Quote:
Originally Posted by wil318466
No.. I think I'm trying to understand, but it isn't really possible to understand since the guy is actually crazy.
Mental illness is bad ****.
You'd better not let
Jessica Valenti hear you say that.
Quote:
But to dismiss this as a case of a lone "madman" would be a mistake.
It not only stigmatizes the mentally ill – who are much more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of it – but glosses over the role that misogyny and gun culture play (and just how foreseeable violence like this is) in a sexist society. After all, while it is unclear what role Rodger's reportedly poor mental health played in the alleged crime, the role of misogyny is obvious.
Aside from wondering if there's a demographic outside of 'violent criminals' whose members
aren't 'much more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of it' and a certain curiosity about the role misogyny might play in a
non-sexist society, most of all I'm wondering about the alleged lack of clarity regarding the role of mental illness in a guy's decision to go on a stabbing and shooting murder rampage.
I mean, yes, clearly the guy was a
raging misogynist. He was also a racist, a narcissist, a snob and many things besides. But four of the six people he murdered were men. By all means, do the think-piece, talk about the misogyny - it's an important issue. But I think as regards this particular atrocity, the mental health issue is both more pertinent and more tractable.