Shooting reported near White House

[Charlot123]

I think your description is far better than my abbreviated one. Unless evidence of radicalization is forthcoming, RL is as American as any number of rampagers. Using your description, RL gives me the same vibes as Audrey Hale, the Nashville school rampager:

- Never a Commando, but was a member of a play off level basket ball team in High School. 'Burb mayors like to meet such local sports heroes. Teachers and alumni offer congratulations. Players are in the morning announcements. Sports banquets offer good escapes.

- Likely has a "Now What?" moment after high school. Drops out of art college. Next stop is a dead end job as a pet groomer. 28 years old and still living with the 'rents. Lacks work discipline and determination to find better employment.

- Halfheartedly recreates herself as transexual to shock the 'rents. Yet... still self identifies and appears as 'female' on many occasions.

As with RL, a "perfect storm" develops: Glory days are gone. Then a dead end job. Lacks the work discipline to obtain higher paying work. No hope of a better future. Time to rampage. Attacks a school because "its there" and for shock value.

The pattern is likely the same in all Western world. We can call it “the American tragedy” only because we discuss the case that has happened here. Why is it so painfully typical, though?

The defining factor of my upbringing was my mom’s decision, when I was a 6-years-old, not to “simply” buy me a popular doll. She’d pay me a token sum for each glass of wild strawberries that she made me gather in the forest, to “earn” the money for that doll. I was born and raised in the USSR, yet all my modus operandi, to obtain marketable skills and sell them, stems from that one summer. So when I moved to the US, I was very happy to see the American parents’ tradition, to make schoolkids work in the summer. I believe it is the greatest way to develop the will to sell one’s skills in the future, and with this comes the wish to get better skills. The backbone of market economy.

Yet we are losing it all, especially with Gen Z, and for a too-obvious reason. Drugs are everywhere, and with more money, kids just have more temptation. My vote cast in WA in 2012 was for decriminalizing pot. And now, a decade later. the situation looks gloomy. We infantilize our children by keeping them in the house as long as we can (because of what’s sold on the streets!), and they, in turn, grow up insecure are scared to fail.

High number of “para-schoolshooting decisions” are IMHO triggered by the despair coming from fear of “not making it” in the world. Kids have to blame someone for it. If they blame the parents, there is DV, if they blame the world, there is school shooting.

So in an own, idiosyncratic way, RL, a 29-year-old father of five, is a Zoomer from
Afghanistan who is repeating the typical “school shooter’s” path.

However: most often than not, substances are a strong trigger in such cases. So I am wondering if we should look at the Singaporean experience closer. In Singapore, they don’t punish addicted people. They treat them. But their laws against drug contraband and sales are harsh.

I don’t know what else to think of to break this vicious cycle.

(If we are talking about general confusion, then, too… one defines themselves by so many things, and “what can I do? What are my skills?” is definitely not the last one.)

 

[Cryptic]

The pattern is likely the same in all Western world. We can call it “the American tragedy” only because we discuss the case that has happened here. Why is it so painfully typical, though?

I fully agree that the same conditions regarding young people with high expectations that they automatically be given a good job and a constant supply of material "wants" exist though out the western world.

But, as Americans have easy access to weapons, people are more likely to rampage "effectively". Thus, the combination of young adults with high expectations and access to weapons creates "American tragedies" in the form of rampage killings.

Meanwhile in Europe, weapons are far harder to obtain. Rampages are less frequent and usually, but not always, involve fewer deaths.

 

[Elley Mae]

Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds (TRIG) - Situational Exemptions | USCIS

The secretaries of the departments of state and homeland security, in consultation with the attorney general, may authorize exemptions from the terrorism-related inadmissibility grounds (TRIG). See Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) section 212(d)(3)(B)(i). These exemptions do not apply to...

www.uscis.gov

 

[Sundog]

I think your description is far better than my abbreviated one. Unless evidence of radicalization is forthcoming, RL is as American as any number of rampagers. Using your description, RL gives me the same vibes as Audrey Hale, the Nashville school rampager:

- Never a Commando, but was a member of a play off level basket ball team in High School. 'Burb mayors like to meet such local sports heroes. Teachers and alumni offer congratulations. Players are in the morning announcements. Sports banquets offer good escapes.

- Likely has a "Now What?" moment after high school. Drops out of art college. Next stop is a dead end job as a pet groomer. 28 years old and still living with the 'rents. Lacks work discipline and determination to find better employment.

- Halfheartedly recreates herself as transexual to shock the 'rents. Yet... still self identifies and appears as 'female' on many occasions.

As with RL, a "perfect storm" develops: Glory days are gone. Then a dead end job. Lacks the work discipline to obtain higher paying work. No hope of a better future. Time to rampage. Attacks a school because "its there" and for shock value.

I think we'll find out that RL is a radicalized terrorist, the FBI is searching his online activity and his ties to others both in his community and in other locations.

The reason for the radicalization doesn't really matter, terrorism is terrorism. He will never see the light of day in the U.S. again. He will be deported if he ever leaves incarceration. He made his choices. And two national guardsmen lost their lives because of it. And families and other loved ones lost their precious children. And the country lost two military members who were doing their job to protect us.

Justice for Sarah and Andy and all citizens of this country.

 

[Charlot123]

I fully agree that the same conditions regarding young people with high expectations that they automatically be given a good job and a constant supply of material "wants" exist though out the western world.

But, as Americans have easy access to weapons, people are more likely to rampage "effectively". Thus, the combination of young adults with high expectations and access to weapons creates "American tragedies" in the form of rampage killings.

Meanwhile in Europe, weapons are far harder to obtain. Rampages are less frequent and usually, but not always, involve fewer deaths.

Weapons are easier to get here. Maybe this case will make us think of 1) access to guns and 2) access to mental health. In general, there are own ways for mass killers in Canada or Europe. We don't discuss them here that much, but the pattern exists.

MOO - it all starts with us promising the best future to the kids "as long as you do well at school" and then, well, the future is not a totally predictable thing. But if you recommend, "go earn money Ubering until you get your dream job", you are risking to hear "there is no money in it", back. I can't say that the Zoomers are the most money-oriented, definitely, not, but they haven't been taught to earn it outside of programming for sure. They teach "art" in school but why not "plumbing", for example?

So in essence, RL needed the same: mental health help and a therapist who'd say, "OK, we can discuss all your current problems but in the meantime, where do you see yourself a year from now? Five years from now? Professionally?" As any Zoomer should hear. JMO. And someone had to remind him that he was the lucky one to escape out of Afghanistan. And also, that the Afghanis are hard-working farmers. And, there are farms around Bellingham, too.