FOR THOSE OF YOU who have never visited the united states, one hardly knows whether to envy or pity you. certainly, you've missed out on a lot of excitement. however, the future promises to be ever more exciting, so there's still time to get here and see it all unfold.
how often does somebody walk into a public place, pull out a gun, and start blasting away, killing as many people as time permits? once a year, several times a year? one gets the impression that it happens, on average, two or three times a year.
but the frequency seems to be increasing, so much so that future incidents might not even render the perpetrator famous. that might be a good thing; it might eliminate motivation.
there was a time when this sort of thing happened in post offices, as overworked, underpaid postal employees cut loose on several occasions, often enough that the phenomenon was for a time given the term "going postal", wherever it happened.
then, we moved over into the public schools. fortunately that venue seems to have abated a bit, so...where next? political appearances? motion picture theatres?
by now trillions of academicians of all sorts have probably developed theories to attempt to explain this behavior, and in particular, its frequency in america.
undoubtedly the widespread ownership of guns has oft been cited, as well as the competitive nature of american culture. perhaps some economic sociologists have pointed out the great disparity in success and social status, and the persistance of an underemployed poverty ridden class.
are americans lonely, angry, and alienated? to a certain extent, without doubt. road rage is a common occurance in america as well. cut somebody off in traffic, and you may end up with a bullet hole in your windshield, if not your head.
but don't let all this keep you from visiting the united states. the odds are still heavily on your side, at least for the time being...
Bb
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