General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This killer that went on a rampage shooting [View all]Laelth
(32,017 posts)I think it very unwise of us to dismiss those feelings and pretend they don't exist. If somebody had just listened to the shooter and tried to understand him, this tragedy could have, perhaps, been avoided.
Very few people, here on DU, seek to understand this murderer. Instead, most are content to condemn him, label him (with a lazy catch-all like "psychopath" , distance themselves from him (like most wise men on this board), or just celebrate his passing from the world. I don't think that any of those reactions (while natural) do any good. We need to hear him and understand him if we hope to prevent similar tragedies in the future, and this is especially true if we admit that many men have had similar feelings.
Of course, people are quite complicated, as you rightly note, but I don't see how that observation helps us understand this tragedy either.
-Laelth