In the aftermath of the horrible shooting in Aurora, Colorado, I find myself asking what it is that compels people to want to commit mass murder.
And…I wonder why so many of these mass murders are done by white men.
I know people don’t like to talk about race, and I know it’s easier to talk about black on black crime. While black on black crime raises hardly more than a whimper or cause for concern, when a black kills someone white, there is a fair amount of outrage.
But this mass murder thing: why is it that white men seem to be the primary perpetrators in crimes like these? Why is there still a sense of shock when it happens? How come there aren’t some studies being done to find out why this happens? Black on black crime has been said by some to be caused by the deep levels of self-hatred African-Americans have. Black on white crime is said to be caused by long-held anger on the part of blacks. White on black crime is credited to racism in many cases…but mass murder, perpetrated by white men on crowds of people, most of the time predominantly white, has no reason given, or at least I haven’t heard the reason. Have I missed something?
The latest alleged murderer, James Holmes, has murdered at least 12 people as of this writing, including a three-month old baby. He came into a crowded theater, released tear gas, and then opened fire. He apparently carried an arsenal of weapons, and he told police he had booby-trapped his apartment to explode. He came dressed all in black, and he apparently shot with abandon, aiming at nobody, yet aiming at everyone. This young man, 24, is, or was, a PhD candidate. I would assume he came from a fairly nice family, as “nice” is defined. So, what happened?
I think about the young men, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who shot and killed and wounded students at Columbine High School; the young men, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who blew up the Murrah Federal Office building in Oklahoma City, the young man, , T.J. Lane, who is accused of shooting students at Chardon High School in Ohio earlier this year; and of course, there was the horrific shooting in Arizona where Jared Loughner shot Representative Gabby Giffords and 18 other people in 2011…all white men, and I don’t get it. Why does this keep happening, again and again?
Could it be that white men harbor some degree of self-hatred too? Or is it they carry a lot of anger about …well, about what? If white men are angry, and especially so angry that they feel compelled to shoot whomever is in their way, why are they that angry?
Isn’t it a topic or subject or situation that somebody ought to at least look into?
My heart is so heavy for the people who were shot in Colorado. All they were doing was watching a movie, and now, some are dead, some are wounded, and all who survived or who will survive are forever changed. It seems like a fair amount of Americans are suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, all due to domestic violence, and much of due to these mass killings.
It just seems that the tendency of white men to express their anger and rage through mass murder ought to be a subject for study. It’s proper to be horrified when these atrocities happen, but horror isn’t worth a dime if it cannot and does not lead to serious study so that the problem can be alleviated or reduced.
There are just way too many mass murders in America, too many white men who punish a slew of people for something they are upset about. It’s time for it to stop. Past time, actually.
A candid observation …
Candid Observations 
How about white people are just crazy. It’s that simple. No needs for studies, white people are a sick bunch of individuals. Animals
But they always want to talk about someone else. And how messed up everyone else is ecept themselves.
I don’t think all white people are crazy. My piece is meant to get people to think about how “white on white” crime – i.e. white men doing mass murders …hasn’t inspired some serious study. Someone ought to be concerned about why this thing keeps on happening. Many white men seem to be angry…isn’t somebody concerned or curious about that?
Thanks for your comments.
Very good article…if you ever find a study on this I would be interested in reading.
It is calle white people in denial. I dont understand why someone hasnt started some kind of study on why almost all mass murders are committed by white male. they spend so much of their time analizing every other race but their own. Oh and by the way the snatching of young girls and murders of young white girls have white male perpetrators.Just horible how they kill so many innocent people.
The denial you speak of is real. Perhaps there has been a study or two done; I need to research it, but we certainly have not heard anything about it if there is or has been such work.
Thank you for reading and commenting on the piece.
Tim Wise discusses this research in greater detail than anyone I know. http://www.timwise.org/2001/03/school-shootings-and-white-denial/
Thank you!
Most of the mass murderers are cowards who kill themselves. They leave no one to study. It is my belief that James Holmes planted himself as a “guinea pig” so to speak, so that he could be studied. He was a neuroscience reject. His area of expertise speaks for itself. He planned this attack in such a way that he would be arrested. The Century 16 movie theater is less the a half mile away from the Aurora police station. He has no other reason for his actions. He wants to be studied so that perhaps we can understand why these people do these sorts of things. We already know someone who would do such a thing is sick, but now we can find out just how sick. Look at his picture…he even looks like a lab rat.
Wow. What an interesting perspective. Never thought of this at all! Thank you for sharing!
I think this should have been an area of study years ago. There’s so much academic “insight” on black-on-black crime as you mentioned, but nothing on white males and mass murder.
Perhaps people are afraid to do such research because it would reveal how this society rears us to be aggressive – and especially white men. I mean, “The Dark Knight” is basically a movie about two white men through violence. Plus, much of America’s history has been overshadowed by war, racial terror, and an economic system that some argue is exploitive. So thanks for your insight, because this is an issue that needs much attention and more!
Thank you for your comment. It is really an issue that we just don’t hear much about. It’s strange, because America studies everything…but this. White cowboys and later, the Mafia, were known for “drive by” violence, and yet it has somehow been accepted as part of romantic American folklore. Not cool at all.
Again, thank you for your comment and for reading the piece!
White males have been taught by Western Society to have an overblown sense of entitlement and their place in history. So when a white male is unstable and their life expectations aren’t met, someone is going to get hurt and/or die. We see this again and again.
Black and Hispanic communities have mentally ill members too, but they are not perpetrating mass murder.
Maybe it’s some type of neurological disorder that is only found in white people. Whites have committed mass murder since pilgrim times. The earliest American settlers did horrible things. I don’t understand why minorities get so much sh*t when infact white people commit far more serious crimes. All the sex offenders in my neighborhood are white males. Kinda makes you think.?
Wow. That’s all I can say. I have always found it interesting that America’s culture and history is one of violence, yet the only time there’s an outcry is when people of color commit crimes. It is very troubling.
Thank you for your input.
I commend you for speaking out. I was just asking myself the same question. After these tragic events, we mourn and say how aweful the incident was, then media and politicians focus on how the law will contend with the individual, but no one speaks candidly about the profile of these individuals. Like so many other things, society in America sweeps dirt under the rug when it’s done by certain people. You are brave and I really appreciate knowing there are some Americans that see the bigger picture. I shared your website with hundreds of friends and I hope that people begin to speak out. Perhaps a petition to our law makers to have some studies done. If they are studies out there, they certainly are not easy to find.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and commenting on this piece. I am going to research to see if there are studies, if there have been studies done. I will be sure to share any if I find them. THANK YOU AGAIN for reading and sharing my piece!
If mass murders are committed by “deranged” White males, shouldn’t we have each and every White male in this country on surveillance just like what we are attempting to do with the muslims? It’s interesting how there is never a call for increased vigilance against the “White male” threat to when something like this happens.
true, mass murders are practically the same at the end of the day as terrorism, both result in many people dieing. YET, we give different names, and “special” attention to who did the crime, especially if they’re white. The white race is the devil in disguise. Sadly, we are forever stuck and slaved by them.
white people are just evil and f’d in the head. It’s the only race that never feels, acts, or looks guilty of any wrong doings they have committed. I mean they practically made native indians go extinct, and they don’t look like they give two shiits about it. They also invented slavery, porn, satanism, mass murders, serial killing, the list goes on, and yet not one of those fukheads give two shits about it.. Over in the middle east they are killing civilians, daily, and here in north america, including canada, they are committing mass murders. I do believe every white man/women has the hitler syndrome, history is my proof.
White people will never stop feeling like the world is entitled to them. The rest of us are just stuck with them. Heck theres a ton of whites in asia and africa these days, so there’s no escaping these sick fuks.
I don’t understand how god can create a race like the white race, pure evil if you ask me.
Yes never take your eyes off white boys between 17 and 30. In fact always keep your trigger finger on the trigger as you never know when they will in fact turn Postal. Remember after 9/11 it was Muslims of the 17 to 30 age group. Well the times have changed. I will never forget a plane I flew on in early 2012 shortly after 9/11. I spotted a dark complected male 17 to 30 on the same plane I was on. My heart raced as I was worried he was an Arab. Yet when I got close enough my heart immediately went to a normal when I could hear him clearly speaking a native North American language Spanish Hell I am white and 57 but I am NOT STUPID
I think that’s a very good question. In these mass shootings, many of them done by white people, why have there not been studies into why? Our society studies human behavior, it seems, this is becoming part of human behavior, and I’d be curious to know why.
One can’t help but wonder why the young white men (and older ones too, I suppose) are so angry?