Mass murder - Research Paper Example

Mass Murder Mass murder is a term mostly used in the military set up referring to the action of killing a large number ofindividuals usually at once and within a short period (Fox & Jack 5). However, according to FBI, a mass murderer is a person killing four or more people at once. In most situations, the event of mass murder occurs within a particular location whereby a given number of people are killed by a perpetrator or perpetrators. With some exceptions, several incidences of mass murder end with the killing of the executor. The perpetrators commit suicide in the incident or get killed by law enforcers. Mass murder is different from spree killing. In mass murder, organizations or individuals commit the crime. However, in spree killing, the crime is executed by one of two people (Frances 5). Moreover, in spree killing, the perpetrators kill commit the crime in more than one location and at an instant while in mass murder, people are killed at an instant and in one location. Government agents also conduct mass murder by intentional and indiscriminate killing of large number of persons. This occurs through execution of unarmed protestors, indiscriminate murder of civilians, carpet bombing of urban places and cities as well as throwing of dangerous weapons like grenades into jails among others (Hillshafer 24). For example, the government may attempt to exterminate entire communities or groups of people based on religion or ethnic background. In US, There is scarce information about mass murder ever since its establishment. Grant Duwe who is the director of research and evaluation at the Minnesota Department of Corrections has assembled data pertaining to US mass murder from 1976 (Duwe 23). His work has established data of 156 mass murders over the last 100 years. He asserts that mass murder in the USA has been occasioned by gun shootings within schools, restaurants, work places among other public places. This data excludes those killed by police when committing crimes such as drug traffic, robbery, or terrorism acts. Throughout history, there has been a lot of incidences of mass murder. According to Duwe, the first incidences of mass murder wave within US started in the 1920s throughout 1930s (Duwe 25). These murders mainly comprised of felony and familicides massacres. In the 1960s through to mid 1990s, there existed a greater number of mass shootings, such as the one in Newton. Moreover, in 1996, a student named Charles Whitman climbed a 27 story building where he shot and killed 14 people while wounding another 31. The incident is referred as the 1996 Texas Tower shootings. Ever since 1900, the highest number of public mass murder by use of guns occurred in 1929. Criminologists claim that the highest number of mass murder cases in US was in 1900s, and this amounted to more than forty percent of the reported cases (Duwe 25). However, between 2000 and 2009, there was a drop in the cases of mass shootings and this constituted less than 30 percent of the reported cases. Some cases involving mass murder entail the 1893 murder of 11 people whereby the perpetrators used guns and swords in carrying out the execution in the city of Osaka, Japan. Consequently, the 1914 shooting incident left 7 people dead in Camerata Cornello in Italy. There are different types of mass murder and these include mass murder by state and mass murder by individuals. Mass murder by a state This type of murder is state sponsored and covers a variety of potential killings. Government agents intentionally and indiscriminately execute many people at once for ethnic, religious, or other reasons (Kuhne 120). For instance, the government can deliberately massacre captives in times of war. A good example is the execution of captives by the Empire of Japan, the Nazi Germany, and the Nanjing massacre among others. Moreover, mass execution of civilians in the period of total war more so through strategic bombing such as the Bombing of Tokyo as well as the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima also constitute state murder (Kuhne 120). State mass murder may occur in case state initiated actions result in the death of many people. Examples of such murders occur from manmade calamities such as the poverty and famines resulting from Great Leap Forward as well as the Cultural Revolution in China among others. Mass murder by individuals These fall into a number of categories such as killers of students, family or random execution of strangers (Kuhne 122). The perpetrators of such kinds of murder vary from revenge to search for fame or attention. Some of the renowned mass murderers include Robert Bales, Jeff Weise, and Ahmed Ibragimov among others. The most notable individual mass murder was the Vasili Blokhim’s war crime whereby 7000 polish prisoners got assassinated. An example of mass murder incident occurred on April 1891 when an elderly man fired a shotgun at kids playing near St. Mary’s Parochial School within Newburgh in New York (Kuhne 123). Luckily, none of the kids got killed in the incident but it left their bodies packed with lead. Earlier on in the year 1764, four Lenape American Indians shot a teacher and his ten students in Greecastle (Kuhne 124). This formed the earliest incident of mass shooting, and thus mass murder in USA. The society regards people who commit mass murder as evil and alien individuals. The society needs to expel such people since there is no reason for them to stay with the rest of the people in unless they change. Present day position In the contemporary world, execution or attempting to kill is a common phenomenon since it has been rampant. According to the recent statistics, the US has recorded high levels of mass murder with half of those recorded occurring since the expiry of the assault weapons ban in 2005 (Ramsland 12). Former US President Bill Clinton signed the bill into law in 1994 but it expired ten years later. Supporters of the ban confessed that the law had massive loopholes, which limited its effectiveness. However, the rise in mass murders more so the mass shootings have provided a reason for renewal of the ban and enhancement of its effectiveness. Some of the shootings include the Newton and Conn tragedies, which have increased pressure on the government to renew the ban. Ever since the expiry of the weapons ban, the US has recorded over 32 incidences of mass murders (Ramsland 15). This information also entails 2012 shootings whereby seven people died. Duwe asserts that in 2012, mass murder incidences were the most horrific since it recorded a higher number of the cases (Duwe 26). The most terrible year was 1991 whereby eight incidents were recorded. The years 1999 and 2012 emerged second after 1991 since both registered seven incidences of mass murder by gun shooting. This was in effect to the lift of the assault ban in 2005. Most executors of mass murder use assault weapons in small numbers. Despite the small number, the weapons have a massive impact on the victims as they leave them with wounds. Mass murder was a common phenomenon in Australia before the establishment and enactment of firearms laws. This was after the Port Arthur massacre, which formed the deadliest mass murder in Australian history (Waller 7). However, such incidences drastically dropped after the enactment of the law licensing purchase and ownership of firearms. The government banned the use of semi automatic rifles and self-loading of firearms among the civilians. Since most mass murders in the US occur because of use of guns, there has been a controversial debate concerning the need for gun purchase, ownership, and use. The interpretation of the second Amendment has left the country divided whether to introduce gun control measures (Waller 7). This is because majority of mass murder incidences result from gunshots. The proponents for the strict gun control measures argue that the amendment aims at protecting the rights of various states to support and uphold militia groups. However, opponents of stricter gun control measures claim that the amendment seeks to guard an individual’s right to bear and use arms for self-defense. The individual rights model has blocked passage and implementation of laws regulating purchase and use of weapons for over a period of twenty years (Waller 9). A perfect example was the assault weapons prohibition ban of 1994, which expired in 1994 after intense pressure from gun – rights activists. Moreover, the gun lobbyists argue that for a long time, the long common laws and traditions have been into existence and have supported the right to own and use weapons. However, proponents of stricter gun control regulations counter the arguments by claiming that for the entire period, the English law has controlled gun ownership and use. The controversy over gun ownership and use has led to the intervention and interpretation of the Second Amendment by courts in US (Waller 12). Both the opponents and proponents of stricter gun control measures have seek the help of the courts in deciding the case. For instance, the most recent court case was in March 2007, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia acknowledged the individual rights model (Duwe 29). The court in its ruling claimed that the ban on handguns had been in violation of the Second amendment since 1976. Therefore, by ruling in favor of the gun lobbyists, the court granted permission for the citizens to bear arms. Thus, most people bought guns and used them for protection. However, some have misused the guns by committing crimes against other people. These people have killed or caused injuries to other citizens. Therefore, the ruling favored the use of weapons and this led to increased gun related violence. The issue of mass murder has been very common in every society in the world. Such incidences have been common in the USA since 1982. From that time, there has been a record of 62 incidences of mass murder from the states of Hawaii to Massachusetts. Among the 62 incidences, 25 of them have been recorded ever since 2006 (Duwe 32). Moreover, seven of the incidents occurred in 2012. The August 2012 incident at New York Empire State building is an example of such incident. In the scenario, the perpetrator, Johnson shot Steven Ercolino who was his former boss as a means to revenge for firing him from job. In the incident, Jeffrey Johnson killed eleven people before being killed by police (Ramsland 23). Moreover, the second incident occurred in December 2012 when Jacob Tyler entered a mall in Clackamas Town Center in Oregon killing two people while wounding another person before killing himself. The saddest incident of mass murder occurred in U.S school shooting whereby 26 people died among them 20 schoolchildren (Duwe 45). This incident occurred in the state of Connecticut in the Sandy Hook elementary School and it led to the loss of 20 young schoolchildren. The recent incidences of mass murder by use of guns have proved the need for gun control in the society. All these statistics indicate of the rising cases of mass murder in the society and the need for regulation (Hillshafer 32). Most incidences of mass murder occur when the perpetrators use various weapons like guns in conducting such heinous acts. This has contributed to the need to control purchase and use of weapons in the society. The most common weapon used in mass murder is guns. Gun purchase, ownership, and use have elicited a lot of debate since the incident of Sandy school shooting of USA. The introduction of the individual right model to bear arms has heightened the debate on the need for self-defense by use of guns. Most Americans believe that the Second Amendment warrants them right to own and use weapons, especially the use of guns for protection (Hillshafer 52). Even though gun activists claim that the English Bill of Rights guaranteed everyone to bear and use, such law restricted ownership and use to certain personalities and groups of people. These groups and individuals excluded were Protestants and the wealthy. Such people belonged to a higher class. Despite permitting gun ownership and use by these people, the law also acknowledges the need for the regulation of such weapons (Hillshafer 52). In order to reduce incidences of mass murder, police should respond to a mass shooting within the time of action. Although immediate action may seem dangerous, it might save the lives of other people who could have died in the incident (Kuhne 125). Moreover, an overwhelming police force should be called immediately before the situation worsens in case the police response might fail. Moreover, civilians caught in the incident need to flee, fight back, or hide before arrival of police enforcers. Just like in Australia, USA has to enact strict gun control laws, which will ensure reduced incidences of mass murder occasioned by use of weapons such as guns (Duwe 59). This calls for proper interpretation and support of laws regulating purchase and use of guns. This is because mass murder in most countries result from misuse of guns by criminals. Therefore, to reduce the occurrences of mass murder in America, there is need for proper interpretation of the Second Amendment. On proper interpretation of the amendment as per the beliefs of the founding fathers, careless use of weapons in committing crimes such as mass murder will certainly be on the decline (Duwe 62). Criminals will never again find means of cutting short the lives of young schoolchildren who have a bright future. In life, nobody likes to lose a loved one through the various ugly incidences of mass murder by use of guns or other destructive weapons. Therefore, such incidences must stop if we want a better, prosperous, and wonderful nation for our kids and for the great grandchildren. Works Cited Duwe, Grant. Mass Murder in the United States: A History. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland, 2007. Print. Fox, James A, and Jack Levin. Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE, 2012. Print. Frances, Allen. "Mass Murders, Madness, and Gun Control." Psychiatric Times 29.9 (2012): 1, 1,4. Hillshafer, David. "The Mass Murder Problem." Skeptic 2013: 24,32,64. Kuhne, Thomas. “Mass Murder and community Building”. German History (2012) 30 (1): 120- 126. Ramsland, Katherine M. Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers: Why They Kill. Westport Conn: Praeger, 2005. Print. Waller, James. Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. Read More