Posted by Mark H. on April 11, 2000, at 11:55:40
In reply to Re: Oh, And Another Thing/ Mark H., posted by April A. on April 10, 2000, at 19:42:57
Thank you, April. Your comments brought me back to my senses. If I had been capable of more honesty and self-insight yesterday, I would have put up a new post that said "having a tough day" rather than falling into depressive cynicism at the end of someone else's thread.
My pity-fit was set off by the series of articles in the Times about "rampage killers," the people whose frustrations and hurts and lack of self-control spill over into spectacular tragedies, like the spate of recent school and workplace shootings.
The quoted "experts" seemed to be trying to fit their favorite psychological and social theories to the phenomenon, rather than building understanding from the evidence.
With serial killers, for instance, it makes sense to interview the convicted, since the point is to discover the crime and apprehend the killer after the fact. I doubt we can do anything to prevent serial killing.
But with so-called "rampage killers," who neither conceal nor try to get away with their crimes, prevention is very much the goal. Why not interview the literally thousands of people who experience precisely the same impulses and potentially homicidal rages (perhaps every day) and yet who have succeeded in keeping themselves from acting on them? What worked for them? What support do they need? What advice might they offer that would actually help others who feel the same way and who are on the brink of taking as many people as possible out with them when they decide they cannot take any more?
Even in this discussion, it's clear I'm just binding my anxiety and hurt by attending to a topic I can do nothing about. No revealed truth here.
Again, thanks April, just for noticing and commenting -- it helped.
With warm regards,
Mark H
poster:Mark H.
thread:29211
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000411/msgs/29629.html