I think the problem is that we make suicidal violent people famous

[gollygee]

We talk about them so much that their names will be known forever.

Then some other suicidal person who is angry at the world will think, "When I go out, it's going to be HUGE! I'll take out a whole school!"

Someone like that might very well use a bomb as easily as a gun.

My feelings on this are so mixed I've had trouble coming up with a response. I think a bit more regulation might be a good idea for guns generally, but only because I think gun ownership should be regulated. I'm not sure if it would help with tragedies like this. They'd have no problem strapping explosives to them and letting them off in the school instead of using a gun.

These are angry young men who want to kill themselves and turn it into the biggest news story they can. IMO, what makes it happen over and over again is the nature of our news/entertainment industry today, not guns.

[jberryhill]

1. +1

[LisaLynne]

2. I agree that the fame that is given to killers is a factor.

I heard someone say that it isn't in cases like this because the person kills themselves, but we aren't talking about someone who is thinking in a logical way. I think it DOES influence them. If they feel helpless and invisible in their lives, this could seem like a way to "make a name" for themselves or leave a mark. Which, you know, they do.

IMO, I think there is much more to it than that, including our culture of guns and violence and also mental illness and specifically not having a good system in place to deal with mentally ill individuals, but I do think the attention these people get plays a part. It's a very complex situation.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. +1. "Complex" is putting it mildly.

There's a lot of validity to what OP says but that's not the WHOLE or even necessarily the HEART of the problem.

No matter. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can push for gun control and better access to better mental health care at the same time.

One does not preclude the other. They are BOTH needed.

And .... in a thousand different ways we have to work on producing a less-materialistic, less egotistic, less violent, less *crazy* social and political culture.

[LisaLynne]

5. Right!!

People are angry and scared right now (including me) and it would be great if there was one thing we could do to fix it all, but we're going to have to work at several things, all at once, actually. But yeah, as you said, we can do it. We don't have to just focus on one thing at a time.

[gollygee]

6. I think mental health treatment is a big issue too

Reagan ended that.

I think getting rid of guns would stop having the killings being done by guns, but I don't think it would help stop the killings. Maybe it would make it harder to do which could stop some.

I don't think it's ONLY the way our media deals with violence, but I think it's a big part of it. We have depressed, potentially mentally ill, young adults fantasizing about how they'll kill themselves and be like Adam Lanza or whoever else, and maybe even trying to outdo him.

If you're suicidal and wanting your suicide to be a big event, and you see Adam Lanza on the news constantly and getting this much attention, does it change how you decide to kill yourself?

[LisaLynne]

7. Right.

If you KNOW people will pay attention and be talking about you constantly ... I just don't see how that DOESN'T affect someone in that state of mind.

And yeah about Reagan. I always remind people of that. Talk about your sociopaths. Geez.

[DanM]

3. I agree, and is there no limit to the escalation? n/t