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BigmanPigman

(52,153 posts)
Tue Feb 14, 2023, 03:59 AM Feb 2023

Why are most of the US mass murderers men?

Is this a mental, physical or emotional issue that we are not addressing or are we choosing to ignore the obvious facts from thousands of years? Is this a gender issue that has no reasoning behind it? Is it mainly a physical problem? If it is then how are we to correct it?

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/27/981803154/why-nearly-all-mass-shooters-are-men

17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Why are most of the US mass murderers men? (Original Post) BigmanPigman Feb 2023 OP
Testosterone, elleng Feb 2023 #1
Testosterone + toxic masculinity lambchopp59 Feb 2023 #6
Plus a little touch of butt hurt Better Days Ahoy Feb 2023 #8
Maybe they aren't FBaggins Feb 2023 #2
Seriously? Srkdqltr Feb 2023 #3
No one seems to think it's a man problem. Or a gun problem. Srkdqltr Feb 2023 #4
The truth is during peak years of testosterone effect, for centuries young men went to war... hlthe2b Feb 2023 #5
Not sure that applies anymore DetroitLegalBeagle Feb 2023 #11
Selection bias as a result of the volunteer-only services. As mentioned, this effect seen during hlthe2b Feb 2023 #12
Mass murder is evidence of their undeveloped social skills bucolic_frolic Feb 2023 #7
And why are women the ones who need to be controlled? Irish_Dem Feb 2023 #9
So true, and crazy-making. Timeflyer Feb 2023 #13
David Rothkopf said it best... CousinIT Feb 2023 #10
+1 Irish_Dem Feb 2023 #14
Men cannot create, incubate, & bring forth new human life onto this planet. Higherarky Feb 2023 #15
and why are the greatest number of them white? WhiteTara Dec 2023 #16
Societal programming adds a slight factor chowmama Dec 2023 #17

Better Days Ahoy

(699 posts)
8. Plus a little touch of butt hurt
Tue Feb 14, 2023, 07:24 AM
Feb 2023

That makes our new equation:

Testosterone + Toxic Masculinity + Obsessive Butt-Hurt + Inability to Deal with it in a Socially Acceptable Way = Socially Unacceptable Response.

It's just a question of degree. Do you punch out someone at your kid's Pop Warner game or shoot dozens of people from a hotel window in Las Vegas?

Not a single psychology class to get here. Don't need it.

FBaggins

(27,441 posts)
2. Maybe they aren't
Tue Feb 14, 2023, 05:51 AM
Feb 2023

Maybe women are just much better at it.

Perhaps not... but best not to take any chances on Valentine's Day.

hlthe2b

(105,916 posts)
5. The truth is during peak years of testosterone effect, for centuries young men went to war...
Tue Feb 14, 2023, 06:25 AM
Feb 2023

even in the US when the draft was still in place. At least following WWII and generally after Vietnam, the overwhelming majority of those once-young men who returned had developed quite the respect or actual revulsion for guns and if they did not, they certainly were largely resolved to their use for hunting only. They had seen their share of carnage. And, they knew and respected the need for safe storage.

Not all young men under the rising influence of testosterone become violent, obviously. Most do not. But for those with rage issues, the absence of other outlets means violence in gangs or a susceptibility to commit mass murder. In years past, they would have gone to war. Not saying that is the answer, obviously, but it is an undeniable correlation.

DetroitLegalBeagle

(2,119 posts)
11. Not sure that applies anymore
Tue Feb 14, 2023, 07:56 AM
Feb 2023

Some of the most hardcore gun enthusiasts I know all served in Iraq or Afghanistan. I know a lot of guys who bought AR15's right after they got out and got their carry licenses because they got used to being armed. Comparison between the current all volunteer force and the old draftee force doesn't work well. WW2 and Vietnam had a lot of guys drafted who wanted nothing to do with war or guns. Now, every person I served in Iraq with, voluntarily joined the military knowing full well they would be trained and issued weapons and could possibly use them in combat.

hlthe2b

(105,916 posts)
12. Selection bias as a result of the volunteer-only services. As mentioned, this effect seen during
Tue Feb 14, 2023, 07:58 AM
Feb 2023

years when EVERY young male was susceptible to being sent. Add to that the politicization of guns and extremist recruiting within the military and yes, it is a very different situation now. I'm not suggesting bringing back the draft, but this was the one after-effect that could be considered a positive.

bucolic_frolic

(46,561 posts)
7. Mass murder is evidence of their undeveloped social skills
Tue Feb 14, 2023, 07:04 AM
Feb 2023

Mostly there are no moms, girlfriends, significant others, wives to talk them down from their rage. They are married to their guns. They want blood - anybody's - to justify their rage and soothe their unrecognized pain. They live in their own warped heads.

Irish_Dem

(55,825 posts)
9. And why are women the ones who need to be controlled?
Tue Feb 14, 2023, 07:27 AM
Feb 2023

In some countries locked away in their houses?

In the US, draconian laws passed for the purpose of turning women into brood mares?

CousinIT

(9,936 posts)
10. David Rothkopf said it best...
Tue Feb 14, 2023, 07:47 AM
Feb 2023

...

“Testosterone is the most effective solvent for human brain tissue. Just a drop or two can render a perfectly functional human cortex completely stupid. As evidence, I offer all of human history.” -David Rothkopf

Higherarky

(637 posts)
15. Men cannot create, incubate, & bring forth new human life onto this planet.
Tue Feb 14, 2023, 10:59 AM
Feb 2023

Therefore, some men are compelled to destroy human life on this planet.

😢

chowmama

(492 posts)
17. Societal programming adds a slight factor
Tue Dec 12, 2023, 01:24 PM
Dec 2023

Which, when mixed with any instability, is really toxic. It's somewhat toxic when no instability is in play.

Men are told that they must be in complete control of their environment and those around them, particularly subordinates. Women are told they must be in complete control of themselves, the home and, by extension, their children.

Since neither is possible, most of us go around a little unhappy, guilt-ridden and/or ashamed. This makes us easy to manipulate and market to. Women can never look good enough and even if genetics were kind to us, time marches on. Children are their own people and eventually practice independence by exploring areas that 'don't represent the family well' - clothes, opinions and activities. The house - in an economy that requires 2 full-time jobs to support a couple, let alone a family, forget about Good Housekeeping standards, let alone Martha Stewart.

And for men, nobody is ever completely in control of anything. Even at work, the biggest boss (assuming male, for the sake of argument) there is at the mercy of economic forces, crime, climate, politics...So even if they don't make themselves feel better by outright domination, there's a real tendency to micromanage while knowing full well they still don't have that utmost control that defines "The Real Man". That bounces down to their subordinates, who are in even less control. And so on, and so on...

Again, most of us realize that the ideal just isn't possible. Some of us even realize that it's not desirable. But we're set up from childhood to just be a little discontented about it. There can be a range of reactions, depending on the level of unrealistic thinking. Keeping up with the neighbors to the point of financial instability (and the neighbors are doing the same thing). Various degrees of control-freakery. Women trying to manage their bodies to the point of ill health, just trying to look like they're still that young and hot.

Now add in a really unstable personality, who not only believes all this shit, but is willing to go to the wall for it. The shame is overwhelming. Not bearable. Women are more likely to off themselves or, by extension, the kids with them. Men are more likely to take out everything around them that they can reach. Suicide being the ultimate act of control (and prison is not), they may or may not include themselves.

The availability of killing machines such as semi-and automatic weaponry is going to be used more often by the males. That's got to end; it has no place in a civilized society. But it would be really good long-term if we could counter all the programming to begin with.

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