Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

[tombat1913]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

There may actually be an All-American component to this tragedy. For some time now we've seen frequent stories of suicides insisting on taking others along for the one-way trip to oblivion. I don't know if this phenomenon is found elsewhere but it sure comes up at home often. And it's almost always* the exclusive preserve of white guys. (Serial killers, too, but that's another matter) "Going Postal" "Road Rage" These have been around for awhile and appear to have more than a little life left in them. Any thoughts why?

*I know the largest campus massacre killer wasn't white. I know that.

I have to disagree big time. Yeah we've had some Columbines and Virginia Techs, but these murder/suicides are nowhere near the magnitude or frequency of what occurs in many parts of the world. Imagine for instance being in Baghdad, Israel, Sri Lanka etc. where suicide bombings are simply an aspect of life that is to be expected. If we keep up this empirial bullshit we'll probably get a taste ourselves.

[don]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

[quote=tombat1913;52731]I have to disagree big time. Yeah we've had some Columbines and Virginia Techs, but these murder/suicides are nowhere near the magnitude or frequency of what occurs in many parts of the world.

The magnitude and frequency of similar events elsewhere were never part of the discussion.

[ricket]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

AntiSpin: Sad stuff. Take it easy out there, folks. Compassion is the order of the day. Promises were made and promises will not be kept about the economy, about housing prices, about the stock market. If you were one of the folks who believed the lies, don't beat yourself up. Give yourself a break. You are not alone. You are among millions. But we're Americans. We'll figure it out.

Sad yes. Sympathy for destroying the American financial system and causing massive and widespread death, destruction, and starvation? None whatsoever. Im hoping the rest of the thieves continue and let God judge them for their actions. They were tough enough to steal money from everyone, how come they arent tough enough to handle the ramifications? They are nothing but cowards, those who lose everything and take their own life.

This man's name should be lambasted all over the newspapers and his name, his family, and his reputation should be shamed for being a coward and murdering innocent children.

I can't help but being so harsh, as the banks and the thieves that run them, would rather families starve and suffer just so they can get their interest payments.

[tombat1913]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

The magnitude and frequency of similar events elsewhere were never part of the discussion.

You said "All-American component to this tragedy.......I don't know if this phenominon is found elsewhere........white guys going postal."

I'm saying it has nothing to do with white or American, the suicidal maniacs are all over and probably more frequently so in countries where they have far less to live for than here.

There may actually be an All-American component to this tragedy. For some time now we've seen frequent stories of suicides insisting on taking others along for the one-way trip to oblivion. I don't know if this phenomenon is found elsewhere but it sure comes up at home often. And it's almost always* the exclusive preserve of white guys. (Serial killers, too, but that's another matter) "Going Postal" "Road Rage" These have been around for awhile and appear to have more than a little life left in them. Any thoughts why?

[tree]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

Thought I read the other day that a suicide net had just been installed at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Plenty of folks can't pull a trigger, but they can buy a bus ticket to S.F.

When the oldest babyboomers started turning 50 (about 13 years ago), the New York Times ran a story predicting trends for them. Among the predictions was a higher suicide rate -- because boomers would not have the gumption to stick out hard times as they aged. It seemed, to me, a rather cold bit of writing. We shall see.

[c1ue]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

The net is more People's Republic of San Francisco crap.

All that would be necessary to cut down the number of Golden Gate suicides is posting pictures of what happens to people after they jump.

Hitting the water after jumping from that altitude is just like jumping off a building. Only concrete sidewalks don't then sweep you out to sea in a riptide of freezing cold sea water.

But these pictures would no doubt scare off some of the tourists who come to look at this 'iconic' bridge.

As for the idea that it is the image of the GG that draws people: there are half a dozen other bridges in the Bay Area; the jumpers off all of them put together don't constitute a fraction of the GG's.

[LargoWinch]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

We need a big war so we can kill someone besides ourselves...

:eek: ----> :mad:

[Guest]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

LargoWinch - got to defend Phirang on this point. He was, with nearly painful obviousness, employing what is called "back-handed humor". That means you make a comment about something, in this case societal dysfunction, without being laboriously obvious about the joke nested within, and while consciously ignoring the requirements of "political correctness". Anyone who's read Phirang knows this is a very highly educated contributor and to suggest his comment was an endorsement of starting wars to alleviate financial strife would be a large mis-representation. We can all see it was strictly tongue in cheek. I suggest you and Tombat might consider loosening up your parameters for what can legitimately constitute bleak humor? I know you are perfectly capable of it, but you choose to ignore it in Phirang's comment, which is I feel completely off the mark. Phirang has given plenty of hints at his own decency and scruple.

:eek: ----> :mad:

We need a big war so we can kill someone besides ourselves...

[Shakespear]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

Enough has been said to interpret Fred's comment BUT I will add my own.

I did not take Fred's comment to mean he thinks the problem is US's alone. He lives in the US and hears a lot of what happens there, hence his comment to calm down people closest to him.

I like "metalman's" scenario of how the situation may have played out. A series of small arguments on top of the constant calls from Credit Card companies, collection agencies and a stream of mail with bills and summons, and Bango peoples nerves snap.

The States should start to look into finding ways to relieve this pressure. Perhaps many of those empty Catholic Churches could start some get togethers to help people talk about these problems and share their experiences.

Here in Poland there are fewer guns to contend with but alcohol is everywhere. My indicator of how stressed the people here are is to observe the drivers. They are much much more aggression on the road. I see more alcohol bottles on the road sides or in bushes when I walk the dog.

In the news they are talking about abusive families but I can not be sure if this is a real trend or if it is something to deflect attention from other problems. However when your garbage service goes up 100% and electricity costs relentlessly up 30% (not to mention food etc), it can not result in a calm populace.

[petertribo]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

We'll figure it out.

Our society is becoming increasingly complex. The complexities of the Financial System are today obvious. Remember when the West laughed at the Soviets because they were going to "plan their economy". Yet we do the same thing and talk about how the planning is going on this board.

There are many well qualified people who believe the Complexity of Finance, let alone other disciplines is beyond our capacity to "figure it out".

Maybe a topic for a separate thread since if we do not figure it out, what is going to happen?

Financial Collapse is only a harbinger of the other Collapses to come.

[Sharky]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

Suicide tends to happen when people feel helpless and hopeless. The one thing they figure they can control is their lives: no more life, no more misery.

Speaking as a white male who was born and raised in the US, I think white American society in particular puts a heavy emphasis on men supporting their family (in spite of the high divorce rate). Stay together. Work hard. Give everything you can to your kids, etc. For more than a few men I know, that eventually results in huge resentment and anger. The wife gets blamed for spending too much, wanting too much, holding them back, ruining their lives, etc, etc. The kids become viewed as leaches. The guys feel they can't leave or they would be admitting failure, and combining that with losing half of everything they own would be too painful to face.

Then mix in the hopelessness than can result after losing a job, which many white men have completely merged with their personal identities, and you have a disaster waiting to happen.

Guns have very little to do with it, IMO. I knew a researcher once who said he had analysis that showed that a large fraction of fatal auto "accidents" are in fact not accidents at all; they are suicides.

[jpatter666]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

Maybe what we need is for a brilliant research group to genetically engineer a giant mutant alien-squid, then teleport it into NYC .

Mass panic, then unification of mankind against the "aliens". A new boom as we prepare for space-travel, defenses, etc.

I find it ironic Watchmen coming out at this time....

[Jay]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

I knew a researcher once who said he had analysis that showed that a large fraction of fatal auto "accidents" are in fact not accidents at all; they are suicides.

That is interesting, I have wondered that more than once about many of the MVA's I've seen. Some are obvious attempts or successes at suicide, some more grey. I wonder what the percentage might be. I agree that it is definitely not zero and it would change with the community and economic conditions of the day.

[CanuckinTX]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

Maybe what we need is for a brilliant research group to genetically engineer a giant mutant alien-squid, then teleport it into NYC .

Mass panic, then unification of mankind against the "aliens". A new boom as we prepare for space-travel, defenses, etc.

I find it ironic Watchmen coming out at this time....

I just bought the book last week and have been reading it. Like you I was amazed at some of the parallels in that book that are happening now. I've been tempted many times to post some of the quotes from that book. An excellent read if people can get past the fact it's a novel disguised as a comic book.

[dbarberic]

Re: Six found dead in Porter Ranch home

The States should start to look into finding ways to relieve this pressure. Perhaps many of those empty Catholic Churches could start some get togethers to help people talk about these problems and share their experiences.

It is interesting that you suggest this. I hate to add conjecture to this disucssion, but there are are reports circulating the internet that clergy in the United States are being trained to "quell dissent". The Catholic Church has also refused to relase information if they are being paid by the Feds for these duties.

http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=6937987