No Easy Answer to Mass Killing Wave

The spate of mass killings is heart wrenching and deeply worrisome and is a grave warning that more unhinged individuals could be set off by an economic tumble. But hard times aren't the only reason that individuals wipe out families and strangers. Mass killings happen even in the best of economic times. There are cultural and social reasons for the mayhem that are just as compelling and disturbing as a lousy economy.

Then there's the media. The mass killings are spectacular, gory, and sensational and that makes them prime candidates for non stop media saturation coverage. The intense media focus on every detail known about the victims, and especially the killer, stokes the public's fascination with the gore. This stirs even greater media frenzy. This puts a perverse stamp of legitimacy on the killings as macabre drama. That can further unhinge individuals already on the edge.

The motive for a mass killing can be economic hardship. Or it can be cultural or perceived racial victimization, social isolation, or a copycat act. In any case, the murders cause colossal pain, suffering and anguish for families, stir fear in society, and pose a severe challenge to policy makers. There are no easy answers to the violence. Yet finding answers is a matter of life and death.