Theater Shooting Reactions

[Diogenes The Cynic]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/aurora-shooting-died-bullets-sweeties-article-1.1119395


Its not to be unexpected that some people valiantly tried to save others during the Aurora shootings, but this article struck a nerve with me. In three separate instances, men took a bullet for their girlfriends. As a youth I would have said that they were brave, and made a noble sacrifice, but now, I don't know. Not one instance came up where a woman saved a boyfriend or husband. You could say its biology, or evolution that wires our brains this way, but it never seems as if the level of self sacrifice men exhibit is ever reciprocated.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have noticed a steady progression of selfishness in myself as I've grown older. In theory at least, I would ay that my life is worth as much as any other persons, and that I wouldn't sacrifice myself for anyone else. In practice, I don't know what would happen. 

http://www.youtube.com/results?q=abc%20what%20would%20you%20do&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=w1


ABC has, or had a show that revolved entirely around moral decision making in public settings. In "What Would You Do?" they would manufacture a scenario in public to see if others would denounce something immoral. Its voyeuristic, its mean, and a lot of the scenes aren't presented in a fair manner. But it does show how the average person would react.

The social experiments showed that pretty consistently women would leap to the rescue when its a social issue, and men would leap to the rescue in a physical situation.

Yeah, this didn't turn out as coherent as I meant it to be, but what do you make of it?

[alaric89]

Some people are just naturally protective, they don't think of their own lives or bodies much, and are actually worse in stress situations. I know I am this way, as are some others and I have seen two different women with the same instincts. I know more thought should be given to my own life because I have three children, it isn't just mine, anymore. I recon evolution would make successful humans lose the selfless instinct for protecting as they get older.

[freeAgent]

The "women and children first" mentality comes from evolutionary imperative.  A woman can make about one child per year, maximum, whereas a man with access to an infinite pool of women can essentially make as many children as he wants.  Since the mortality rate used to be a lot higher and the population lower, it was more important to have a boatload of kids.

Anyway, the reasoning behind the women first behavior is certainly outdated, but there may still be reasons for it to exist.  In my experience, women tend to be less decisive than men, so they'd probably be more likely to freeze up during a situation like that where a man would take action (whether good or bad).  Women are also significantly weaker than men.  In a situation where physical violence is occurring, men are much better suited from a physical perspective.

I'm not surprised that some men died protecting women.  There are also stories we'll never know because both parties died.  It's certainly possible that one or multiple women died protecting a man or child, but both the woman and man/child died anyway.

[Bill Brasky]

I think a woman would be more likely to protect her kids than protect her man.  I don't think a womans lizard brain reaction is to dive on top of her guy during battle.  Its a good way to get trampled.  It doesn't strike the right chord in the way I perceive the primitive male-female dynamic.

Each case is unique. 

[dalebert]

Good article.

http://www.davidmcelroy.org/?p=15825

[Turd Ferguson]

[alaric89]

Good article.

http://www.davidmcelroy.org/?p=15825

One small correction, the Norway terrorist used leagal weapons. The government didn't use the terrorist attack as a excuse for any tyranny. I have a friend who is picking up his first handgun (a Glock semi auto the same as Anders Breivik used) in a couple of weeks. I am very surprised at this. I surmise that many socialists are not evil. They really believe their BS. I was actually very proud of Jens Stoltenburg's speach and tone after the attack. Even though I disagree with almost all his politics, he seems to prove to be a good man under fire.

[mothyspace]

I read in the media that the alleged shooter had Tea Party links. This assertion was withdrawn.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176782/Colorado-shooting-Oops-ABC-issue-apology-accusing-Tea-Party-having-link-James-Holmes.html

[SeanD]

Yeah as much as I think Glenn Beck is a nutbag I did love his reaction.  He reported to have found a Brian Ross that was a registered sex offender.  He wasn't sure if it was the same Brian Ross that was an ABC "journalist" but there was a Pedophile Brian Ross.

I lol'd.

[freeAgent]

Yeah as much as I think Glenn Beck is a nutbag I did love his reaction.  He reported to have found a Brian Ross that was a registered sex offender.  He wasn't sure if it was the same Brian Ross that was an ABC "journalist" but there was a Pedophile Brian Ross.

I lol'd.

That is pretty good

[Diogenes The Cynic]

Good article.

http://www.davidmcelroy.org/?p=15825

Not what I was looking for. I didn't mean the public reaction to the shootings, because that's going to be obvious enough. I meant how the people in the crowd reacted to being shot at.

At VT, one of the (male) teachers held a door closed as his students were jumping out the window. He got killed by doing this, but probably saved a few lives in the process. Its pretty obvious there is something in our reptilian brains that gets guys to do this, but you can't deny the amount of propaganda we get telling us to be brave.

Heck, one guy at Aurora put his girlfriends baby on the ground and bolted out of the theater. He was the guy who proposed to his girlfriend in the hospital. There were many who called him a coward.