Autism

Who else thinks Cruz is autistic? I haven't looked into this shooting at all because, to be honest, I don't like giving these people the attention they want. I feel like I'm fueling the problem of mass shooters by googling their names... if that makes any sense. Columbine is the only one I find at all interesting, and I think that's only because it has a very unique aesthetic to it as well as being one of the biggest turning points in American History, right up there with 9/11 and Pearl Harbor I'd say... but I digress

That video Cruz made prior to the shooting is the cringiest shit I have ever seen. I can't think of any other explanation for behavior and speech that bizarre.

Yeah especially when he says phrases like: “I had to let things go beyond your half.” The school would frequently tell students who reported him for disturbing behavior that he was autistic, and that’s pretty much what his education reports imply, so I’d say yes, Aspergers.

Heinrich94 wrote:

I haven't looked into this shooting at all because, to be honest, I don't like giving these people the attention they want.

I've railed against this mentality before, but I can assure you, most mass killers are not shallow attention seekers. Ascribing that motive to them de-legitimizes any actual grievances and hardships they may have faced.

QuestionMark wrote:

Heinrich94 wrote:

I haven't looked into this shooting at all because, to be honest, I don't like giving these people the attention they want.

I've railed against this mentality before, but I can assure you, most mass killers are not shallow attention seekers. Ascribing that motive to them de-legitimizes any actual grievances and hardships they may have faced.

I agree that most mass shooters are not attention seekers. After all, fame would be worthless if they die in the end. I believe most of them want to inflict massive amounts of harm in some sort of way, that is why they pick this route. If they just wanted to be famous, they would've done other things like making shitty online challenges or doing something ridiculous in public. Mass shooters who claimed they did it for fame tend to mix their anger and their problems. The frustration from being denied a normal, healthy life would make them gain a mindset of being inferior and hated. The inferiority turns into superiority, with the support of mental illness or extra rage, and eventually, the "fame seeker" would try to show the world that the only thing they can succeed at doing is antagonizing the world they were raised in and leave a legacy of pain. They want the legacy because they know that if they are not going to do something, they would die alone and be forgotten by humanity. They might want the world to suffer and don't want it to get away with their suffering. If they are now the enemy against the world, they might as well inflict fear and forever be its enemy. They would leave behind their last message which mostly talks about becoming famous. They can either keep themselves alive because they just fulfilled their goal and wanted to see what would happen, or they would kill themselves because their anger and problems got the better of them. Mass shooters who did it for "fame" are more complex than just seeking attention.

QuestionMark wrote:

Heinrich94 wrote:

I haven't looked into this shooting at all because, to be honest, I don't like giving these people the attention they want.

I've railed against this mentality before, but I can assure you, most mass killers are not shallow attention seekers.

How could you possibly assure me of such a thing, are you one? lol. Your speculation is as good as mine, assuming you aren't a mental health professional.

The two of you are either misunderstanding or strawmanning me so allow me to clarify: Yes, these shooters had a shit ton of problems and hardships in their life, I certainly don't doubt that. These spree shooters are, like all people, unique and individuals. They all faced different problems/hardships/mental health problems. Adam Lanza was a fugly tall and lanky kid on the autism spectrum with possible schizophrenia who retreated away from society and into isolation, while Klebold was average looking but majorly depressed and socially awkard, for example. It's not simply a desire for infamy that drives these people, but its one of many factors that all come together and lead to murder. Its dishonest to suggest infamy/recognition/attention doesn't motive these people at all, it just motives some more than others.

Eric and Dylan clearly wanted the type of infamy that Micky and Mallory had in Natural Born Killers, hell they even speculated as to whether Tarantino or Oliver Stone would direct the film adaptation of their story. They made those videos and Eric wrote that journal so they could craft what they'd be remembered for/as. I think it was even Eric that said "I want to leave a lasting impression on the world." James Holmes said, somewhere in the dozens of hours of interview he did with a psychologist (I don't have a timestamp or anything) that being remembered was important. Examples go on and on.

I'm not naive enough to think that if, collectively as a society, all stopped ever mentioning who the shooter was or showing their face that these events would simply stop and that these types of people would decide killing sprees are no longer an option for them. Buuuut, anything we can do, collectively, to lower the chance of these events happening we have the duty to do. I'm not for gun control because I don't believe in sacrificing liberty/freedom for safety. So that leaves me with two options, stop giving the shooters attention and support the hell out of mental health resources/awareness. So whenever I see that some p.o.s has gone out and shot a place up I no longer give a shit who the shooter is because if even the tiniest bit of his motivation was infamy I refuse to give him that.

Heinrich94 wrote:

QuestionMark wrote:

Heinrich94 wrote:

I haven't looked into this shooting at all because, to be honest, I don't like giving these people the attention they want.

I've railed against this mentality before, but I can assure you, most mass killers are not shallow attention seekers.

How could you possibly assure me of such a thing, are you one? lol. Your speculation is as good as mine, assuming you aren't a mental health professional.

The two of you are either misunderstanding or strawmanning me so allow me to clarify: Yes, these shooters had a shit ton of problems and hardships in their life, I certainly don't doubt that. These spree shooters are, like all people, unique and individuals. They all faced different problems/hardships/mental health problems. Adam Lanza was a fugly tall and lanky kid on the autism spectrum with possible schizophrenia who retreated away from society and into isolation, while Klebold was average looking but majorly depressed and socially awkard, for example. It's not simply a desire for infamy that drives these people, but its one of many factors that all come together and lead to murder. Its dishonest to suggest infamy/recognition/attention doesn't motive these people at all, it just motives some more than others.

Eric and Dylan clearly wanted the type of infamy that Micky and Mallory had in Natural Born Killers, hell they even speculated as to whether Tarantino or Oliver Stone would direct the film adaptation of their story. They made those videos and Eric wrote that journal so they could craft what they'd be remembered for/as. I think it was even Eric that said "I want to leave a lasting impression on the world." James Holmes said, somewhere in the dozens of hours of interview he did with a psychologist (I don't have a timestamp or anything) that being remembered was important. Examples go on and on.

I'm not naive enough to think that if, collectively as a society, all stopped ever mentioning who the shooter was or showing their face that these events would simply stop and that these types of people would decide killing sprees are no longer an option for them. Buuuut, anything we can do, collectively, to lower the chance of these events happening we have the duty to do. I'm not for gun control because I don't believe in sacrificing liberty/freedom for safety. So that leaves me with two options, stop giving the shooters attention and support the hell out of mental health resources/awareness. So whenever I see that some p.o.s has gone out and shot a place up I no longer give a shit who the shooter is because if even the tiniest bit of his motivation was infamy I refuse to give him that.  

I just edited my post while you posted this. I do agree with you in a sense. But my solution would be criticizing the shooter and making sure their legacy gets stained. It won't stop postal shootings but it would stop the bigger mass shootings. An alternative solution would be mentioning the shooter's name once on MSM, and allow the dedicated researchers to learn more without being spoonfed information through TV.

Yeah that's a potential solution I could get behind, AmericaMan. What all do you mean by criticize, though? Because I wonder if people mocking the shit out of them online could take away some of the power they'd feel they'd get from committing such an act.

Heinrich94 wrote:

Yeah that's a potential solution I could get behind, AmericaMan. What all do you mean by criticize, though? Because I wonder if people mocking the shit out of them online could take away some of the power they'd feel they'd get from committing such an act.

When I said criticize, I meant mocking them or pointing out the flaws of their philosophy and exposing them.

AmericaMan wrote:

Heinrich94 wrote:

Yeah that's a potential solution I could get behind, AmericaMan. What all do you mean by criticize, though? Because I wonder if people mocking the shit out of them online could take away some of the power they'd feel they'd get from committing such an act.

When I said criticize, I meant mocking them or pointing out the flaws of their philosophy and exposing them.

Ah okay, thought so but wasn't sure. But yes, that could work

It's already been confirmed he was diagnosed with Autism.

He was always autistic