Montreal Shooting

Ok, folks...this time, instead of focusing on the reading I'm going to talk about something I read about at CNN...I'm interested in how this profile of the Montreal killer focuses on relating technological references to the tragedy that happened...This is not the first profile of a shooter that has done this. What are the things they choose to focus on in the short space they have to characterize the individual...

Do you think that in doing so they are exploiting any stereotypes regarding technology and its impact on our youth?

An individual has to be pretty messed up to go out and do something like this...that kind of mental unhealth takes years to develop (most of the time)...but when it comes time to profile, we get stuff this guy probably listed on myspace or a Web page..."favorite video game," nickname, user name, etc.

What I'm saying is there are probably lots of incriminating evidence (after the fact), like a profile that states:

Story Highlights:

• Allegedly had a drawer full of black Hanes underwear
• Listened to heavy metal music
• Had tattoo of knife on arm
• etc...

I just think it's interesting that many profiles like this choose to focus on videogames, the fact that his user name was fatality666, and the kind of trash he wrote about on "vampirefreaks.com" (in which such user names and profiles are probably run of the mill)...I mean come on...the front page CNN headline is: "Alleged gunman's Web posting obsessed with death"...It'd be a little more damning if the material was culled from grandmasknittingclub.com rather than the vampire site....

But, of course, it's easier to focus on that stuff then ask questions about his family and school life...

Think I'm being unreasonable?

Post your comment, either in regards to this, or you can follow the syllabus and post a message that enters into the discourse that various sides of the fetishist/luddite debate bring up...

Be sure to do the reading cause I may randomly call on people in class on Monday...