Whats wrong with people these days?

[Kristofor]

I disagree. True, the media makes it more obvious, but I still believe the incidence of violent anti-social behavior is rising. I cannot express my views as to why because they are both political and religious.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/07/...ogy/index.html

According to that article the difference between a suicide and a mass-murder suicide is whether people internalize their failures or externalize them....

This guy is too old to be part of the generation that didn't keep score or count outs in T-Ball, or was in a contest where everyone received a 1st place ribbon unless his parents were uber-hippies. But, there are lots of folks out there now who did grow up in that kind of environment, and our culture in general has a habit of putting the blame on someone else before ourselves. I suspect over time that would tend to shift some number of what would have been suicides into the murder-suicide category...

[Pappy]

I first saw the story on CNN during lunch. A tragedy for the victims and their families, no doubt. Still it was basically a local story worth mention/reporting on a national news station. After airing the story, they broadcast a news conference dealing with the incident, went to break, and came back to report on/read his blog, then the reporter analysed the shooter and his reasoning for his actions. (I am quite sure he or the writers are completely scholled and qualified in the psychriatric field of study!)

Over 20 minutes to report a local incident with no national, or statewide, impact is not reporting the news. It is sensationalization of the story. If I want that I will buy the National Inquirer. Report the story and move on to other things.

BTW, I am not picking on CNN, it just happens to be what is played at my lunch spot. The other 'news' networks are just as bad. The only difference is the political slant they apply.

[vaking]

Over 20 minutes to report a local incident with no national, or statewide, impact is not reporting the news. It is sensationalization of the story. If I want that I will buy the National Inquirer. Report the story and move on to other things.

I agree with this and want to add a bit. A lot of bad behavior is attributable to "craving for attention". Media giving so much attention to a story like this provides a lot of attention and invites copycats. If there is a rise in such cases - I would think media is to blame.