EGGZAKLY !!

Maybe if we understand the motivation, future murders could possibly be prevented.   Having a school no-bullying policy.  Learning warning signs to watch for when a student is getting alienated and potentially violent. 

Yeah, but that shouldn't excuse, justify, or even mitigate the crime.

It was not that long ago that rape trials would center on the sexual life of the accuser. Basically, one had to be practically a nun in order to get any justice in many of those trials. The mentality was named the "blame the victim" mentality, and was rightly shunned for the stinking thinking that it was.

You can’t compare rape to murder because there may be no rape when there’s no denying a murder. It is estimated that half of all accusations of rape were in fact consensual sex, so sexual history and overall psyche of the accuser are very relevant to determining whether or not a crime occurred. I know a lacrosse team whom would agree with that.

I agree we/re simply fascinated as to why people go over the edge and kill. Truth is a lot of people seem to be teetering on the edge of madness. It’s interesting what keeps more of us from going postal once or twice in our lives. Knowing the why is important but the reason shouldn’t have any bearing on the punishment.

Well, what's happening is people are starting to say that it's NOT murder because the victims had it coming. So yeah, this is exactly the right analogy for it.

You can’t compare rape to murder because there may be no rape when there’s no denying a murder.

Actually you can.  WHile I agree there are probably more cases of mistaken rape (misunderstanding or revenge) than murder, both mistakes are made.  And the irony is that while we have gone overboard in the opposite direction on rape (to the point of jailing a 17 year old for consensual sex), we have done just the opposite on murder - to the point where the perpetrator is never at fault.

And I agree with Loca partially.  Experts need to understand it, so they can prevent it.  But the normal joe (or Josephine) on the street does not need to be treated to a justification - passing as a news story - on why the murderer was "forced" into his or her crime.

BLAMING THE VICTIM!!!

You're proving my point spot on, Loca. The bullies were not responsible for this individual's behaviour, HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OWN BEHAVIOUR!

We need to stop being apologists for murderers. Once you murder someone in cold blood, you surrender your place at the bargaining table.

I wouldn't kill someone for being a dipshit.  Whoop some ass, maybe...but I don't want to kill...unless someone tries to kill me or one of my family/friends.

~Zoo

I honestly don’t see where they’re blaming anyone but the shooter in the linked article Gid. It mentioned once he was “a bullied outcast with radical views”. Where is any responsibility for his actions being assigned to anyone but him? If your suggesting that just mentioning he was bullied is sympathizing with his actions, I think that’s a bit of a stretch.

Umm, yeah. About that. They mentioned it in the introduction to the article, which is usually where they put relevant points they wish to emphasize.

Oh, yeah, and they mentioned it in the title. That's kind of high profile, doncha think?

That sounds like a movie preview.

"In a world where people are evil. A bullied outcast with radical views comes to the forefront..."

Unfortunately he shoots up a school...thereby eliminating any coolness that might have come from that.

~Zoo

Well hell your honor, first he cut me off in traffic, then he flipped me off, rolled his window down and shouted at me, "I bet you fuck your mother" at this point I felt killing him and his entire family was justified. Plus I am tripolar, one of my other personalities has a depression problem.

BLAMING THE VICTIM!!! You're proving my point spot on, Loca. The bullies were not responsible for this individual's behaviour, HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OWN BEHAVIOUR! We need to stop being apologists for murderers. Once you murder someone in cold blood, you surrender your place at the

I'm not blaming the victim at all.  I'm just saying that we should understand the motivation so maybe it can be prevented in the future.  I'm not saying he shouldn't be punished.  I'm not saying he's just misunderstood.  I'm saying that if bullying is a contributing factor then let's do everything we can to stop bullying, recognize alienated kids, get them help and hopefully prevent some future school shootings. 

It uses the word bullied once in the first paragraph which is where any description of this perpetrator should be.

It does not mention it in the title or anywhere else in the article. "Teenage killer leaves suicide note"

Maybe if it had anything else about in the article like one of the "bullies" saying "we shouldn't have picked on him so much" but it doesn't, and I think it's a stretch to attribute anything else into this other than a sensationalist writing style.

OK, in that article it didn't. But in the initial Yahoo! link that was the headline.

The article did, however, mention in the first paragraph, which is usually the topical paragraph for the article. That's where the important stuff is usually put.



And I still say BS, Loca. People with murderous intentions will FIND an excuse to murder, that's what I'm saying.

Millions of kids get bullied every day in school. The vast majority never entertain ANY thoughts of shooting up their schools, Loca. Your proposal to ban bullying would likely result in "zero tolerance rules" that would cause a lot of students to be punished for any negative interaction whatsoever towards their classmates.

So, yes, blaming the victim.

Because if this problem can be prevented by stopping bullies, obviously bullies were the cause, right?