Is our Culture making killers?

[Too Much Garlic]

I kinda think the word "coward" is an awkward adjective for the situation too. For me being a coward is when you have something you should do but can't do to fear that you can't overcome. This killer isn't motivated by a failure to overcome a fear.

"pathetic" might be appropriate. Or perhaps "opertunistic" or "predatory". Seems likes new word needs to be invented for this kind of terrible person.

A guy shooting/stabbing someone in the back is labeled a coward because he didn't have the stones to attack the person from the front, face on and risk being taken down himself.

That's cowardly behavior to pick soft targets that cannot equally fight back.

Being a coward doesn't just mean you run away, when you are supposed to stand firm. A civilian running away from a shooter is not a coward, because they are not expected to stop the shooter or stand firm, but a cop, for instance can be seen as a coward if he doesn't try to stop the shooter, but runs away instead leaving unarmed people to their fate.

In the past it was also considered cowardly behavior to fight in armor, sneak attacks were seen as cowardly, even choosing a weapon that was superior to your opponents. Not facing your enemy head on and on equal terms were seen as cowardly. Sure, the bar changes all the time on what is referred to as cowardly behavior, but many of them are still rightfully labeled a cowardly act.

I hold to my opinion that these people choosing soft targets are nothing but spineless cowards who think they are something. And if the news media started responding to them and their actions in that vein I'm sure it will make any wannabe coward from thinking he'll be famous by going out and shooting others. Part of their retarded reasonings are the chance of notoriety and fame - wants to be infamous for being a monster, mass murderer, killer, demon, whatever. All those are glorifying labels in these idiots' tiny little brains. Start calling those little ****s what they actually are: spineless cowards... and that's bound to give pause for at least SOME of them doing that ****.

Anyone taking on an equal or stronger opponent is brave. Going for a weaker opponent is opportunistic and in some cases cowardly.

 

[3jack]

A guy shooting/stabbing someone in the back is labeled a coward because he didn't have the stones to attack the person from the front, face on and risk being taken down himself.

That's cowardly behavior to pick soft targets that cannot equally fight back.

Being a coward doesn't just mean you run away, when you are supposed to stand firm. A civilian running away from a shooter is not a coward, because they are not expected to stop the shooter or stand firm, but a cop, for instance can be seen as a coward if he doesn't try to stop the shooter, but runs away instead leaving unarmed people to their fate.

In the past it was also considered cowardly behavior to fight in armor, sneak attacks were seen as cowardly, even choosing a weapon that was superior to your opponents. Not facing your enemy head on and on equal terms were seen as cowardly. Sure, the bar changes all the time on what is referred to as cowardly behavior, but many of them are

still rightfully labeled a cowardly act.

I hold to my opinion that these people choosing soft targets are nothing but spineless cowards who think they are something. And if the news media started responding to them and their actions in that vein I'm sure it will make any wannabe coward from thinking he'll be famous by going out and shooting others. Part of their retarded reasonings are the chance of notoriety and fame - wants to be infamous for being a monster, mass murderer, killer, demon, whatever. All those are glorifying labels in these idiots' tiny little brains. Start calling those little ****s what they actually are: spineless cowards... and that's bound to give pause for at least SOME of them doing that ****.

Anyone taking on an equal or stronger opponent is brave. Going for a weaker opponent is opportunistic and in some cases cowardly.

QFT

Couldn't have worded it any better.

 

[Zuiun]

I hold to my opinion that these people choosing soft targets are nothing but spineless cowards who think they are something. And if the news media started responding to them and their actions in that vein I'm sure it will make any wannabe coward from thinking he'll be famous by going out and shooting others. Part of their retarded reasonings are the chance of notoriety and fame - wants to be infamous for being a monster, mass murderer, killer, demon, whatever. All those are glorifying labels in these idiots' tiny little brains. Start calling those little ****s what they actually are: spineless cowards... and that's bound to give pause for at least SOME of them doing that ****.

I can see exactly where you're coming from, but my problem with the use of the word "coward" to describe these people is that it assumes a mental state somewhere in the same realm as the rest of us. That is to say one in which your definition of "coward" applies.

Many of these mass shooters aren't thinking like that. They aren't saying "I'm going to go after this group of people because they are soft targets and will be easy." There are, in many cases, very specific reasons (in their minds) for what they are doing. To us, it seems random. To them, there is a focus to their actions that has little to do with whether or not people can or will fight back.

Also, it isn't easy to kill another person, armed or not, no matter what mental state you're in. So again, I'm not sure "cowardly" is the right word.

Note that I am in NO WAY trying to defend these people, and I definitely don't want even the slightest implication that I might admire their actions because I don't consider them "cowardly."

I just think that there is a lot of mental turmoil going on inside of these people that can't be dismissed by such a simple label as "coward."

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Doesn't matter what THEY are thinking. Cowards rarely think of themselves as cowards. Doesn't change the fact that they are: big damn cowards.

 

[Jeyl]

They're not cowards. When they commit acts that will no doubt guarantee their whole life in prison, execution or being shot on sight, there's not going to be any fear in this individual's mind that will cause them not to act. These aren't bullies who pick on little kids to boost their egos. These are killers who target innocent unarmed civilians so they can create the most chaos imaginable. That's their point. Looking for a fair fight would defeat that. For someone to have a standard that says he must fight someone who is armed is someone with a sense of honor and integrity. These killers don't have that, so why should standards apply to them? When someone is shooting at a crowd of people, the last thing anyone should think about is how cowardly that person is. That would imply the killer's inability to do something out of fear, and you don't want to be thinking that when that person is dead set on killing you for no reason.

A coward is not someone to be afraid of. These people are.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

For someone to have a standard that says he must fight someone who is armed is someone with a sense of honor and integrity. These killers don't have that, so why should standards apply to them?

Exactly for that reason should those standards apply to them. It isn't how they see themselves or think of themselves or their actions or their targets. It's how WE think of them and their actions that matters. And those actions are cowardly right down to the core. They are just too much of a spineless coward to realize that.

A coward is not someone to be afraid of. These people are.

Absolutely NOT. You should not fear these people. They are sad excuses of cowardly beings. Fear is exactly what they want you to feel about them, as that is what gets them off.

You are free to fear them all you want. I'm not ever going to. Sure, I would be afraid for my life and my loved ones if I ever came up against a coward like that, but I would hope I would never ever fear the ****er.

Sure, it's easy to sit here and say this or that, but here's a big difference between the two.

They DO NOT deserve to be feared.

 

[Jeyl]

They DO NOT deserve to be feared.

It's not about what they deserve, it's about how one reacts to an unexpected and dangerous scenario. Being afraid doesn't make one a coward, it can actually make them more aware and focused on the situation at hand without resorting to anything rash and stupid.

 

[3jack]

SNIP

A coward is not someone to be afraid of. These people are.

Especially if you are unarmed and defenceless

 

[Kerr Avon]

It's not about what they deserve, it's about how one reacts to an unexpected and dangerous scenario. Being afraid doesn't make one a coward, it can actually make them more aware and focused on the situation at hand without resorting to anything rash and stupid.

I don't think that he means that you can't be afraid if someone starts shooting, but don't be afraid that there's someone like that lurking around every corner.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

It's not about what they deserve, it's about how one reacts to an unexpected and dangerous scenario. Being afraid doesn't make one a coward, it can actually make them more aware and focused on the situation at hand without resorting to anything rash and stupid.

Being afraid and fearing something are two very different things. From what I'm reading here it sound like you are mixing up the two and reading them as one and the same.

 

[NAZGÛL]

I dont know if being a coward is relevant or appliable on these individuals. Its possible the shooter in his/hers twisted mind sees the victims as enemies. There are a lot of scenarios in war when soldiers would try to sneak up on enemy forces when unarmed and I wouldnt call that cowardness. This is different. Something is wrong with these persons. I dont think braveness has anything to do with it at all.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Again, it doesn't matter one bit what the coward shooter thinks of himself or his targets. In his mind he's a goddamned hero. Who gives a **** about what a coward shooter thinks his/her actions are? It is a cowardly act, no other way of putting it.

 

[crabra comander]

That's besides the point. We shouldn't have to be worried about how we would react to an active shooter. Sadly, fear is something that can overwhelm us in these types of situations. No matter how much someone prepares for something like this, they can be overwhelmed by the situation.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Fear the situation when you are in it, sure... fear the shooter... a completely different thing.

 

[Jeyl]

Again, it doesn't matter one bit what the coward shooter thinks of himself or his targets. In his mind he's a goddamned hero.

And how would you know that? Do all psychos do what they do because they want to be heroes?

 

[Jeyl]

Fear the situation when you are in it, sure... fear the shooter... a completely different thing.

The shooter IS the situation.

 

[Zuiun]

Fear is exactly what they want you to feel about them, as that is what gets them off.

Again, it doesn't matter one bit what the coward shooter thinks of himself or his targets. In his mind he's a goddamned hero.

That's a generalization.

Serial killers have been known to "get off" from their actions. Mass killers are almost always in a completely different mindset.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Given the far greater odds of other day to day things that can get you or yours,
killers aren't even in the top ten list of things to fear in the US. Its just very dramatic and frightening when it happens and the media is all over it.

Think about all the people dying today in the US from drunk driving?
Gonna hear much about that today in the news?

Personally if I had to choose between homicides and drunk driving deaths to stop.
I'd pick the drunk driving.




Top 15 Causes of Death
1. Heart Disease
2. Cancer
3. Stroke
4. Chronic Lung Disease
5. Accidents
6. Alzheimer's
7. Diabetes
8. Influenza and Pneumonia
9. Nephritis/Kidney Disease
10. Blood Poisoning
11. Suicide
12. Liver Disease
13. Hypertension/Renal
14. Parkinson's Disease
15. Homicide

 

[NAZGÛL]

Again, it doesn't matter one bit what the coward shooter thinks of himself or his targets. In his mind he's a goddamned hero. Who gives a **** about what a coward shooter thinks his/her actions are? It is a cowardly act, no other way of putting it.

I take it you dont care much for the professinal ppl trying to understand what makes them so dangerous, wanting to prevent it from hapening again then?

 

[Too Much Garlic]

And how would you know that? Do all psychos do what they do because they want to be heroes?

You assume the shooters are psychos, I do not. The ones captured... just listen to what they are saying and how they present themselves. They are heroes in their own pathetic little world

The shooter IS the situation.

No he isn't. He's causing the situation. But you go right ahead and be fearful and fear these creep cowards. Good luck to you on that by keeping empowering them in their own fantasy world.

I certainly won't add to that.

I take it you dont care much for the professinal ppl trying to understand what makes them so dangerous, wanting to prevent it from hapening again then?

Of course I do. Would be cool if they cracked it, so it can be spotted or fixed or prevented. Don't see how you can determine that from anything I've said. Doesn't change the fact that these shooters are cowards. Also doesn't mean I need to give a **** about what those cowards think of themselves.