German High School Shooting
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James Joyner | Wednesday, March 11, 2009 |
A shooting spree at a German high school has killed at least 10 people and wounded untold others.
This tragedy will come as a shock to most in the United States, as our media treat rampages by gunmen as a uniquely American phenomenon made possible only by our lax firearms laws.
AP’s timeline, though, reveals only nine incidents in thirteen years, including this morning’s — all tragic, of course, but hardly an epidemic. Of those three each were in Germany and the United States, two in Finland, and one in Scotland.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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AP’s timeline, though, reveals only nine incidents in thirteen years, including this morning’s — all tragic, of course, but hardly an epidemic.
This is right on--it's not like we're Iraq or something.
In terms of sheer savagery and senseless violence, they have us beat--big time.
So . . . people going crazy and shooting up schools leads to international conflict?
In the words of Otter, in Animal House:
"Forget it; He's rolling."
While I agree with your underlying point, it's worth noting that the AP list is not a comprehensive list of school shootings, only "some of the worst school shootings in recent years." I can recall several shootings in the US not on that list that left one or two dead, and I am quite certain that there are a number of gang-related shootings that got little media attention outside their immediate locale. Either way, this is hardly an epidemic and as you point out, it is hardly limited to the US.
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