Economy drives violent trend
Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: Opinion
As of recently, murder rates seem to have increased. Within the last week, a man in Washington state killed his five children, in Pennsylvania, a man killed three police officers who came to investigate a supposed "domestic disturbance" he reported, a man opened fire in a nursing home in California killing seven elderly patients, another in New York killed 13 people in an immigrant center, and a California man killed five relatives and himself at a housewarming party.
Murder is not a new concept. This isn't to rationalize murder in any capacity, but these people had no reason to murder the people they did.
Finding a reason behind the senseless violence is difficult to do, but a major influence behind the recent fatal activity could be directly related to the state of the economy. It isn't any question that we are dealing with economic turmoil. With companies falling over like dominoes, massive quantities of people are losing their jobs, and with no money to line anyone's pockets, finding ways to feed, clothe and house one's family can become near impossibilities.
According to a report by Live Science, suicides and murders spike for unemployed people and family murder-suicides are common as well. This recession isn't helping to diminish such violence.
Moreover, the Christian Science Monitor reported that there is a direct link between domestic violence and economically deficient times. In the report, legislative director at the Violence Policy Center in Washington said, "We've been looking at this issue of whether there are more murder-suicides . . . (and) a pattern is starting to develop that may point in that direction."
Watching big-time CEOs become richer, getting the bailouts they've requested while the everyday working American has been begging for help for decades fosters frustration. It's no wonder that people have gone insane, killing random strangers, ones they love and themselves. Maybe it's an escape; maybe they think this is the only way out.
At the WC, we'd like to offer a solution to this problem, but there is no hard-and-fast solution to this issue. Maybe Robin Hood was on to something - take from the rich, give to the poor. Perhaps big oil tycoons, CEOs and other privileged citizens could take the initiative and lend their poorer friends a helping hand in times of trouble.
Murder is not a new concept. This isn't to rationalize murder in any capacity, but these people had no reason to murder the people they did.
Finding a reason behind the senseless violence is difficult to do, but a major influence behind the recent fatal activity could be directly related to the state of the economy. It isn't any question that we are dealing with economic turmoil. With companies falling over like dominoes, massive quantities of people are losing their jobs, and with no money to line anyone's pockets, finding ways to feed, clothe and house one's family can become near impossibilities.
According to a report by Live Science, suicides and murders spike for unemployed people and family murder-suicides are common as well. This recession isn't helping to diminish such violence.
Moreover, the Christian Science Monitor reported that there is a direct link between domestic violence and economically deficient times. In the report, legislative director at the Violence Policy Center in Washington said, "We've been looking at this issue of whether there are more murder-suicides . . . (and) a pattern is starting to develop that may point in that direction."
Watching big-time CEOs become richer, getting the bailouts they've requested while the everyday working American has been begging for help for decades fosters frustration. It's no wonder that people have gone insane, killing random strangers, ones they love and themselves. Maybe it's an escape; maybe they think this is the only way out.
At the WC, we'd like to offer a solution to this problem, but there is no hard-and-fast solution to this issue. Maybe Robin Hood was on to something - take from the rich, give to the poor. Perhaps big oil tycoons, CEOs and other privileged citizens could take the initiative and lend their poorer friends a helping hand in times of trouble.
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