Why the US?

[sillysally]

The tragic shooting at the temple this past weekend combined with the recent shooting in Colorado has had me thinking about this lately. Why does the US seem the most likely place in the Western world for these shootings to occur? I know that there are other examples of shootings happening elsewhere in the world, but the US seems to be the place where they occur most frequently.

So, what do you think? What is it about the US that causes these incidents to occur with the frequency that they do?

[CharlieDog]

I'm not sure that it does really happen here more. I'd actually think some parts of Mexico you're going to run into shootings more often, but I think the news/media here is more connected I guess, so it makes it easier to hear about it.

[GipsyQueen]

It might just not make the news... We had a school shooting last year in Germany. My friend said the news never made it across the pond.

[ACooper]

Originally Posted by CharlieDog

I'm not sure that it does really happen here more. I'd actually think some parts of Mexico you're going to run into shootings more often, but I think the news/media here is more connected I guess, so it makes it easier to hear about it.

Originally Posted by GipsyQueen

It might just not make the news... We had a school shooting last year in Germany. My friend said the news never made it across the pond.

^ that. Our media. Those big stories sell papers and get ratings. It's not that they shouldn't be reported, they absolutely should but they really don't need to be reported, re-reported, and then re-re-reported until every last angle is exhausted. And THEN they'll cover the trial, the sentencing, the anniversaries, on and on.

Look how long it took to get off the OJ Simpson case..............or OMG the B. Spears case! As if she were even news! Oy.

[Tahla9999]

I think it is partly due to the destruction of human communication and family life, and our easy access to guns. Times change and the way we talk to people is so different now. We use to visit each other house to communicate and hang out. Then phones came along and we can talk to someone without seeing them. Then texting came along and now some people prefer texting to talking on the phone. Scientist predict that the younger generations are going to have a harder time communicating effectivly in terms of face to face conversation. It is just not healthly for a human mind.

Family life is becoming very unstable. Nowadays, people don't stay near their family anymore. Families use to stay at least in the same state. Now people are moving to different states and families can be in many different states now. Now that more women are entering the work force, family life has change. Even women who are moms don't want to just be moms. Less attention on children, children do their own thing(never good). And do you see the effect on technology on a family? I notice it in my own family. We may all be in the same room but our attentions are turn to the tv, labtop, phone etc. When the power went out recently it was amazing because we were actually seeing each other and not staring at a screen.

An unstable population plus easy access to guns equals mayhem.

[yoko]

I don't think it happens more I just don't think our country reports on other countries tragedies unless they are HUGE

[Renee750il]

I think part of it comes from fear mongering and the promotion of hysteria and paranoia.

[sparks19]

Originally Posted by Tahla9999

I think it is partly due to the destruction of human communication and family life, and our easy access to guns. Times change and the way we talk to people is so different now. We use to visit each other house to communicate and hang out. Then phones came along and we can talk to someone without seeing them. Then texting came along and now some people prefer texting to talking on the phone. Scientist predict that the younger generations are going to have a harder time communicating effectivly in terms of face to face conversation. It is just not healthly for a human mind.

Family life is becoming very unstable. Nowadays, people don't stay near their family anymore. Families use to stay at least in the same state. Now people are moving to different states and families can be in many different states now. Now that more women are entering the work force, family life has change. Even women who are moms don't want to just be moms. Less attention on children, children do their own thing(never good). And do you see the effect on technology on a family? I notice it in my own family. We may all be in the same room but our attentions are turn to the tv, labtop, phone etc. When the power went out recently it was amazing because we were actually seeing each other and not staring at a screen.

An unstable population plus easy access to guns equals mayhem.

I love this post.

I totally agree

[96 GTS]

There are also lots of people in the US, I'd have to look at violent crimes per capita to actually get a basis of how often this stuff happens.

[AdrianneIsabel]

I think that may be rather uninformed, in this country we consider it a tragedy, in other countries it becomes business as usual.