Thoughts: Mass Murder in a Wisconsin Sikh Temple + Hatred
- By Simple Politiks
- 7 August, 2012
- 44 Comments
One thing that I can never wrap my head around is the question “What motivates someone to kill innocent people?”
This post isn’t going to be about the details of the shooting, I just want to share a few words. If you aren’t informed then I encourage you to read the following articles to learn about the atrocity that occurred just a few days ago.
The shooting is appalling enough alone… But just 12 days after the massive shooting in Colorado? You will not find mass murders so close together in many other civilized countries. In fact, you will hardly find any firearm murders at all when you compare a country to the U.S.’s statistics. Anyone who has watched the documentary Bowling for Columbine understands this fact very, very well (although I don’t like Michael Moore, he did present notable facts). So why are we so screwed up?! You can’t blame poverty because both of the recent murderers had acceptable standards of living! Is it education?? I don’t think education is foolproof because Holmes, the Aurora theater killer, was studying Neuroscience. You also can’t blame guns because inanimate objects can’t use mind control to turn a normal person into a cold blooded killer! So is it one of these factors, a combination, or maybe the childhood of the individual? I don’t think anybody can give a sufficient answer. I do know one thing, though:
America is incredibly unstable.
For such a wealthy nation, America has a significantly large amount of murderers.
Compare the Gun-Related Homicides of Other Advanced Countries
Why do so many Americans end up killing each other?! It doesn’t make any sense… It must be something in American culture, nothing else can explain it. People in France and England and Australia and Japan aren’t killing each other nearly as much! And, newsflash, their people aren’t so different from ours; the human condition is universal. So what is poisoning one of the most advanced countries in the world?? Think about it! And please figure it out, because I certainly can’t…
I know there are going to be some comments about this so I’m going to address it here and now… Obviously the most common debate stemming from massacres is the gun control debate. I’ve already written a post about Gun Control but I’ll reiterate my belief. I support our right to carry a gun but I just don’t see why we can’t make it more difficult than a trip to the grocery store to buy something designed to kill. I don’t mind having the guns available at all! Except maybe assault weapons (as in automatic)… Only time will tell with those. Regardless, both sides of the gun control debate realize that there will always be people who want to cause harm to others. So logically, you would think everyone would want to make it more difficult to buy something that can kill massive groups of people incredibly fast… Like a semi-automatic weapon. If we’re going to sell a deadly weapon then we should at least make sure the buyer passes some background checks and some gun safety program. You know… Something. We’re so strange when it comes to guns…
Back to the issue at hand. Some final thoughts.
All I know is that any belittlement of human life should be looked down on with complete and utter disdain, specifically when it involves racism. It is absolutely horrible when a mentally insane person to tries to kill whoever they can, but it’s even worse when someone targets specific groups out of sheer hatred. Where are our morals, people? Even though murders like this recent attack on the Sikh temple are extreme examples, there is a tremendous amount of racism that plagues our great nation. Then again, I think hate is a better way to describe America’s disease. It doesn’t matter if it’s hate on races, homosexuals, religion – hatred is wrong and millions of Americans have to accept that fact. Americans also need to think of themselves as one race, one people. Until we can set aside our differences and truly understand each other we will continue to live in a country as backwards as the politicians that run it.
Somebody has to lead the charge for moral integrity… What it boils down to is who will have the courage to step up to the plate?
Source for top picture.
Copyright © 2013 
An incredibly insightful piece.
I can’t thank you enough for those kind words
Suspect a lack of respect for life at any level motivates a killer.
Amen to that. Has anyone checked into the abortion statistics for North America lately? We’re killing them before they’re even born! ~ Wendy
I have one question for you. Refering to abortions done for some logical reason (rape, incest, threat to mother’s/child’s/both life, etc.), not just because the mother wants to…why should these abortions not be allowed? I don’t think that it is a lack of respect of life for allowing these abortions, but rather respect for those that are already living. These abortions that are done for a purpose serve to either enhance the life of the parties involved, or at least not make them worse. The people getting these abortions have as much a right to life as anyone else, and I don’t think that we have any right to tell them that they must suffer the consequences of being pregnant in these cases.
In the case where the abortion is done because, for one reason or another, the mother does not feel ready to have a baby…do we really have the right to tell the mother that she has less of a right on how she has to live her life than others, just because she is pregnant? Why should the unborn child have a higher consideration than the woman that will be the child’s mother?
I agree about the respect of life, but I think we truly need to think about the statement. Allowing abortions doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t respect life. Life is not only the unborn, but the born as well.
I’m a male, so I don’t think that I have much of a say in the abortion debate. I’m not the one the gets pregnant and has to actually deliver the baby, so I think that women should get to decide. My own personl beliefs about life doesn’t play into this argument because pregnancy and abortion do not affect my physical body in any way.
I’m sure you’ve already read my post about abortion and the death penalty so you know that I believe life at any stage should be protected. That is my personal belief, though. Let’s say I was running for office (extremely unlikely haha). Not everybody thinks the same way or has the same morals. Politics is all about compromise. I would be willing to compromise abortions for rape/incest. My belief already allows abortion if it is in an attempt to save the mother’s life, so that option applies as well.
Murder in America has always baffled me. Hatred in America is appalling. Ignorance in America is prevalent. As you mentioned, I don’t believe there is a clear cut answer to what plagues this country. There is definitely something very off with our society though. It’s not a religious thing, it’s not an educational thing, it’s not a class thing, but it is some-thing that we can’t seem to get worked out. Maybe it has to do with how this nation was actually birthed, noble as it was, nobody can deny the fact that many atrocities took place at the very beginning. I don’t know, just poking in the dark here….
Another great, thought-provoking post.
You hit the nail on the head there. It’s a shame. But it’s good that you’re poking the dark, we need people to stop and think about it. Maybe if enough people can manage that much we’ll come closer to a better society. I definitely hope so. As always, thank you for such kind compliments.
That’s just the thing though, there aren’t enough people that think. There are places in this country where they want to eliminate critical thinking altogether. That is just dangerous. But what can you do? Having cordial discussion is great but it has to move beyond just talking at some point. Honestly, I don’t believe we’re at a level where we can even talk with one another about such things, but that’s just my opinion….
I think that this is an issue that deals with all humankind, not just America. I think, in your first and second line, you could replace “America” and “humans” and the statements would still be true. If we look at human history, we will find that it is full of atrocities. I think Simple Politiks is correct in saying that they human condition is universal, and I understand that this post is about how things are in America, but I think the point I am making is important.
I think it partly has to do with our own thought process. Jimcolv, the first thing you said is the murder in America has always baffled you. But not murder in say China or France? We automatically try to divide people into groups, it happens unconsciously, and we judge groups based on many things. It is this separation of people into groups that allows for such violence, no matter where in the world. The genocide in Rwanda was only possible because they split the people into tow groups. What we need to do is start seeing people as people, not as the groups they belong to. It is easy to demonize a group, easier to forget that everyone in a group is infact an individual and as such does not fit all the stereotypes of that group.
Our society values independence. Independence from parents, independence financially, etc. We like thinking that people are individuals, defined by what the individual does, and that individuality is the highest form of independence. Other societies are more group based, and an individual is defined as a part of the group. Here, we think that actions reflect upon the individual only, whereas in other societies, actions reflect upon both the individual and the group. I think this plays a part in this topic. As an individual, where actions reflect only upon us, an action like a violent crime is easier to commit than in a place where other people in the same group as you (so friends, family, church-member, etc.) would have to face the consequences of your actions as well.
These are a couple of thoughts I had on this topic. Again, like you said, just shooting in the dark here. Please let me know what you think, and please let me know if you want/need me to clarify anything.
I think you’re touching on the bigger picture and I have to say I like what you’ve written! Thanks so much for doing this.
Reblogged this on Simply Jimmy and commented:
Something very wrong has been happening in this country for a very long time. This isn’t anything new yet there seems to be no solution or explanation as to why some individuals act out in such violent ways. The other thing I wonder is did this incident get as much coverage as other incidents? In any event this is just sad news and what’s even more depressing is that it these things will continue to happen…..
My question is on other countries is this as a person who spent most of my life as a liberal made certain my sons watched age restricted movies while I saw daily working in a video store parents spending hours with their children barely walking to teens for the horror films. They always left with two or more and holidays or not it was the same and lets not forget the violent games. A lot of parents were more interested in being the friend over parenting.I wonder if this is true elsewhere? And the hatred and lack of morals for quite awhile the phrase alls fair in love and war sums it up. Its not fair to disrespect others to get what you want. Americans were spoiled for too long and now do not know to deal with the issues at hand after so long of having quick fix its for everything.
Unfortunately there have been a few gun related incidents here in Australia recently – largely involving bikie gangs and there haven’t been a lot of casualties. I agree with you about the gun control laws in the US though. Not that I’ve tried getting one, but I believe that it is very difficult here in Australia to get a gun (legally anyway). If we had looser gun laws I’m sure the number of incidents would be higher. I also think the fact that the US has such a high population may be a contributing factor.
Higher population = more people with whatever issues they have + more guns = higher risk of a gun related incident.
Ok, it’s not a perfect formula, and I can guarantee that the issue runs a lot deeper. But if you were to take the large number of guns out of the equation, I am positive that the number of deaths would drop significantly.
Oh definitely, population contributes a great deal. I almost put that in my post, may edit it back into it… A population of over 300 million people will have many more criminals than Australia and other smaller countries, just statistically speaking.
Many good points to consider…
Thanks for taking the time to read them!
You know in most, if not all states buying a gun through legal channels does require a background check. Concealed carry permits are enforced by en even more extensive one. And the funny thing about illegal arms dealers is that they don’t have that pesky red tape. Criminals don’t obey the law, therefore gun control mostly applies to those law abiding citizens that are too often the victims of these heinous crimes. Personally, as soon as the situation becomes available to me i will be carrying a concealed semi-automatic handgun, I know that I won’t fly off the handle because someone gave me a parking ticket, but i don’t know about the guy next to me and I don’t trust random bystanders when it comes to my life, especially not in the times we live.
An armed society is a polite society, and a safer one.
Just think if someone in that Temple had a fire arm with them, do you think 12 people would have been murdered? Very Possible. But it’s a faster reaction time than the police’s response.
This, surely is a thing to be condemned and I sincerely appreciate your views on this matter. Even I wonder many a times as to why such things happen mostly in the States. As Poirot said tapping his head, “It’s all in here, mon ami.” The mental beliefs and the upbringing of the shooters largely encourage these mis-happenings. And yes, as above mentioned, more the population of a nation, more the diversity and hence more the conflicts. Though the mass murderers in the States seem to have some psychological problems in comparison to a few other populous nations where shootings take place among sane minded individuals for the sake of their religions.
Good post. I think you hit the nail on the head about our culture. This problem is an amalgamation of causes, including needing better gun control laws. We have too many who see this issue as all or none. We need smart gun control laws around assault weapon restrictions, better regulating gun acquisition and ownership, etc. This is not a fishing license. Yet, it is more than that. We have a more violent culture here than in other wealthy nations due to multiple reasons. We also have greater freedoms and with that comes the license for hate groups to spread their propaganda. We need to shine spotlights on bigotry, whether it is blatant, or inflammatory. On this latter point, when some knuckleheaded TV personality or candidate says we may need a “second amendment type remedy” to a problem, the people on the air with them should say “do you really mean that?” or “do you realize that would be treasonous?”The purveyors of this type of rhetoric need to be called on the carpet. All of this and more is part of the American fabric of culture. Thanks for raising this issue.
There’s an age old adage that says Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. If you had “better” gun control, do you think that would stop lunatics with a purpose from acquiring an untraceable illegal weapon? At least now you can find out which lunatic the gun is licensed to and you don’t have an underground trade of black market weaponry. Do you think that the “freedom fighters” in Africa have fully licensed weapons? Keep questioning.
Wise words. I love the line “we will continue to live in a country as backwards as the politicians that run it”. That is spot on.
As someone who doesn’t live there, USA’s culture has always hitted me as a little weird, and contradicting. They defend everyone’s rights and liberties, but none-the-less they let regular citizens carry guns around. I’m sorry, but if a gun doesn’t make someone feel more powerfull than the rest, then I don’t know what does.
Of course you could alegate self-defense, but still…
I think that, when you talk about ‘culture’, you might be reffering to the view your country has over guns. Justice by own-hand (it’s not a coincidence characters like Batman are from there), the country’s history (first their independence fights, and later on the conquest of the west with a Winchester as best-buddies), and the incipient racism and differences between everyone there, will obviously build up an admiration and respect for guns, wich leads to these kinds of situations. This is something you see in USA’s books, series, movies, games, comic-books, etc.
If you compare that view with Argentina’s view on guns, here we despise them. We despise them deeply and harshly, because they represent the Army (that doesn’t hold a good reputation here), and the police’s actions in the incidents 11 years ago.
Well, with time, we’ll see what happens.
I can see how firearms can be perceived as evil and demonized for what they represent, but the surest way to defend yourself against someone wielding a gun in a violent, murderous way is to carry your own and know how to use it. Millions of Americans carry firearms every day and never need them. But a handful of people are killed in a mass murder and I am betting you that nobody had any means to defend themselves against it simply because they thought it couldn’t happen to them. The right to defend your life in danger is something everyone has in my country, i agree with it and I practice it. If someone is going to do harm to me or someone I love I’m going to kill them first, end of story.
I urge you to keep in mind that the US is a country with many different viewpoints and Hollywood, comics and video games aren’t reality, they are for entertainment and yeah, much of it is violent, but don’t let that fool you.
I’m not that blind, I very well know that entertainment or mass media aren’t an exact picture of a culture’s reality. But there’s a reason First Person Shooters started in the US, and not in any other country. Everything coming from a place is a subjective representation of it’s culture and atmosphere.
About the self-deffense; you wouldn’t have to deffend against someone holding a weapon if he didn’t have access to them. Yes, I know, black market, it exists- but still, the posibilities are less. I’m not saying it should be ilegal, but it sure should be harder to obtain one, and the controls over it’s use should be thougher as well.
I know why you think of guns that way. It’s your surroundings and the way you’ve been taught. I was taught to see guns as a killing machines, not self-deffense methods, so I can’t fully agree with USA’s point of view.
Yes, a “moral compass.” That is indeed missing. Thank you.
I think it was Michael Moore who talked about our Culture of Fear as fed to us by the media. I think that has a lot to do with many of our issues regarding hate and violence.
Yes, fear was also discussed in Bowling for Columbine. Our news agencies are very intertwined with our culture and they certainly encourage certain behavior/thinking
Shocking topics make for popular topics. I don’t like it but murder and violence is good for the media business.
Exactly =\
do you know the shooter was an ex-Army ‘psy op’ guy, with an unstated discharge. do you realize what that means? psy ops does this kind of stuff in other countries…. and there is a possibility he was never actually discharged from the military… personally i don’t buy the media story. when the cops shoot the gunman and there is no trial…. the trial is held in the media… and people get all worked up… and they believe whatever CNN says. perhaps we should slow down a moment. Thanks for following my blog by the way!
Yeah I did. There are still questions that need to be answered, hopefully we can get all of the correct information soon.
Yeah I did. There are still questions that need to be answered, hopefully we can get all of the correct information soon.
And it was my pleasure! Thanks for commenting on mine!
I’ve studied social psychology enough to form my own opinions about American culture, and I think it boils down to a few specifics.
1) Read the article “Experiments in Group Conflict” (Sherif, M) to get an understand of how intergroup conflicts form.
2) Look at how dividing American culture and politics are, both from the perspective of being a melting pot of cultures and background as well as the very charged emotional atmosphere surrounding it, while considering the first point.
3) Acknowledge American’s cultural drive for immediate results– When you go to other countries, the pace is slower, less frantic, less ‘immediate’. This isn’t to say other countries lack stress or drive, just that immediate feedback is something craved and desired in America moreso than others. In some cases it can be a plus, but in situations where Points 1 and 2 manifest, you often see people resort to not to intellectual methods (aka violence) to resolve the problem.
It is a recipe for disaster, unfortunately.
Murder & hate start in the heart. Too bad learning the “Sermon on the Mount” was not mandatory reading in school.
~ Wendy
I believe war itself is a problem. Men’s minds are messed with in war zones. They come back crippled mentally and physically. And let’s not forget the way most people look at mental illness. It’s a disease, but we look at it as though it were a sin. And more than one generation has been brought up to believe that giving kids a time-out is enough when they do something wrong/bad. The whole way we have treated kids in this country–I don’t know about any others–they are brought up not only to believe that second-best isn’t good enough but also that they deserve the best in life for no other reason than that they exist. Then of course there are the violent shows and games and videos. I have an idea for that one: all of this violence now shows the blood and gore, but it doesn’t show something else that happens when people die–they evacuate themselves. So let’s start showing the involuntary urinating and defecating people do as they die. Perhaps that would make violence at least a little less attractive. And yeah, our country is much much larger than most others. And has been blessed with less natural disasters of enormous proportions (think in-situ war, nuclear bombs, earthquakes followed by tsunamis, large-scale starvation). This has turned into a mini-post. Sorry, I’ll deflate my pedestal now;-)
Haha no, don’t be sorry! More extensive the comment the better! Thanks for contributing, hope to see you around again
Thanks for visiting my blog. It is much appreciated. Here in Canada we have had some issues with gun violence. You may find this recent article of interest. U.S. tourist’s desire for gun in Calgary park sparks Twitter storm. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1239438–u-s-tourist-s-pro-gun-letter-sparks-social-media-storm
I know very little about this slaughter, its motives and subsequent quagmire of media/social/political reaction. Nor do I wish to either, as I’m glad just to let the family grieve. Senseless killing needs no explanation. It’s a tragedy. But allowing the community breathing space, to mourn according to their customs is America at its best.
I will say this, from afar the American public seem to have really come together on this as a reaffirmation of the importance of community, which is a really lovely thing to see. In Australia, what I like seeing when travelling around the outer reaches of Sydney is that gleaming Sikh Temple, with its yellow towers it proudly advertises itself to the public with a mixture friendliness and a sense of safety to do so – it has a large visible blue sign saying “Sikh Temple” as if to say to the many commuters who see it ” You are perfectly welcome”. I love that, and just hope Sikhs realise that it’s the norm. RIP Except the Killer.
There are many reasons, hundred or thousands of them, causing the tragedy. As the world evolved into a global village, we have more ways of contacts but less care of each other. Like a Child, (every adult in this world is essential a child), if we are given one thing, we want more, and more, as the appetite stretch without an end, we created the monster in ourself, waiting to come out one day. Goal, efficiency, productivity, yes, are important in life, but should not we ask about the boundary, and what is enough, to make us happy, and make the people around us happy (and we know, we cant satisfy all our needs, because sacrifice is important too.) we need to find out the roots that is having the problem, otherwise, we will be too busy with the branches. Just my opinions.
Oh, America is not alone, India, and China will join the party as the system is being copied there. Europe, As I lived there for 10 years, adopted a different system than that in US.
kc
I like your point about how even if we do not go all out with gun control, we can still make it more difficult to get your hands on weapons since they are designed to kill. Maybe you have seen this clip from the Daily Show where Jon Stewart points out how hard it is to get ahold of some other things that are completely harmless compared to guns. If not, here’s some food for thought.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-july-23-2012/aurora—gun-control
Also, thank you for following my blog, Underdogs 101. Please feel free to comment on any of my posts whenever you want. I am always in the mood for throwing insightful ideas around about what is going on the world.
It may be on account of a lack of cultural smartness. The basic deficiency in educational system.
The factors that make the USA what it is are hard to enumerate. There are so many of them, and they intertwine and interact to form a Gordian Knot. We’ve spent 200 years becoming what we are; the solution is not likely to be simple, quick or neat.
We’re founded on revolution, and the idea that “sometimes you gotta break the rules” is fundamental to our consciousness. We are a society that, oddly, seems to revere both morals and immorality. Our heroes, especially lately, tend to be dark anti-heroes, often violent, often outside the law (Superman may be our ideal, but Batman is our reality).
We are the most dynamic, fast-paced societies on earth. American English is one of the few languages that continues to evolved (I understand “man cave” just entered the official lexicon). We’re the ultimate melting-pot; the country everyone wants to be in.
It’s a bit like chainsaws or dynamite (or guns). Useful, powerful, dangerous and a little bit scary (and yet spectacular).
Wyrd, It may be tough to get away with so much of ambivalence.