As your resident Facebook Friends Criminologist, I would
like to weigh in (with a little fear and trepidation) on the ongoing debate
about guns and violence in America. Some
of you will want to rip me apart for my comments. Get over it.
I admit up front that I don’t have all the answers, but I know a lot
about mass murderers, spree killers, and serial killers. I’ve spent years studying them. Just ask my former students.
I want to specifically discuss the profile of the mass
murderer and conclude with a suggested possible explanation for the increase of
these types of killings that are taking place in America.
I. Definitions
a. Mass
murder: the killing of two or more people at the same location by the same
person or persons acting in concert at approximately the same time and is done
in a violent outburst.
b. Spree
killing: the killing of two or more people at the same location by the same
person or persons acting in concert within a short period of time, as in
several hours or perhaps as much as three or four days, or the killing of two
or more people at different locations by the same person or persons acting in
concert within a short period of time, as in several hours or perhaps as much
as three or four days. Spree killings
are also generally done as a violent outburst.
c. Serial
killing: the killing of multiple individuals, generally of the same background
as perceived by the murderer (often prostitutes or homosexuals, but not
always), by a single individual and generally over a long period of time,
sometimes with as much as years between killing. Of serial killers, there are four primary
types: visionary killers, power and control killers, mission-oriented killers,
and hedonistic killers
Another classification of mass murderer(s) could easily
include terrorists. Their motivation is
typically political or religious-political in nature and may be state
sponsored.
None of the above types of killing should be confused with
thrill killing, cult killing, or gang killing.
II. Profile
of Mass Murderers
While a common profile can be
identified amongst mass murderers, it is important to note that not all mass
murderers will have each of the following characteristics. So, when I say that “most” mass murderers are
(fill in the blank), that is exactly what I mean. It does not mean “all” mass murderers are
(fill in the blank). However, you can
probably rest assured that if you have a mass murderer that the individual will
have many of the following characteristics.
Most are:
1. Male
2. Single,
separated, or divorced
3. White
4. In
their 30s or 40s
5. Purchasers
of firearms through legal means
6. Depressed,
but not mentally ill nor are they out of touch with reality
7. Frustrated
with their situation and tend to blame others for their situation
8. Socially
isolated, feeling most comfortable in the company of themselves
Additionally, they may target specific people for a specific
reason. Their killing is indiscriminate
in that if you happen to be among those specifically targeted the likelihood of
you being killed is a good as the targeted people. Finally, mass murderers seldom live to tell
their story. They either kill themselves
or are killed by police.
III. Tongue-in-Cheek
Observation
If the object is to eliminate (or at least reduce) mass
murders, instead of taking away everyone’s guns, we should eliminate all single
white males between the ages of 30 and 50.
IV. Possible
Explanation for Increased Mass Murder Incidents
You have probably seen various theories for mass murders
either here on Facebook or in other places.
I will not review them here. You
can seek them out on your own. I believe
there is an elephant in the room that no one really wants to acknowledge that
probably plays a role in the increase number of mass murders. That elephant in the room is the
marginalization of men in society, especially white men. This marginalization has come in the form of
everything from the use of gender-neutral vocabulary to using the term “breaking
the glass ceiling” to promotion of women and minorities (especially female
minorities) to break that glass ceiling and parallels the civil rights movement
and the women’s movement.
While there had been occasional mass murders before the
women’s and civil rights movement, they were relatively unheard of. As the women’s movement has become more
militant and aggressive, many men have felt the effects of being pushed aside,
ignored, and passed over. It occurs in business
and social settings alike as white males in particular become more and more
isolated and excluded from their former gender roles as protector, provider,
and authority. In the move for “equal
rights”, white males are feeling that others’ rights are now more equal than
their own. Such alienation of some
(please, not all) white males results in their feelings of insecurity and
anxiety. This threat is especially
dangerous to white supremacist groups who see minorities not only as inferiors,
but now as inferiors who are gaining power.
They now have additional reason to be angry and to kill minorities.
V. Conclusion
I would love to be able to test my hypothesis. While I have the available time to do so, I
no longer have the resources to do it.
I suppose you could question, even challenge my
hypothesis. Call me a crazy lunatic or
accuse me of reaching too far, but before you accuse me of being a sexist, misogynist,
racist bigot, please consider that the profile in Section II above is real.
If my hypothesis is correct, then it calls for a serious
re-thinking of the role of men in society.
We have certainly made strides in equality, but perhaps it is time to
work on recognizing the legitimate role of men, and not as warm touchy-feely
beings, but something consistent with their traditional gender role.
Borrowing somewhat from an HBO show, the first thing we need
to do in solving a problem is recognizing that we have one. Well, “Houston (and the rest of America), we
have a problem.” I think we know
that. Now we need to be honest with
ourselves and determine what the problem is and why we have it. The fact is, and many of you will not agree
with this – too bad, the fact is, confiscating guns or restricting further gun
ownerships is not going to solve the problem but will merely exacerbate it. If you think there are angry white males out there
now, just try and fix it with that kind of solution.
Enough?
No comments:
Post a Comment