This is mostly my way of "working through things" and clarifying thoughts. I do not desire to draw attention to myself or family (and have no reason to, we are not that "close" to this) OR make this "all about me/us". I will edit soon and may even delete if it's only a distraction or in bad taste etc.
I can't help but wonder about the shooter too, what frustrations built up in his life after years of working in this place that made him believe this was the only way out? What if he had been exposed to FIRE principles years ago, what if he had been able to build up a 'stache and walk away from his frustrations with a smile instead of a gun? Would having a FU fund have relieved some of his stress? Would it have provided the funds for mental health treatment? Or would it not have made any difference? I suppose we'll never know.
Particularly for its substantial premeditation, a mass-murder FU is beyond my ken.
Why?
Particularly for its substantial premeditation, a mass-murder FU is beyond my ken.
Why?
I agree, a brain has to badly broken to even begin to contemplate such violence.
This includes when I was 12 and leaving the local HS football game with a friend to head to my moms car and was beaten unconscious with lead pipes by a number of young adults. The following Monday a number of people at school taunted me about it, one teacher witnesses this who didn't seem to care. That changed me a lot more than the beating.
OP: has this experience changed your perspective on the value of a low-information diet?
I hadn't heard of this tragedy (I don't follow the news). And it sounds like you were on a low info diet yourself. So it's possible that other such tragedies have happened that you also have missed.
The answer to why these mass shootings is 1) because it's there (ie, the pattern is out there in the news) and 2) because they can (easy availability of guns designed to kill a lot of people very quickly).
-One party raised a lot of money off Virginia Tech on the promise of doing something, including the current speaker of the house, then chose not to with two years in power. Now they continue to raise money on the same promise. Regardless of where you stand, never forget that. To me its exploitation for political gain
John, that's a lot of 'dead air' in your post. Didn't you once talk on the radio for like 9 hours straight or something? heh