech.

Here's the very short list the President overlooked in HIS ZEAL to make this political
Behring Anders Breivik killed 75, 2011, Norway
Mohammed Merah killed 7, 2012, France
Genildo Ferreira de França killed 14, 1997, Brazil
Michael Robert Ryan killed 16, 1987, UK
Eric Borel killed 15, 1995, France
Friedrich Leibacher killed 14, 2001,Switzerland
Christian Dornier killed 14, 1989, France
Ljubiša Bogdanović killed 13, 2013, Serbia
Derrick Bird killed 12, 2010, UK
Robert Steinhäuser killed 16, 2002, Germany
Tim Kretschmer killled 15, 2009, Germany
Wellington Menezes de Oliveira killed 12, 2011, Brazil
Bai Ningyang killed 12, 2006, China
Juhani Matti Saari killed 10, 2008, Finland
Huanming Wu killed 9, 2010, China
Ahmed Ibragimov killed 41, 1999, Russia
Ami Popper killed 7, 1990, Israel
Antoní Blažka killed 6, 2013, Czech Republic

 

[NPT]

A large number of politicians and media figures have a vested interest in convincing white males that they are victims. Doing so is worth money and votes. Once in a while, someone is going to decide to do something about it himself.

And of course when a minority doesn't get a promotion we have a large number of politicians that convince them that they are victims. It's a vicious circle....that the reason all promotions should be based on merit.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

...which I've always seen as a pretty compelling argument for doing away with affirmative action programs. Sometimes it may play a part, sometimes it doesn't. But I'm sure that, whatever the case, some people will always ascribe most any professional or academic advancement by minorities as only the result of affirmative action. And that's really unfair, especially to those who truly excelled on their merits.

We really should strive to judge people on merits, not their race, ethnicity, sex, religion, etc. So long as the law takes these characteristics into account, it should come as no surprise that people do as well -- and, often times, quite unfairly.

And of course when a minority doesn't get a promotion we have a large number of politicians that convince them that they are victims. It's a vicious circle....that the reason all promotions should be based on merit.

I don't think we need to have a debate over the value of affirmative action. Did affirmative action make this guy shoot up a prayer meeting? No. His own hatred did.

 

[Ladoga]

I don't think we need to have a debate over the value of affirmative action. Did affirmative action make this guy shoot up a prayer meeting? No. His own hatred did.

And probable insanity. He's confessed to the murders. Next will be an insanity plea. Why, because he probably is crazier than crazy AND because a jury will not want to believe that his conduct is a product of a mind just like theirs. That depends, however, on South Carolina's criminal insanity defense law.

 

[toastedbread]

I don't think we need to have a debate over the value of affirmative action. Did affirmative action make this guy shoot up a prayer meeting? No. His own hatred did.

Hatred + Mental Illness. A guy like this is a loose cannon waiting to go off. This hatred was an outlet for his mental illness imo. Plenty of people hate. It takes something extra to do something like this.

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

I don't think we need to have a debate over the value of affirmative action. Did affirmative action make this guy shoot up a prayer meeting? No. His own hatred did.

Wait...aren't you the one who injected this to the discussion -- politicians whipping up resentment among white males to make them feel like victims (as opposed to actual, non-white victims of our society)?

How can you throw that out there and then expect to not have a debate over the value of affirmative action?

I have no idea if that's really what went on here. Judging by the kid's words, it seems clear that racism played a critical role in motivating him. But, then, most racists don't go on killing sprees like this. And, moreover, most killing sprees like this don't even involve race one way or the other.

I'm not sure how many broad societal lessons can really be gleaned from senseless, evil acts like what happened in Charleston. But it's human nature to try to make sense out of senselessness. We need reasons...and often fool ourselves into thinking that we can prevent such tragedies in the future by applying what we think we learned.

 

[toastedbread]

Going to try and keep this , at the start at least, from being political. Been thinking about this for awhile. Why do you think it is, that in the U.S., the large majority of our mass murderers are young, white, males? While no one can deny the problem with violence in the Black community, it doesn't seem to breed this. Theories? As a teacher and spending lots of time with kids and families from all cultures, you'd think I'd have one. I've got nothing. Anyone?

I feel sorry for the victims families because god doesn't exist, and prayer won't help.

 

[toastedbread]

Wait...aren't you the one who injected this to the discussion -- politicians whipping up resentment among white males to make them feel like victims (as opposed to actual, non-white victims of our society)?

How can you throw that out there and then expect to not have a debate over the value of affirmative action?

I have no idea if that's really what went on here. Judging by the kid's words, it seems clear that racism played a critical role in motivating him. But, then, most racists don't go on killing sprees like this. And, moreover, most killing sprees like this don't even involve race one way or the other.

I'm not sure how many broad societal lessons can really be gleaned from senseless, evil acts like what happened in Charleston. But it's human nature to try to make sense out of senselessness. We need reasons...and often fool ourselves into thinking that we can prevent such tragedies in the future by applying what we think we learned.

For one, I don't think whack jobs like this should be allowed to buy guns. If you have any kind of criminal background/mental illness you should receive a second look. Can you believe the dad gave this nut a gun for his bday? Unbelievable stupidity.

 

[VanPastorMan]

Going to try and keep this , at the start at least, from being political. Been thinking about this for awhile. Why do you think it is, that in the U.S., the large majority of our mass murderers are young, white, males? While no one can deny the problem with violence in the Black community, it doesn't seem to breed this. Theories? As a teacher and spending lots of time with kids and families from all cultures, you'd think I'd have one. I've got nothing. Anyone?

My heart really hurts for the families and friends of those who were shot and killed. This young man was very troubled and was not living in reality. He said the reason why he did this was because he thought blacks were ruining the country. Why would he pick church going people then? It could be because they were easy targets since they didn't have guns. If he had gone into the inner city where there are gangs they would have shot and killed him after he shot two rounds.

 

[zeke4ahs]

How many of these mass murderers and serial killers are mentally deranged to the point of homicide? Nearly all of them.

In almost every - but not all - cases there is nothing about any racial or national origin nor religious hatred. There is just a totally insane perp who goes to the easy places to find victims. That is to gun free zones like schools, theaters and churches to find what they want - completely defenseless victims.

Oh and by the way, the President said they don't have these events in other western countries - well, Mr. President, the list of these events is very long and only occurs in about 35 other western countries - perhaps you just didn't notice or your researchers are lying, through you, to the American people when they wrote that speech.wow,

Wow, I'm so STUNNED you turned this into your phobic hate at Obama. And you might look at your list and notice that a country may have a couple in a decade and that the US has several per year. But we all know, you aren't interested in anything but bashing Obama.

 

[zeke4ahs]

My heart really hurts for the families and friends of those who were shot and killed. This young man was very troubled and was not living in reality. He said the reason why he did this was because he thought blacks were ruining the country. Why would he pick church going people then? It could be because they were easy targets since they didn't have guns. If he had gone into the inner city where there are gangs they would have shot and killed him after he shot two rounds.

He picked it because it was an easy target because they didn't have guns? Seriously? Are you a gun slinging pastor? He picked it because it was a Black church, where he knew he could find Black people gathered.

 

[SuperHoosierFan]

I don't think that's the issue. I think the issue is how certain elements in society keep bombarding these white males with the most abject pessimism about what the future of white males is in the U.S., that some of them snap. I don't think it really matters what the race of their victims is.

I'm curious if the number of serial killers by race is proportional to their percentage of the population. Like, for arguments sake, if whites are 70% of the population are 70% of serial killers white? I just wonder how the %s compare. I'm too lazy to do the research.

 

[DougS]

Thanks for clearing that up toastie

 

[RerunStubs]

How many of these mass murderers and serial killers are mentally deranged to the point of homicide? Nearly all of them.

In almost every - but not all - cases there is nothing about any racial or national origin nor religious hatred. There is just a totally insane perp who goes to the easy places to find victims. That is to gun free zones like schools, theaters and churches to find what they want - completely defenseless victims.

Oh and by the way, the President said they don't have these events in other western countries - well, Mr. President, the list of these events is very long and only occurs in about 35 other western countries - perhaps you just didn't notice or your researchers are lying, through you, to the American people when they wrote that speech.

Here's the very short list the President overlooked in HIS ZEAL to make this political
Behring Anders Breivik killed 75, 2011, Norway
Mohammed Merah killed 7, 2012, France
Genildo Ferreira de França killed 14, 1997, Brazil
Michael Robert Ryan killed 16, 1987, UK
Eric Borel killed 15, 1995, France
Friedrich Leibacher killed 14, 2001,Switzerland
Christian Dornier killed 14, 1989, France
Ljubiša Bogdanović killed 13, 2013, Serbia
Derrick Bird killed 12, 2010, UK
Robert Steinhäuser killed 16, 2002, Germany
Tim Kretschmer killled 15, 2009, Germany
Wellington Menezes de Oliveira killed 12, 2011, Brazil
Bai Ningyang killed 12, 2006, China
Juhani Matti Saari killed 10, 2008, Finland
Huanming Wu killed 9, 2010, China
Ahmed Ibragimov killed 41, 1999, Russia
Ami Popper killed 7, 1990, Israel
Antoní Blažka killed 6, 2013, Czech Republic

18 events spanning 12 countries over a period of 25 years.

There have been 18 events in the US since 2011 alone.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

Wait...aren't you the one who injected this to the discussion -- politicians whipping up resentment among white males to make them feel like victims (as opposed to actual, non-white victims of our society)?

How can you throw that out there and then expect to not have a debate over the value of affirmative action?

I have no idea if that's really what went on here. Judging by the kid's words, it seems clear that racism played a critical role in motivating him. But, then, most racists don't go on killing sprees like this. And, moreover, most killing sprees like this don't even involve race one way or the other.

I'm not sure how many broad societal lessons can really be gleaned from senseless, evil acts like what happened in Charleston. But it's human nature to try to make sense out of senselessness. We need reasons...and often fool ourselves into thinking that we can prevent such tragedies in the future by applying what we think we learned.

Because if I am right, and people are using affirmative action (which was just an example, not the main thesis) as a way to keep white men pissed off, the problem is with those people, not affirmative action. That doesn't mean affirmative action is a worthy topic for debate. What I am saying is the relative value of affirmative action is not excuse for its use as a rhetorical tool for fomenting hatred.

 

[RerunStubs]

A really simplistic theory - maybe its easier for the white males to get the guns?

I don't know if it's "easier," per se, but I think it's more likely that a white male will end up in possession of a gun, perhaps for cultural reasons. Rates of gun ownership are substantially higher for white Americans than other racial groups. Here, the killer reportedly received the gun from his dad as a present. That's probably a more common occurrence in white families -- particularly those in the South -- than other families.

 

[RerunStubs]

Murderers of other demographics do their killing one or two victims at a time? The largest male group in the U.S. Is white? Most recent mass killings weren't carried out by racist white males, but by mentally disturbed white males (Sandy Hook and Aurora) and radical Islamic males (Fort Hood and Boston).

I think it's a mistake to draw a bright line between killing motivated by ideology and killing driven by mental illness. People may be drawn to a particular ideology because of a mental health issue. Or mental illness may cause them to act on an ideological worldview in an especially violent way.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

Going to try and keep this , at the start at least, from being political. Been thinking about this for awhile. Why do you think it is, that in the U.S., the large majority of our mass murderers are young, white, males? While no one can deny the problem with violence in the Black community, it doesn't seem to breed this. Theories? As a teacher and spending lots of time with kids and families from all cultures, you'd think I'd have one. I've got nothing. Anyone?

I'm not so sure it is a racial issue

I think the young white males who commit the crimes are the focus of news coverage more than other races. This is the same reason that young white missing girls become large news events and little black girls who are missing barely get mentioned. This is why sexual assault by usually white male college students is the focus of news, both actual and made-up news, while the ongoing sexual violence that happens daily in many urban areas is never mentioned.

As for the mass murderers, I think a little perspective and definitions are in order. Take Chicago. Over 1,100 people have been shot this year. Does that mean 1,100 shooters? We don't know. I tend to think the same shooters shoot more than a single person. How many people does a gangster need to shoot at to make him a "mass murderer" or a "serial killer". We tend to not use those labels when considering the ongoing gang killings and violence in our urban neighborhoods. The question is why not? Perversely, Chicago hasn't even made the top 30 list of 2015's murder cities. A quick review of these places show that they are not ethnically diverse and they would not have many young white disturbed males hanging about.

I certainly don't intend to minimize the horrible deaths in Charleston, or Sandy Hook, or Aurora, or anyplace else. But I think the white and black racial baggage we hang on all the killing has to do with how the situations are reported on, how the communities react to them, and how we are programmed to think about them. When you get right down to it, I don't think there is much of a racial difference in shootings; only a racial difference in where they happen.

 

[Sope Creek]

I'm not so sure it is a racial issue

I think the young white males who commit the crimes are the focus of news coverage more than other races. This is the same reason that young white missing girls large news events and little black girls who are missing barely get mentioned. This is why sexual assault by usually white male college students is the focus of news, both actual and made-up news, while the ongoing sexual violence that happens daily in many urban areas is never mentioned.

As for the mass murderers, I think a little perspective and definitions are in order. Take Chicago. Over 1,100 people have been shot this year. Does that mean 1,100 shooters? We don't know. I tend to think the same shooters shoot more than a single person. How many people does a gangster need to shoot at to make him a "mass murderer" or a "serial killer". We tend to not use those labels when considering the ongoing gang killings and violence in our urban neighborhoods. The question is why not? Perversely, Chicago hasn't even made the top 30 list of 2015's murder cities. A quick review of these places show that they are not ethnically diverse and they would not have many young white disturbed males hanging about.

I certainly don't intend to minimize the horrible deaths in Charleston, or Sandy Hook, or Aurora, or anyplace else. But I think the white and black racial baggage we hang on all the killing has to do with how the situations are reported on, how the communities react to them, and how we are programmed to think about them. When you get right down to it, I don't think there is much of a racial difference in shootings; only a racial difference in where they happen.

I got castigated here for calling the Tsarnayev brothers just another couple of young punks wanting to make their mark, and they latched on to the closest "cause" as cover/advertisement for their general inability to fit in. I think the Charleston kid is very near to just like them, only with a different "cause" to latch to . . . .

 

[zeke4ahs]

I have no data to back this up, but from everything I can gather, I think black violence more likely comes from shooting people they know, whether a gang war, mad at a family member or friend, etc. I think white young men are much more likely to take a gun and kill random people they have no connection to. That's my issue.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

I have no data to back this up, but from everything I can gather, I think black violence more likely comes from shooting people they know, whether a gang war, mad at a family member or friend, etc. I think white young men are much more likely to take a gun and kill random people they have no connection to. That's my issue.

I think there is something to that.

The nonwhite mass murderers seem to have a reason, like Malvo and Hassan. I suspect the shooters in the 'hood also think they have reasons. Those who have no reason seem to have mental issues including a history of drug use. But to break this down by race? Ehhh, that's a toughie. Maybe minorities don't have access to mental health care.

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

It's a special kind of victimization. There is a big difference between "You are getting screwed, but government can help," and "You are getting screwed, and government is actively involved in the screwing." It's almost like they are inciting violence on purpose.

So we circle back around to my original response to you. Why do we have any public policies which put white males at a disadvantage? I mean, you can't formally give a leg up to one person without just as formally giving a leg down to somebody else -- even if the last part is only implicit.

Don't you think we'd be better off if public policy in all its forms was race (and gender, ethnicity, etc.) neutral?

Anyway, I just had to chuckle at your comment about politicians engaging in victim-trolling.....it was almost as if you're entirely blind to certain kinds of that. And I'm guessing you don't really have much problem with "that kind" of victimization.

FWIW, if the government was truly effective at helping people who are "getting screwed", why do people still feel like they're getting screwed?

 

[Rockfish1]

I agree with Jon Stewart:

I don’t want to get into the political argument of the guns and things. But what blows my mind is the disparity of response between when we think people that are foreign are going to kill us, and us killing ourselves.

If this had been what we thought was Islamic terrorism, it would fit into our — we invaded two countries and spent trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives and now fly unmanned death machines over five or six different countries, all to keep Americans safe. We got to do whatever we can. We’ll torture people. We gotta do whatever we can to keep Americans safe.

Nine people shot in a church. What about that? “Hey, what are you gonna do? Crazy is as crazy is, right?” That’s the part that I cannot, for the life of me, wrap my head around, and you know it. You know that it’s going to go down the same path. “This is a terrible tragedy.” They’re already using the nuanced language of lack of effort for this. This is a terrorist attack. This is a violent attack on the Emanuel Church in South Carolina, which is a symbol for the black community. It has stood in that part of Charleston for 100 and some years and has been attacked viciously many times, as many black churches have.

. . . And we’re going to keep pretending like, “I don’t get it. What happened? This one guy lost his mind.” But we are steeped in that culture in this country and we refuse to recognize it, and I cannot believe how hard people are working to discount it. In South Carolina, the roads that black people drive on are named for Confederate generals who fought to keep black people from being able to drive freely on that road. That’s insanity. That’s racial wallpaper. That’s — that’s — you can’t allow that, you know.

Nine people were shot in a black church by a white guy who hated them, who wanted to start some kind of civil war. The Confederate flag flies over South Carolina, and the roads are named for Confederate generals, and the white guy’s the one who feels like his country is being taken away from him. We’re bringing it on ourselves. And that’s the thing. Al-Qaeda, all those guys, ISIS, they’re not s— compared to the damage that we can apparently do to ourselves on a regular basis.​

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

So we circle back around to my original response to you. Why do we have any public policies which put white males at a disadvantage? I mean, you can't formally give a leg up to one person without just as formally giving a leg down to somebody else -- even if the last part is only implicit.

Don't you think we'd be better off if public policy in all its forms was race (and gender, ethnicity, etc.) neutral?

Anyway, I just had to chuckle at your comment about politicians engaging in victim-trolling.....it was almost as if you're entirely blind to certain kinds of that. And I'm guessing you don't really have much problem with "that kind" of victimization.

FWIW, if the government was truly effective at helping people who are "getting screwed", why do people still feel like they're getting screwed?

I'm saying it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if Affirmative Action policies are good or bad. Not for this point. For this point, all that matters is that we have a group of people who have successfully convinced white men that the world is out to get them, and that's wrong and dangerous.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

I got castigated here for calling the Tsarnayev brothers just another couple of young punks wanting to make their mark, and they latched on to the closest "cause" as cover/advertisement for their general inability to fit in. I think the Charleston kid is very near to just like them, only with a different "cause" to latch to . . . .

I think young punks is a good description

But that doesn't explain much. It's like saying they have two legs. I suspect most all ISIS fighters are young punks. You don't see any old farts fighting these battles, it's the youngsters, mostly. You know--brains full of mush and all of that.