Las Vegas Shooter

[ifilip]

I think we all here know why Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock committed suicide.

After shooting thousands of rounds for 10 minutes with high caliber rifles and without any hearing protection he must have had a horrendous tinnitus, hyperacusis and hearing loss in both his ears, and at that moment he realized that he could not live with that terrifying condition as it would drive him crazy. Therefore he decided to take his life as his tinnitus was getting so loud that his head was about to explode from it.

 

[John G]

Drive him crazy? He was already crazy before he did the shooting. Unless I put on my tinfoil hat and think someone else did the shooting.

 

[threefirefour]

Or because he just Pumped up kicks'd a bunch of people and didn't want to spend life in jail.

 

[Nick07]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say he had planned to kill himself and just wanted to ruin some lives as he did so. I very much doubt he particularly thought about whether his ears were ringing.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say he had planned to kill himself and just wanted to ruin some lives as he did so. I very much doubt he particularly thought about whether his ears were ringing.

Or because he just Pumped up kicks'd a bunch of people and didn't want to spend life in jail.

C'mon, guys. Did tinnitus destroy your sense of humor?

 

[Nick07]

C'mon, guys. Did tinnitus destroy your sense of humor?

Sorry, I never had a sense of humor at least not one most would relate to anyhow.

In all seriousness if it's a joke I don't find it funny. More than anything it's distasteful. 58 people were killed, and there's people who contemplate suicide from tinnitus.

 

[threefirefour]

C'mon, guys. Did tinnitus destroy your sense of humor?

Oh no I've always had a great sense of humor. if anything I've made a meme or two about the whole thing. I didn't see this post as a joke tbh.

 

[Alue]

I don't think joking about the massacre is funny. I clicked on this thread thinking it was going to be talking about this tragic event, not a joke.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I don't think joking about the massacre is funny.

More than anything it's distasteful. 58 people were killed, and there's people who contemplate suicide from tinnitus.

"Dark" humor happens to be the only kind of humor that I enjoy. And this wasn't even that dark - just playful "tongue-in-cheek."

 

[Alue]

"Dark" humor happens to be the only kind of humor that I enjoy. And this wasn't even that dark - just playful "tongue-in-cheek."

Eh, I've been watching a lot of self shot videos of the event. I wasn't offended or anything, but the terror and tragedy thousands of people went through is real.

 

[Foncky]

There is no disrespect for the victims here.

The OP is making fun of the killer. We should make fun of killers like him more often because we can't always live in fear.

This joke implies that the shooter really didn't care about the people killed or injured and would never regret anything. He cared only about himself and the crazy things that were going on in his head, be it T or something else.

It's kind of a great joke actually. And it's just a joke. Come on.

 

[Alue]

There is no disrespect for the victims here.

The OP is making fun of the killer. We should make fun of killers like him more often because we can't always live in fear.

This joke implies that the shooter really didn't care about the people killed or injured and would never regret anything. He cared only about himself and the crazy things that were going on in his head, be it T or something else.

It's kind of a great joke actually. And it's just a joke. Come on.

I guess it depends on how removed you are from the event. Most people don't care unless they see it, they know someone affected by it, or it happens close to home. But that's how it always is.

 

[Foncky]

We've had our fair share of mass murders in my country recently. Some close to my city. We almost all know one person (or more) who was at a scene. And it will happen again.

I've been extremely affected by this kind of events every time it happened, no matter where, since 9/11.

So no, I guess it's not that.

Many newspapers and humorists knew how to make fun of the killers without lacking respect to the victims. I believe we shouldn't live in fear and jokes help with that. You may disagree but don't assume who was affected by such events and who wasn't.

 

[GregCA]

There is no disrespect for the victims here.

Perhaps disrespect is not the word, but one could be more sensitive to the victims and their families.

I don't doubt that the joke wasn't intended to be making fun of the victims, but it treats the attack in a very nonchalant way, as if the murder of dozens of people was not a big deal and should be the stage for a joke.
Had it been a different type of circumstance (the bad guy failing to kill his targets, etc), the joke would have been more appropriate, in my opinion.

Sensitivity is a personal thing of course, but remember that one day you (I'm not singling you out Foncky: I'm addressing the reader) may be the one personally affected by tragedy like this, and you will be affected when you see these kinds of "jokes" around, even if they are not meant to be hurtful.

My wife personally knows one of the victims, and I guarantee you she doesn't think this is a funny joke. Try to think if you would find it as funny, were your dad, mom, brother, sister, child, friend... among the victims.

In addition to this, there is such thing as "too soon".

We've had our fair share of mass murders in my country recently. Some close to my city. We almost all know one person (or more) who was at a scene. And it will happen again.

Sure, but that shouldn't desensitize us into lacking compassion and understanding. It will happen again, but it is a big deal every time. This should not be the norm, and we shouldn't accept it as such.

This is only my opinion of course, and I do know that it has evolved as I've grown older (I would have probably though this was funny in the first couple of decades of my life). Perhaps it's the sign that I've become an old fart.

 

[GregCA]

Many newspapers and humorists knew how to make fun of the killers without lacking respect to the victims.

Did they publish their jokes within couple of days of the massacre? (btw, many "newspapers" are tasteless - so the fact they are newspapers is not a guarantee of good taste and sensitivity: many are money driven through shocking)

I believe we shouldn't live in fear and jokes help with that.

I agree with you about the first part, but I don't see how jokes help. I find that Math (and Statistics in particular) has a much bigger impact on my fear.

 

[John G]

It's kind of a great joke actually. And it's just a joke. Come on.

Great joke? Mentioning someone killing themself because they have tinnitus was funny?. There is enough threads here about people thinking about suicide and this socalled great joke doesn't help at all.

I understand it was intended to be a joke but it didn't make me chuckle one bit.

 

[threefirefour]

I guess it depends on how removed you are from the event. Most people don't care unless they see it, they know someone affected by it, or it happens close to home. But that's how it always is.

In my case my dad went down to Las Vegas for a work conference a few days before it happened.

 

[Bill Bauer]

remember that one day you (I'm not singling you out Foncky: I'm addressing the reader) may be the one personally affected by tragedy like this, and you will be affected when you see these kinds of "jokes" around, even if they are not meant to be hurtful.

Trust me, if I were affected, I would enjoy the jokes even more. I would certainly not be offended by the jokes.

 

[Foncky]

Did they publish their jokes within couple of days of the massacre? (btw, many "newspapers" are tasteless - so the fact they are newspapers is not a guarantee of good taste and sensitivity: many are money driven through shocking)

Yes, within couple of days.
I'm talking about well respected French newspapers, not rubbish tabloïds. Often through editorial cartoons for instance.

I agree with you about the first part, but I don't see how jokes help. I find that Math (and Statistics in particular) has a much bigger impact on my fear.

You know what terrorists and mass murderers do ? They spread fear even when they do nothing. We know they will strike again but not how, not when, and that's what make them so powerful.

So yeah, you can use maths to realize you'll probably never face an attack, but most people don't use maths like you. They react to what they watch on TV, on YouTube, to what they read in the tabloids or hear in the streets. And when everything medias and people talk about is fear, killers and terrorists get stronger and stronger. That's where jokes help making them less powerful in our minds. It doesn't mean what they did is less horrible.

 

[threefirefour]

Trust me, if I were affected, I would enjoy the jokes even more. I would certainly not be offended by the jokes.

Me too, which is why I do.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Did they publish their jokes within couple of days of the massacre?

They should have done so. All of that "too soon" sentiment is pathetic. If you have been affected and you would rather not read jokes about the incident - it is YOUR problem. It is no one else's problem. Nobody is forcing you to read the newspapers.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Try to think if you would find it as funny, were your dad, mom, brother, sister, child, friend... among the victims.

I smiled when I read the original post, but if a person close to me were to die in that tragedy, and I were to read that post, I would most likely lough out loud.

 

[Foncky]

Perhaps disrespect is not the word, but one could be more sensitive to the victims and their families.

I don't doubt that the joke wasn't intended to be making fun of the victims, but it treats the attack in a very nonchalant way, as if the murder of dozens of people was not a big deal and should be the stage for a joke.
Had it been a different type of circumstance (the bad guy failing to kill his targets, etc), the joke would have been more appropriate, in my opinion..

Really, no. Joking about something is not necessarily meant to diminish its awfulness.
We should be able to joke about everything. How we do it is what matters (so we can always discuss the OP's joke, is it bad or good, I don't have the universal answer to that).

Sensitivity is a personal thing of course, but remember that one day you (I'm not singling you out Foncky: I'm addressing the reader) may be the one personally affected by tragedy like this, and you will be affected when you see these kinds of "jokes" around, even if they are not meant to be hurtful.

My wife personally knows one of the victims, and I guarantee you she doesn't think this is a funny joke. Try to think if you would find it as funny, were your dad, mom, brother, sister, child, friend... among the victims..

Personal emotions are a particular matter. They must be respected but we can't all look at the events from an intimate point of view. We need to be able to take some distance from it. This is a tragedy for the victims and their relatives, but it's one mad killer and he has no right to make people from all over the world stop smiling and joking.

In addition to this, there is such thing as "too soon".

Probably, but since the OP's joke is here now, I discuss about it now...

Sure, but that shouldn't desensitize us into lacking compassion and understanding. It will happen again, but it is a big deal every time. This should not be the norm, and we shouldn't accept it as such.

Yes it is a big deal and will always be. No one said the contrary. But again, let's not give the terrorists and mass murderers the control they want to exercice over our society and people. Joking is a way to fight them, as is protesting, or writing, or just going on with our lives.

Again, "going on" doesn't mean we don't care about the victims. There are different levels of emotional involvment here.

This is only my opinion of course, and I do know that it has evolved as I've grown older (I would have probably though this was funny in the first couple of decades of my life). Perhaps it's the sign that I've become an old fart.

Well, I'll let you be the judge about that

 

[GregCA]

They should have done so. All of that "too soon" sentiment is pathetic. If you have been affected and you would rather not read jokes about the incident - it is YOUR problem. It is no one else's problem. Nobody is forcing you to read the newspapers.

The title of the thread is "Las Vegas Shooter".
I personally thought the thread was going to link the shooter to T somehow, maybe because T had driven him to madness or something like that. I thought there was going to be interesting substance.
It's not like I went looking for a joke: you can't tell it's a joke until you've read the prose.

I'm not personally offended by it, by the way. I just think it's insensitive.

I smiled when I read the original post, but if a person close to me were to die in that tragedy, and I were to read that post, I would most likely lough out loud.

I believe you. And I would find that insensitive, especially if you were doing this in front of his/her loved ones.

 

[GregCA]

We should be able to joke about everything.

We are, thanks to freedom of expression.
It's the same freedom that I am afforded to express that I find something insensitive and not funny.

 

[Foncky]

I was just replying to your points, not telling you what to say or not say.

 

[Foncky]

Great joke? Mentioning someone killing themself because they have tinnitus was funny?. There is enough threads here about people thinking about suicide and this socalled great joke doesn't help at all.

I understand it was intended to be a joke but it didn't make me chuckle one bit.

You didn't realize it was not a serious thread at first. I understand you don't like it but what is supposed to be funny is the grotesque situation the OP imagined. The killer kills himself because of T, not because of what he just did, hence making him the egocentric monster he really is.

I don't know man, it's not something that makes you chuckle anyway, it's just grotesque humor. Read it for what it is.

By the way, I considered suicide last year because of T, and I did it again recently. So I quite know what it feels like. You don't like jokes about it. I don't like it when many people here refuse to face reality in the Gaby Olthuis' thread and show a huge lack of respect for her, for instance.

You see, sensitivity is a personal thing, as someone said above.

I'm done with this pointless discussion, take care all and don't get too emotional here. No one said this shooting is no big deal.

 

[threefirefour]

You didn't realize it was not a serious thread at first. I understand you don't like it but what is supposed to be funny is the grotesque situation the OP imagined. The killer kills himself because of T, not because of what he just did, hence making him the egocentric monster he really is.

I don't know man, it's not something that makes you chuckle anyway, it's just grotesque humor. Read it for what it is.

By the way, I considered suicide last year because of T, and I did it again recently. So I quite know what it feels like. You don't like jokes about it. I don't like it when many people here refuse to face reality in the Gaby Olthuis' thread and show a huge lack of respect for her, for instance.

You see, sensitivity is a personal thing, as someone said above.

I'm done with this pointless discussion, take care all and don't get too emotional here. No one said this shooting is no big deal.

Admittedly I thought this was a serious thread too.

 

[ifilip]

Drive him crazy? He was already crazy before he did the shooting. Unless I put on my tinfoil hat and think someone else did the shooting.

I'm not gonna say anything, but check this link:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Stephen+Paddock&client=firefox-b&dcr=0&source=lnt&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:9/28/2017,cd_max:9/29/2017&tbm=

Why there are Google results dated at 29.09.2017 (and even 28.09.2017) about the Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock when the shooting took place on 01.10.2017?
How did they know 2 days in advance that this would happen?

P.S. And yes, my original post was a joke, sadly not everyone got it.

 

[Bill Bauer]

It looks creepy, but I am sure that it is nothing. Most of the pages are pages that were created in late September. These pages had links to news stories about Las Vegas terrorist attack added to them later.

Other stories seem to be wrongly included in these search results. Looks like the problem is with Google (or with pages incorrectly reporting their creation date to Google).