US culture of mass killings

[infinite monkey]

Does anyone think that the media coverage of Sandusky and Savile will cause more people to molest children?

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

Does anyone think that the media coverage of Sandusky and Savile will cause more people to molest children?

Yes.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

Does anyone think that the media coverage of Sandusky and Savile will cause more people to molest children?

My opinion only. I think sexual desire and sadism is mostly born, not made. And if it is made, it's forged by trauma and pain and hurt.

Subject a child to an upbringing where violence - even gun violence - is the norm then yes, I think the child will be more likely to become violent and use a gun. Subject a child to sexually inapproprite behaviour and I think it will affect the child equally.

Of course there are many. many exceptions. I am not suggesting that an abused child automatically becomes a rapist or paedophile. But children do reflect the the norms they grew up with.

[Griff]

Well said Sundae. It is a good time to reflect on our societal norms.

The more I consider it though, the less I see any real solution. The breakdown is along regional and political lines, but the real friction points are not between rural and urban. The friction is in the suburbs. People moved out of the cities to, among other things, escape the violence. The burbs grew up in areas without gun restrictions because there was an existing culture of ownership for hunting and defense of private property in the absence of effective policing. The suburbanites bring their paranoia about other peoples intentions into a once "free" environment. They've set aside all other forms of self-reliance once native to the rural area but cling to the gun as a symbol of self-reliance in a world dominated by under-water mortgages and soccer moms. The people the press would like to put forth as the gun nuts, survivalists and the like, are much more likely to be killed by ATF agents than to go off on a rampage.

[infinite monkey]

Originally Posted by Sundae

My opinion only. I think sexual desire and sadism is mostly born, not made. And if it is made, it's forged by trauma and pain and hurt.

Subject a child to an upbringing where violence - even gun violence - is the norm then yes, I think the child will be more likely to become violent and use a gun. Subject a child to sexually inapproprite behaviour and I think it will affect the child equally.

Of course there are many. many exceptions. I am not suggesting that an abused child automatically becomes a rapist or paedophile. But children do reflect the the norms they grew up with.

Right, but I was addressing the claims that the media is causing more mass killings by reporting them. That's ludicrous in its simplistic attempt to blame something other than guns coming out of our collective ass.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

Right, but I was addressing the claims that the media is causing more mass killings by reporting them. That's ludicrous in its simplistic attempt to blame something other than guns coming out of our collective ass.

Fair enough. Subtle point I completely missed