Name:   copperline - Subject:   Counterpoints Date:   6/13/2016 7:00:18 PM

Not making excuses, trying to understand this event in a better (and more accurate) context than a simple black & white view that doesn’t stand a chance of solving the problem.

       You can’t simply lump all Muslims together and hold the entire religion responsible for this and expect things to get better.   You can’t endorse discrimination against them for their beliefs and the fact that there are radicals within their religion.  You can’t permit laws or our own cultural beliefs to act against these people without making the radical Islamic rhetoric stronger.   And remember what that rhetoric says… it says that the US & Christianity hates Islam.   You want to help them prove they are right?   Doesn’t sound very smart to me.

If people believe we should look at Islam & Muslims as one big mob of savages, you had better consider the violent crimes of Fundamentalist Christians and whether we should hold you responsible for the acts of people you don’t know or agree with. 

My definition of mental illness includes people who have marked difficulty holding their tempers in check, are prone to violent retaliation when offended, feel so strongly about their religious beliefs that they would be willing to kill other people.    It’s not about hallucinations or delusions which can be pretty easily observed.  I’m talking about mood, impulse control and judgement.   The main narrative about this guy is that he had a bad temper, saw two guys kissing in Miami, over-reacted with rage and went on to shooting up this night club.   Plenty of devout Muslims AND Christians have seen guys kissing, not all of them go berserk and massacre kids.   

And I’m not sure this guy was anything more than a ‘lone wolf’ who had no directions from superiors to follow, and there is no evidence of strict adherence to Islam that I can see at this point.   No change in his behavior evidencing that he followed the strict Islamic guidelines of radical true believers.   No beard.   Maybe he was a really poorly adjusted man whose life was deteriorating, he was angry & homophobic, and he found a dramatic way to commit suicide while making some last claim of righteousness after a life of crap.   If that could even be a partial explanation of the case, then we need to understand that radical Islam offers something of comfort to people like that.     

Religious Radicalism seems to attract madmen, don’t you agree?