There's nearly 7 billion people in the world, over 300 million in the united states. There are ALWAYS going to be a few nutjobs who think killing random people is the best thing to do. Where they actually get their ideas is incidental. I don't think worrying about any messages from the news or media is the right course of action in defense against these inevitable psychopathic idiots.
Sirhan Sirhan got his ideas from a talking dog, so obviously clamping down on violence in movies is only going to cause these freaks to get their inspiration elsewhere. But they'll still get it.
How we, as a society, deal with this eventuality (that there will ALWAYS be people who find ways to murder others) is another issue altogether.
gaijinfo at Jul. 21, 2012 - 10:17AM JST
Edit: Not "Sirhan Sirhan," I meant Berkowitz.
NeverSubmit at Jul. 21, 2012 - 01:09PM JST
Geez, the AFP is pretty quick with these editorials. It happened barely 24 hours ago and this is researched, typed, edited and distributed already.
Jack Stern at Jul. 22, 2012 - 10:01AM JST
It was a sorry day for America. We live in a world not unlike the crazy movies Hollywood churns out. It seems that movies have become more and more insane in their themes. Could it be that there is a strong link to how these maniacs decide to act out their own horror in real life? Do they believe they are the living characters of those antiheros?
tenguleavings at Jul. 22, 2012 - 11:48AM JST
We live in a world not unlike the crazy movies Hollywood churns out. It seems that movies have become more and more insane in their themes.
Do people honestly believe this? Shakespeare's tragedies are absolutely rife with bloody murder and rape, and they're undeniable classics. So, to answer your question, no. Maniacs are maniacs by definition, and if their actions could be explained in some pat fashion, I guess they would cease to be maniacs.
presto345 at Jul. 22, 2012 - 04:18PM JST
There are ALWAYS going to be a few nutjobs who think killing random people is the best thing to do
So true. Remember Norway. Also remember it's so easy to lay your hands on deadly weapons in a country where the wild west days are supposed to be over.
Thomas Anderson at Jul. 22, 2012 - 04:31PM JST
There are ALWAYS going to be a few nutjobs who think killing random people is the best thing to do
And they all happen to be males.
Thomas Anderson at Jul. 22, 2012 - 08:06PM JST
Ted Barrera, I was talking about random shooters since the article is about recent the random shooter at the cinema.
BertieWooster at Jul. 24, 2012 - 08:29PM JST
When American movies are so full of violence, mass shootings, crashed cars, plane wrecks and general massive damage to property, and in a country where you can order destructive weapons through the post, and where the public has been programmed to think that "Fighting for Freedom," is a good idea, and the hero is the one who never follows orders - even good ones - why is anyone surprised that a nutcase like Holmes appears?
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gaijinfo at Jul. 21, 2012 - 10:15AM JST
What a horrific occurrence.
There's nearly 7 billion people in the world, over 300 million in the united states. There are ALWAYS going to be a few nutjobs who think killing random people is the best thing to do. Where they actually get their ideas is incidental. I don't think worrying about any messages from the news or media is the right course of action in defense against these inevitable psychopathic idiots.
Sirhan Sirhan got his ideas from a talking dog, so obviously clamping down on violence in movies is only going to cause these freaks to get their inspiration elsewhere. But they'll still get it.
How we, as a society, deal with this eventuality (that there will ALWAYS be people who find ways to murder others) is another issue altogether.
gaijinfo at Jul. 21, 2012 - 10:17AM JST
Edit: Not "Sirhan Sirhan," I meant Berkowitz.
NeverSubmit at Jul. 21, 2012 - 01:09PM JST
Geez, the AFP is pretty quick with these editorials. It happened barely 24 hours ago and this is researched, typed, edited and distributed already.
Jack Stern at Jul. 22, 2012 - 10:01AM JST
It was a sorry day for America. We live in a world not unlike the crazy movies Hollywood churns out. It seems that movies have become more and more insane in their themes. Could it be that there is a strong link to how these maniacs decide to act out their own horror in real life? Do they believe they are the living characters of those antiheros?
tenguleavings at Jul. 22, 2012 - 11:48AM JST
Do people honestly believe this? Shakespeare's tragedies are absolutely rife with bloody murder and rape, and they're undeniable classics. So, to answer your question, no. Maniacs are maniacs by definition, and if their actions could be explained in some pat fashion, I guess they would cease to be maniacs.
presto345 at Jul. 22, 2012 - 04:18PM JST
So true. Remember Norway. Also remember it's so easy to lay your hands on deadly weapons in a country where the wild west days are supposed to be over.
Thomas Anderson at Jul. 22, 2012 - 04:31PM JST
And they all happen to be males.
Thomas Anderson at Jul. 22, 2012 - 08:06PM JST
Ted Barrera, I was talking about random shooters since the article is about recent the random shooter at the cinema.
BertieWooster at Jul. 24, 2012 - 08:29PM JST
When American movies are so full of violence, mass shootings, crashed cars, plane wrecks and general massive damage to property, and in a country where you can order destructive weapons through the post, and where the public has been programmed to think that "Fighting for Freedom," is a good idea, and the hero is the one who never follows orders - even good ones - why is anyone surprised that a nutcase like Holmes appears?