ADVERTISEMENT

Madison School Shooting

I think the idea is that for such a tiny portion of the population the incidence “might” be high
I think the notion Goat is pushing back on is that trans people are inherently violent (or more so than the rest of the population) or crazy.

This gets into a public policy conundrum with a tough balancing act. The vast majority of people suffering some type of mental illness (assuming we classify trans people as people with a type of mental illness and I realize this is very controversial) are not violent and will never commit an act of violence. On the other hand, one almost needs to define a mass school shooter as someone who is mentally ill, which would make 100% of them mentally ill.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mcmurtry66
I think the notion Goat is pushing back on is that trans people are inherently violent (or more so than the rest of the population) or crazy.

This gets into a public policy conundrum with a tough balancing act. The vast majority of people suffering some type of mental illness (assuming we classify trans people as people with a type of mental illness and I realize this is very controversial) are not violent and will never commit an act of violence. On the other hand, one almost needs to define a mass school shooter as someone who is mentally ill, which would make 100% of them mentally ill.
That's worth pushing back against, but it's not what I was doing. I was pushing back against the temptation to see trends or patterns that aren't justified.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BradStevens
Right, so would it ever make sense for me to say something like "Most murders are committed by blacks or Pacific Islanders?"

Depends, do Pacific Islanders disproportionately account for multiple murders compared to their population? We are talking about mass shooting events.

Nobody is saying a majority of the shooters aren't male and I'd guess, a significant number of those are white. Obviously defining mass shootings is another can of worms.
 
Depends, do Pacific Islanders disproportionately account for multiple murders compared to their population? We are talking about mass shooting events.

Nobody is saying a majority of the shooters aren't male and I'd guess, a significant number of those are white. Obviously defining mass shootings is another can of worms.
According to the article Brad helpfully linked, neither do trans folks. But, as I already pointed out, when you're dealing with a sample size of four, it's not going to ever mean anything. Just not enough data.
 
What am I supposed to take away from this? "It's complicated"?
The continued proliferation of screens and main character syndrome perpetuated by our entertainment culture (Wallace talking about TV here but I think it applies to internet/social media/netflix etc) only serves to alienate us from our neighbors, communities, families, etc. Isolation only leads to loneliness, depression, sadness, anger, and then righteousness in the feeling that we are right and more important than our fellow man.

Every school shooter is depressed. Why are there more school shooters now? B/c there's more depressed kids? Why? Social media. Main character syndrome. Treating others like NPCs in a video game.

My take anyway.
 
...serves to alienate us from our neighbors, communities, families, etc. Isolation only leads to loneliness, depression, sadness, anger, and then righteousness in the feeling that we are right and more important than our fellow man.

Name escapes me, but years ago there was an east coast basketball coach turned broadcaster who said that everyone should drive a cab and tend bar early in life. A lot of wisdom in that.
 
These shooters have always been mentally ill, social outcasts.

It just so happens that these days, a lot of mentally ill, social outcasts fall victim to the Trans ideology.

That’s my theory.
Well this is true underpants gnomeology.

Trans people or those considering transitioning are not mentally well. Are they after transitioning? I think the jury's out on that and we won't know for years.

School shooters are all crazy. And they are overwhelmingly young men. That we just point it out but then inquire no further as to why is the real problem.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JamieDimonsBalls
The continued proliferation of screens and main character syndrome perpetuated by our entertainment culture (Wallace talking about TV here but I think it applies to internet/social media/netflix etc) only serves to alienate us from our neighbors, communities, families, etc. Isolation only leads to loneliness, depression, sadness, anger, and then righteousness in the feeling that we are right and more important than our fellow man.

Every school shooter is depressed. Why are there more school shooters now? B/c there's more depressed kids? Why? Social media. Main character syndrome. Treating others like NPCs in a video game.

My take anyway.

I agree with that, but it's hard to take Wallace seriously, given what he did to himself. In fairness, at least he did it to himself and not to a bunch of others. Obviously I wouldn't expect mass shooters to care about such selfishness, given the mental state they are in, but just pointing out the... obvious.
 
  • Like
Reactions: larsIU
Trans people or those considering transitioning are not mentally well. Are they after transitioning? I think the jury's out on that and we won't know for years.
Jury’s in. And there are no mental health benefits to transitioning. Because mental illness is mental illness no matter how much you mutilate yourself.

 
In all of these school shootings, I see people trying to make sense of the incomprehensible. Either by trying to find a cause, or someone to blame, or a political reason, etc. --anything to fit these incredible sad events into our own narratives and give us a sense of control over these seemingly uncontrollable events. Emotionally, helplessness is just an awful, awful feeling. Rationally, realizing the world might be more violent and random than we tend to believe is very hard to swallow.

For me, this one strikes a chord re the shooter. That she was female and apparently "normal" looking (no crazy eyes, no tattoos or piercings or strange hair cut or colors) is unique. I have a teenage daughter, about her age, and reading about her and her diary, seeing a pic of her sleeping on top of her dad (I think that's what the photo was) when she was an infant really personalizes this for me--I have the same photo of my daughter sleeping on top of me as a little one. This is a tragedy, all the way around.

Final note: who is this Instagram guy and why is he doing all this digging for info? And why would you tell him anything?

I haven't seen enough pictures (nor do I want to... nor would I even know what normal is these days) to know if she was "normal looking", but anyone with her pattern of behavior (obsession with mass shootings, manifestos and crazy shit that is coming out) could not have been "normal" to most.

I don't know, but he reported the news 5 hours before Reuters confirmed who it was and provided some interesting and disturbing information.

I agree that it's impossible and futile to make sense of the incomprehensible, but what will actually cause a change in behavior among mentally ill loners who continue to murder innocent people? To your point, perhaps we have to accept that violence is a reality of living in our world. But, it's not one that I think we ought to willingly accept without trying to improve.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Digressions
Name escapes me, but years ago there was an east coast basketball coach turned broadcaster who said that everyone should drive a cab and tend bar early in life. A lot of wisdom in that.

Al McGuire

Quote #26: 26. “I think everyone should go to college and get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cabdriver. Then they would really be educated.

 
I haven't seen enough pictures (nor do I want to... nor would I even know what normal is these days) to know if she was "normal looking", but anyone with her pattern of behavior (obsession with mass shootings, manifestos and crazy shit that is coming out) could not have been "normal" to most.

I don't know, but he reported the news 5 hours before Reuters confirmed who it was and provided some interesting and disturbing information.

I agree that it's impossible and futile to make sense of the incomprehensible, but what will actually cause a change in behavior among mentally ill loners who continue to murder innocent people? To your point, perhaps we have to accept that violence is a reality of living in our world. But, it's not one that I think we ought to willingly accept without trying to improve.

Do we have confirmation on the "manifesto"?
 
What am I supposed to take away from this? "It's complicated"?
I think you can take away from it that there is an inherent tension between a social conservative and a fiscal/economic right winger. What's good for capitalism and the economy, might not be good for our wellbeing as a society or as social beings.
 
Well this is true underpants gnomeology.

Trans people or those considering transitioning are not mentally well. Are they after transitioning? I think the jury's out on that and we won't know for years.

School shooters are all crazy. And they are overwhelmingly young men. That we just point it out but then inquire no further as to why is the real problem.
What the hell is underpants gnomeology and why have you and Goat now used that same term in the last few days?
 
I agree that it's impossible and futile to make sense of the incomprehensible, but what will actually cause a change in behavior among mentally ill loners who continue to murder innocent people?
Narrative/blame-wise, I don't think you can make sense of it if you believe in some innate justice or good in the universe.

Policy-wise re the deaths, what will change this? Some possibilities:

1. Idenitifying mentally ill people earlier and getting them into talk therapy or on medication. That will cost a lot of money and probably require fundamental change to some institutions. This is the route I would prefer but doubt will garner any political will.

2. Restrict gun rights in people so that when these people do decide to kill themselves, it's too difficult to kill a lot of other people. Again, I don't see the needed political will to do this.

3. Put metal detectors in every school, guards, etc. and turn our schools into mini fortresses across the country. This is the route we've gone down for most schools.
 
What the hell is underpants gnomeology and why have you and Goat now used that same term in the last few days?

And I use it because goat is cool.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: BradStevens
What am I supposed to take away from this? "It's complicated"?
This is a verbose way of saying people can make something of life or not. Their choice. It’s not at all complicated. It’s simple. But choosing a productive life and putting in the necessary effort is hard. Maybe the complicated part is figuring out how to lead a productive life easily with no effort.
 
Last edited:
Do we have confirmation on the "manifesto"?


 
I think you can take away from it that there is an inherent tension between a social conservative and a fiscal/economic right winger. What's good for capitalism and the economy, might not be good for our wellbeing as a society or as social beings.

There is probably some truth, but it's never black and white.
 
This is a verbose way of saying people can make something of life or not. Their choice. It’s not at all complicated. It’s simple. But choosing a productive life and putting in the necessary effort his hard. Maybe the complicated part is figuring out how to lead a productive life easily with no effort.

I read it as, there are too many temptations for the current weak minded populace to live happily in a society where they aren't the richest, best, etc.
 
I read it as, there are too many temptations for the current weak minded populace to live happily in a society where they aren't the richest, best, etc.
I don’t disagree. But I think the failure of weak minded people to live happily is a result of poor choices.
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT