"And, what makes you think the shooter hasn't also been watching movies? Many people, including myself, think a great deal of criminal violence is inspired by Hollywood."
Point well taken. There are so many movies about murders, tortures, kidnapping and assault, bodyparts left lying around, people stuffed in mailboxes, etc, that there is plenty of material for the unstable or ruthless to draw from. In my area a few years ago there was a copycat double knife homicide that was directly inspired by the movie "Scream."
"I know both of us were being sarcastic, but the 'sniping' prowess demonstrated on innocent people in and around Washington DC is the particular 'excellence' the military requires."
I agree 5 straight kills at long range with one shot each almost demands significant training. The two who survived undoubtedly moved as the trigger was pulled.
"Indeed, the last thing society will accept is that this kind of behaviour is actually the product of the society itself --- in fact, the kind of violent, hateful behaviour which the society engenders and inculcates."
I agree that the society which has shrugged its shoulders at embracing moral foundations in the past now finds itself creating Frankensteins in every state. I mean, you can't even have a tablet of the 10 Commandments erected in a small town park without having it sued out of existence.
With all the murders that happen in the US each year, this latest spree hardly registers. I'm appalled weekly as I follow the news--not just since my birthday when all this crap started. |
