I read in today's
Los Angeles Times about the sad knife attack incident in Akihabara. It's sickening that when someone decides they don't want to live anymore they decide to take other people out with them. It was the same thing at the
Virginia Tech Massacre as well where a suicidal person went on a killing rampage and decided to take as many people out first before he killed himself. And it is almost always a he. The only female massacre that I recall was one a few years ago where a former female postal worker returned to the postal distribution center she worked at in
Santa Barbara California and killed six people. I believe it is the nations worse mass shooting by a female. Ironic that I actually grew up in Santa Barbara.
At least the sicko in Japan did not have a gun or it would have been a lot worse. Of course gun advocates in the U.S. would say that if other people in the crowd had had a gun they could have stopped the madman. I personally don't think letting people carry guns around is a good thing but that just me.
An interesting but probably meaningless observation is that in the picture in the L.A. Times as well as in the
Japan Times showed some foreigner's assisting the wounded. Below are the photos.
Hi Tornadoes! I have come to find you through Gerald Ford's "The Level 8 Buddhist" blog.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly sad that these people, including the attacker, had to lose their lives. I pray that they all find peace in their next life.
おんかかかびさんまえいそわか
Thank you Jeannie. Actually, the attacker was arrested. He did not die.
ReplyDeleteWell that is good. One less death is always good.
ReplyDeleteIt's just so tragic. We stopped getting Japanese tv, so luckily haven't been seeing it all the time. I think the other day (and maybe the same day as this attack) was the anniversary of the guy that went to a school and slashed a whole heap of children. I was living here for that too, and it was truly awful seeing it on tv all the time.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember that school incident as well. Terrible things like this can happen anywhere, even a relativel safe country like Japan.
ReplyDeleteGenerally, I find the attitude of the Japanese people to be wonderful. Tolerant, committed to excellent and truly wanting to help others. However, I wonder if its all worth it. Its all based on a very strict set of social rules. So many Japanese lives are so loaded up with expectations. The pressure is intense. To me, its not surprising that when it does all bubble to the surface it can be rather extreme.
ReplyDeleteThank you David. I guess there are these extreme sitautions in every country. It still seems to happen more frequently in the United STates though. Plus the added factor of guns.
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