Here's a list of massacres:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spree_killer
As I go through it I see that quite a number of incidents are missing. For example the Scotland school shooting, the shooting of those little Amish school girls in Pennsylvania, Son of Sam, David Berkowitz, Angel Rescindez, the Mexican, Railroad killer. But here's even more by category:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ber_of_victims
So if homo sapiens isn't shooting he is stabbing and if he isn't stabbing he is poisoning like Jim Jones, Guyana and Marshall Applewhite, Hale Bop comet and Heavens Gate and if he AND she isn't doing that then THEY are massacring millions like the Czar of Russia and family by the Bolsheviks, or engaged in genocide like Stalin in Russia, Adolph Hitler - exterminating 6 Million Jews, or the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, or Chairman Mao Zedong, China, or the Darfur, Sudan genocide and on and on.................
So it isn't a uniquely American fad. It is common to the species, inherent in the makeup.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
On the matter of gun control I have been an NRA member for over 50 years so I receive a magazine " American Hunter " as well as mail regularly and E-mails frequently. So I have been extremely well informed about the gun control advocates for many decades. The NRA is definitely gaining ground and suppressing the opponents and advocates of gun control.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Drugs - marijuana, heroin, Peyote, cocaine, hemp, Khat, are flora, biological, plants that contain some alkaloids or other constituents that have some effect on humans in various ways. Coffee, tea, coca leaves, beetle nut, tobacco are stimulants to humans.
Locoweed is a name common to several species of plants that affect livestock and game, horses, cattle, sheep, deer, elk.
LSD and Methamphetamine are chemical concoctions along with several other manufactured products even including glue that is sniffed by teenagers.
Alcoholic beverages have been produced in one form or another for multiple millenia from just about everything, honey, grains, corn, apples, grapes, plums, cherries, fruits, vegetables; and that are "administered by ingesting " drinking/swallowing and even in the high Andes by the indigenous natives by enema using a deer antler drilled and hollowed.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I really do not see anything complicated about understanding Jared Loughner. Media reports have very aptly described him as abnormal mentally.
Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion and thought, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder.
There is a long history of attempts to understand and control behavior deemed to be aberrant or deviant (statistically, morally or in some other sense), and there is often cultural variation in the approach taken. The field of abnormal psychology identifies multiple different causes for different conditions, employing diverse theories from the general field of psychology and elsewhere, and much still hinges on what exactly is meant by "abnormal". There has traditionally been a divide between psychological and biological explanations, reflecting a philosophical dualism in regard to the mind body problem, as well as different approaches to the classification of mental disorders.
Clinical psychology is the applied field of psychology that seeks to assess, understand and treat psychological conditions in clinical practice. The theoretical field known as "abnormal psychology" may form a backdrop to such work, but clinical psychologists are nowadays unlikely to use the term "abnormal" in reference to their practice. Psychopathology is a similar term to abnormal psychology but has more of an implication of an underlying pathology (disease process), and as such is a term more commonly used in the medical specialty known as psychiatry.
I think it should be understood that Jared, even now, creeps out his guards as he just sits and stares with a smirk on his face. His behavior in college was so noticeable that is scared practically everyone.
Now the question arises; - if narcotics or hallucionogens were the culptit ? and I say no, not necesarily. They didn't send a "normal" person into a mental state of abnormality. The abnormality already existed and the effects of the mind altering substances exacerbated the condition.
We can further try to understand how the naturally occuring "elements" in plants growing in natural conditions affect the brain. Since I contend that humans are nothing more that a species of Hominidae - The Hominidae (anglicized hominids, also known as great apes), as the term is used here, form a taxonomic family, including four extant genera:
PathologyIntoxication with swainsonine has several kinds of effect.
Livestock that graze for several weeks on locoweed (and little else) develop a lysosomal storage disease similar to genetic mannosidosis.[17] Swainsonine inhibits a lysosomal enzyme, alpha-mannosidase.[18] This results in abnormal accumulation of the molecules normally processed by the enzyme, and this accumulation leads to vacuolation of most tissues. Vacuolation is most obvious in neurons and epithelial cells. The vacuolation resolves shortly after poisoning is discontinued, but if the vacuolation is so severe that it destroys cells, it may result in some neurologic damage that is irreversible and permanent.[17] The damage is highly varied.
In cattle at high altitude, complications of locoism can include congestive heart failure.[19]
In cattle, sheep, and goats, locoweed poisoning causes reproductive losses.
[edit] DiagnosisDiagnosis of clinical poisoning is generally made by documenting exposure, identifying the neurologic signs, and analyzing serum for alpha-mannosidase activity and swainsonine.[17]
In mule deer, clinical signs of locoism are similar to chronic wasting disease. Histological signs of vacuolation provide a differential diagnosis.[20]
Sub-clinical intoxication has been investigated in cattle grazing on Astragalus mollissimus. As the estimated intake of swainsonine increased, blood serum alpha-mannosidase activity and albumin decreased, and alkaline phosphatase and thyroid hormone increased.[21]