For your first topical blog, I'd like you to explore the possible causes of Jared Loughner's violent behavior in the shooting in Tucson. Google around and read/listen/watch to some news coverage if you have not been following this developing story. Next, using the categories we developed in class on Tuesday, how could each of these be used (or not) to shed light on his behavior? Fully describe and defend your viewpoint.
The categories we came up with were:
Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary
Socialization
Sociological/Cultural
Psychological
Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary:
-Paranoid Schizophrenia: Many people have been quick to say that Loughner is a paranoid schizophrenic. This could explain a lot of his aggressive behavior, but may struggle to explain this major act of violence. Paranoid schizophrenics typically do not act out in violence unless they feel that their personal space or comfort is being seriously threatened. They also are not typically organized or capable of premeditation. In my opinion (and many others), it is highly unlikely that Loughner is truly a paranoid schizophrenic. His thoughts and actions are far too organized. Also, he never had any diagnosis or serious problems previously.
-Substance use: It is reported that Loughner used alcohol and marijuana often. Alcohol increases violent behavior. It is unclear whether or not Loughner was using substances while planning and carrying out the shooting, but it could have some biological effect on the brain, thus increasing violent behavior. However, unless he was using substances at the time of the shootings, it would not be an actual cause of the violent behavior.
Socialization:
-Lack of socialization from important areas: Loughner became isolated from school, peers, and family. He was described as a loner, and people often stopped spending time around him because he was a weirdo. He reportedly also had an aggressive father. Loughner also spent much of his time alone, daydreaming about conspiracies and government mind control. It is very possible that these explanations could shed a great deal of light on why Loughner committed the shooting. Without these important guidances in his life, it is apparent that he became a very disturbed individual.
-Occult Involvement: Some sort of odd altar was found in Loughner's backyard behind a camouflage tent. This altar held a replica of a human skull in a plant pot, shriveled oranges, and candles. According to occult and Pagan experts, what was found in Loughner's backyard more resembles typical backyard junk than a shrine or an altar. While it may not be an official occult shrine or altar in a specific area to the occult, who knows what importance it holds to Loughner? I would not pinpoint this as a direct cause of his violence, but rather a possible contributing factor to his downward spiral. It could at least help us understand what is going on inside the head of Loughner.
Sociological/Cultural
-Political Rhetoric: Loughner targeted Democratic Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, after meeting her at a political event. Loughner has made odd videos on Youtube about his beliefs that the government is using mind control through language and the US currency system should return to gold standard. While Loughner had odd views about the government, I still do not think it is appropriate to state political opposition as a cause of his violence. He never made any mentions of other Democratic political views. He also did not only shoot Giffords intentionally, but also several innocent members of a crowd. If his violence were caused by political motivations, I see it unlikely that he would continue firing shots into other crowd members. He also shot and killed a Conservative judge, meaning that he committed acts of violence against both a liberal and a conservative, decreasing the likelihood that this act of violence was caused by a political rhetoric rampage.
Psychological:
-Paranoid Schizophrenia may also be placed under this category.
-Along with paranoid schizophrenia, it has also been a common assumption that Loughner may have bipolar disorder. However, I did not find any additional information supporting this claim.
-Loughner was obsessed with lucid dreaming, or conscious dreaming. Basically, the individual is in a stage of sleep light enough that he or she is consciously aware of dreams. Supposedly, when replayed over and over after awaking, these lucid dreams can turn into paranoid delusions. Loughner kept a dream journal and constantly replayed his lucid dreams. It is possible that this could have some part in the causing of his violent acts. Perhaps Loughner was simply on a downward spiral and became so obsessed with his dreams that he forgot about reality. I probably would not describe this as mental illness, though. I also would not place this as a direct cause of Loughner's violence. However, it could be a cause to some sort of delusion or disturbance that Loughner had going on.
Websites used:
http://blogs.plos.org/neuroanthropology/2011/01/15/jared-loughner-has-a-violence-problem-not-a-mental-health-problem/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/jared-loughner-might-be-mentally-ill-but-does-that-matter/6291/
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2042358-1,00.html
http://www.usatoday.com/communities/religion/Index
Psychological:
I definitely suspect that Loughner was probably under the influence of an amphetamine or stimulant of some sorts (although reports have not confirmed that). I say this because while reviewing the time line from the day before the incident up till the incident, I noticed that he made a lot of convenient store purchases (the sites I viewed did not say what he purchased though and I'm assuming that he purchased items that would aid him in using illicit drugs). Now this may seem some what trivial but combine it with the fact that he checked into a "down and out" motel (qtd http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/16/jared-loughners-night-before-shooting-chronology_n_809627.html) and it appears he did not sleep at all, it leads me to believe that he was using something stronger than marijuana and alcohol (which there has already been reports that he had used lots of different drugs ranging from marijuana to acid). Again though, this is just an opinion or guess that I have about it and nothing was or has been confirmed in that nature.
According to the KCI organization, the use of methamphetamines over long periods of time can result in the following effects (the effects that are in caps reflect the symptoms I feel directly pertain to this case):
* hallucinations
* disorganized lifestyle
* VIOLENT and AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
* permanent psychological problems
* BEHAVIOR RESEMBLING PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA
* poor coping abilities
* disturbance of personality development
* lowered resistance to illnesses
* possible brain damage
(http://www.kci.org/meth_info/sites/meth_facts2.htm)
Crack cocaine could also be another option to consider. Crack cocaine can also make a person extremely aggressive, paranoid, and/or delusional (http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/crack4.htm).
Another factor that ties in with this is that Loughner had become interested in lucid dreaming. According to the Time article I read, Loughner would replay his lucid dreams in a "dream journal." The article also pointed out that the European Science Foundation reported that when lucid dreams are replayed repeatedly after a person wakes up, that paranoid delusions can occur (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2042358,00.html). The article continued on to point out that Loughner's drug use could have prevented him from falling into a deeper sleep and encouraged lucid dreaming.
Sociological/ Cultural
Even though when speaking about delusions, we would "normally" classify them under a psychology category, the Times article I read put a sociological/cultural twist to it that I hadn't even thought about. It stated "Such studies suggest that the broader culture — which would include the political climate — could affect the content of a psychotic person's delusions, including what or whom the person perceives as threats." Basically, depending on your cultural, what you perceive as a threat is different to others and the threat is further exacerbated by the psychosis/paranoia/delusional thinking.
Socialization
Loughner was reported to be a loner. Any close friends he had, he severed ties with long before. One of his college professors also commented that it seemed he lacked compassion for others and the ability to connect.
Other reports have stated that during times that he smoked marijuana with others, they all would sometimes speak about conspiracy theories (http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=249701). This leads me to wonder whether the drug use or a mental disorder may have exaggerated these idealizations of conspiracy theories and then they were reinforced or at least their acceptance of being probable by his social peers.
Another aspect that could be included under the socialization heading is the fact that "from February to September 2010, Loughner had five contacts with PCC police for classroom and library disruptions" (http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=249701). This repeated police contact could have reinforced his resentment for government authority and could have been additional trigger that perpetuated the violence he unleashed that fatal Saturday.
Genetics/Biological/Evolutionary/Physiological
The drug use I mentioned prior could also fall under this category. Drug addictions are formed by the stimulation of the brain structure called nucleus accumbens. The nucleus accumbens have been coined as the hot spot for "liking". When the structure is stimulated, dopamine is produced which gives off a euphoric feeling which reinforces the drug use.
websites used:
http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=249701
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-01-10-suspect10_ST_N.htm
http://abcnews.go.com/US/jared-loughners-alleged-rampage-caught-tape-fbi-reviews/story?id=12644306&page=2
http://www.explorernews.com/articles/2011/01/19/news/doc4d361361b6dad667584668.txt
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/16/jared-loughners-night-before-shooting-chronology_n_809627.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/15/jared-loughners-chaotic-i_n_809525.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2042358,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2042358-2,00.html
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/crack4.htm
http://www.kci.org/meth_info/sites/meth_facts2.htm
Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary
While Loughner’s official mental assessment has not been released, he is thought by many professionals to have schizophrenia, most likely paranoid schizophrenia. This diagnosis is plausible based on his disorganized and peculiar behavior and thoughts. There are refutes of this argument stating his behavior and actions are too planned out and organized to be schizophrenia. I however disagree. The driving forces and motivations behind his behavior are very disorganized and paranoid. Schizophrenia does not always entail the loss of intellect. In fact, I believe this is what made Loughner so dangerous; he was highly intelligent, but his reasoning and ability to think clearly was disturbed. This was also exacerbated by the severity of his substance abuse problems. There are several records of disturbances from Loughner as a result of substance abuse, particularly alcohol and marijuana. Drugs alter the state of mind; this is likely what most substance users find appealing. I believe this is also a driving factor in Loughner’s decisions to abuse these substances.
This next discussion point is purely speculation based on my personal knowledge of this case. There have been many studies and research about the connection between violence and genetics. Loughner has given the impression on several occasions that he was terrified of his father. He even reported using alcohol because of incidents with his father. If his father was abusive or violent, this could show a genetic link regarding violence.
Socialization
From a very young age, Loughner was a victim of severe bullying at school. This can be extremely detrimental to a socially developing individual. He became very isolated from people and friends.
Along with this isolation came rejection. Loughner experienced painful rejection from several girlfriends throughout high school and college. He was also rejected by the military after he attempted to enlist, and then ultimately by Pima Community College after all of his indiscretions. Perhaps worst of all the rejection he felt was the rejection of his father, which he has stated many times.
Sociological/Cultural
Loughner had uncontrolled ideas about government conspiracy theories that took over his mind. Obviously, this is not a social reality for most people, but it is important to consider this a driving factor in this tragic event. This is most definitely an idea formed from paranoia, but regardless played a large role in his mind.
The newest rage on the news is the idea that the political rhetoric was largely a cause of Loughner’s violence. While he did target Arizona’s congresswoman, a political figure in which he disagreed, I would not be confident to cast blame on politics for this act of violence. I read many articles that stated Loughner was sadly a ticking time bomb. His violence may have been fueled by his disagreement with Gabrielle Giffords, but he also shot at innocent people. If this was politically motivated, innocent people would not have been victims on that day.
Psychological
Loughner had several psychological issues. He held a great belief that he had powers of mind control. He believed that we are only using part of our minds ability and he thought he had the ability to reach the unused part through lucid dreaming. I would defend this practice to a certain extent in that several intellectuals and philosophers share some of the same beliefs; however, this was an unhealthy obsession to Loughner and he walked around in a trance-like state. He claimed he dreams 14 to 15 hours every day. He also produced several writings and videos that displayed his robust delusions and his disconnect with the world.
Conclusions:
I would not say that merely one of these particular factors caused this extremely violent act, but when we look at the larger picture of interdependent factors, steps can be taken to attempt to explain the question on Americans’ minds; why? I believe most of these factors are all related to this violent offense. I think the GAM model discussed in class and in the handbook can provide a foundation for beginning to think about the causes of Loughner’s violence. Understanding his cognition and how he perceives his environment can aid in explaining the violence. It also focuses on person and situation inputs, present internal state, and outcomes of appraisal and decision-making processes. Understanding these three dimensions will be beneficial in providing an understanding to Loughner’s thoughts, life, behavior, and violence.
Websites:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/us/16loughner.html?pagewanted=1&sq=jared%20loughner&st=cse&scp=2
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/l/jared_lee_loughner/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=jared%20loughner&st=cse
I got a lot of my information through watching the news, in particular CNN, and by following the coverage daily.
Throughout the past two weeks, I have been trying to keep up with this story in the news. I had first heard about it from my dad, right before I went to work. At first, it did scare me because I was unsure if the act of violence was planned, or it if it was spontaneous. Either way, it was an act of violence with underlying motives.
Sociological/Cultural
At first, people believed that his act of violence was a planned attack. This is what I would have believed, and I did for the most part, when I had first heard of the attacks. With the United States being so focused on terrorism and planned attacks, it’s as though we have completely forgotten that people can actually do random acts such as the shooting. Although Loughner did mention in his youtube videos posted on the internet that he thought the government was trying to pursue him by mind control, he did not display an intentional shooting on Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was the main victim in the shooting. I agree with Meegan; if it was a planned political assassination attempt then he would have just tried to kill her rather than injuring others.
Along with the political standpoint, those on the left think that he had an “apparent embrace of conspiracy theories about a federal socialist takeover” and those on the right believe that he was trying to become familiar with Karl Marx and the communism point of view, to just show he is a liberal. But, even if Loughner didn’t have a political motive, he still killed 8 and injured 13 others at a political event, which would obviously spark political debate.
Socialization-
On the day of the attack, Loughner showed obvious signs of hate against Giffords because of the notes officials found in his residence. There was a note saying “I planned ahead” and “Die Bitch”. Obviously, this would exemplify hatred against and would be a plan of attack, but why exactly? Before the attack, Loughner worked at a big-brand store, volunteered at the animal shelter and lived at home with his parents. This could be a case of an anti-social disorder since those close to him said that he did not get along with his coworkers, and he was basically isolated in his own world because he still lived at home. Loughner was overall a loner, with poor social skills, and was withdrawn from society.
Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary
We are not aware yet of Loughner’s mental illnesses but many believe that he is a schizophrenic, since it is easy to label him as one. This would be because of the media looking for an answer, in which this case they are quick to judge, and label. Schizophrenia may be a reason as to why Loughner committed such a crime, but he may have other mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, or was a drug/alcohol abuser. Since he is a male, then that could also explain why he did commit such a crime, since males are shown to be more violent than others. Loughner was shown to abuse alcohol and marijuana. Alcohol is also shown to make you violent, therefore this could be another reason as to why he did the shooting.
Psychological
The drugs that Loughner has been accused of using have been using have been alcohol, marijuana, and amphetamines. These drugs have side effects when mixed with Loughner’s accused mental instabilities such as anger, depression, paranoia, and hostility. Also, Loughner is only 22 years old, therefore he would be a perfect candidate for schizophrenia since the majority of people who develop schizophrenia are in their college years. His community college noticed patterns of bizarre behavior before the shooting, such as anger problems and absences. Again, I am not one to diagnose him for any mental illness, it is just that he has shown symptoms of these illnesses.
URL's:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41018932
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41089634
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41010495
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stanton-peele/why-dont-we-just-force-pe_b_808885.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/17/colleges-struggle-to-cope_n_809884.html
Genetic: It's hard to say if there's a genetic link to Loughner's violence since we know very little about his parents, other than that they are reportedly a private family. In any case, I would argue that any genetic predisposition towards violence would not be a causal factor. Also, he is known to have used hallucinogenic drugs, which can alter your mind's perceptions and cause you think/see/hear things that may not really exist. There is some indication that he was not using drugs at the time of the shooting, so I don't think it's a big factor here.
Socialization: as it has been said, Loughner was perceived as a loner with very few friends. It appears that the friends he did have he had in high school; after high school he apparently made no new friends. I find this interesting. Also, he apparently acted very bizarrely, which would suggest a lack of socialization-either he didn't know how to behave in public or didn't care. I don't know if it's a causal reason, but his inability to interact with people probably helped him maintain some of his strange ideas.
Sociological/Cultural: much has been said about "political rhethoic" being the cause of this crime. Sorry, I don't buy that. First, friends have stated that he didn't like the Congresswomen because he didn't like her answer to a question he asked in 2007. Second, those friends have also said that he didn't like the news, didn't watch the news, and wasn't interested in politics. He was interested in consipacy theories. He believed that the U.S. caused 9/11 and wasn't too fond of President Bush. If it was politically motivated, I very much doubt that he would buy into both left and right wing ideas, and, like someone else mentioned, kill both a Democrat and a Republican. However, if he believed that violence was the way to solve a problem, we may be able to say that the media didn't help, so there may be some sort of case that cultural attitudes made it easier for him to do what he did.
Psychological: this really is where people can make a case, I think. Friends and acquientances have both ssaid that Loughner's personality changed around the time he was a senior/graduating high school. Before that, people have said he was a "sweet, normal" guy. Afterwards, he was the bizarre person his college classmates and neighbors saw. Late adolscence and early adulthood is the time when many mental illnesses appear. One of these include paranoid schizophrenia, although I agree that he seemed too organized to have this disorder. However, all illnesses come in varying levels of severity, and paranoid schizophrenia is no exception. Also, someone mentioned bipolar, but based on what I know, bipolar seems way more unlikely then paranoid schizophrenia. I think several things point to the fact that Loughner had developed some sort of mental illness: the fact that his personality "changed", his increasingly bizarre thoughts and ideas (which were fueled by conspiacy theory websites), his "shrine" int the backyard (since he identified as an atheist by friends and mocked religion in college), and his inability to keep a job, even one he'd had before. Another interesting thing is that around the time Loughner started doing hallucinogenic drugs was when the signs of mental illness started manifesting. It is known that hallucinogenic drugs can trigger and excerebate a mental illness like schizophrenia. One last thing: one of the previous posters said that if he'd had a mental illness, he probably would have been treated. Not necessarily. He would have wanted to see someone for his issues (which he obviously didn't even think he had) because his behavior wasn't perceived to be bad enough to have him committed to psychiatric care. I do believe he had some form of mental illness, probably schizophrenia, and while this is not a causal factor, it definitely influenced his behavior. I believe that, coupled with his (apparently) intense hatred of Congresswomen Giffords, influenced his choice of killing others.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/health/The_Real_World__Recognizing_Mental_Illness_in_Young_Adults.html
http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/drug-types/types-of-hallucinogens.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/08/jared-lee-loughner-gabrielle-giffords-shooter_n_806243.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Lee_Loughner
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-01-10-suspect10_ST_N.htm
http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/search?q=jared+laughner
Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary
So substance abuse could fit into this area due to certain substances altering the brain functioning of individuals. It has been reported that Loughner had substance abuse issues, but there does not seem to be enough information at this point to make any factual decisions.
Also, as far as this area goes, the possibility of a genetic predisposition to mental health issues could be discussed. Again, I don’t think there is enough information on Loughner or his family background to speculate any genetic or biological issue that could have led to his behavior.
Socialization
It's been said that he came from a family that stayed to themselves and did not socialize with others much. It has been reported that Loughner was isolated, as well as suffered from rejection and alienation from others. It has also been reported that when younger, he had many friends in school. Those that knew him when he was younger had many positive things about him. He dropped out of high school in his last year, reportedly after an incident when he got alcohol poisoning. Many are coming forward who knew Loughner more recently stating how odd he was in college due to his behavior and theories. Obviously, odd behavior and believing in conspiracy theories does not serve as a direct line to assassinating people. So again, I don’t think there is enough information about Loughner’s lifestyle or how he socialized with others to speculate to why he became violent.
Sociological/Cultural
Political rhetoric, conspiracy theories, lucid dreaming/conscience dreaming, new currency, grammar being used by the government as a form of control…all these thoughts/beliefs have been connected to Loughner and his views on life. Many state that these point to a delusional way of thinking and using this as a belief system is what could have caused him to act in the violent way he did. I happen to disagree on the basis that we are all allowed to believe what we may and many people hold what some may feel is “strange” but it does not mean they end up killing others.
Psychological
Loughner was suspended from college last September due to his behavior and withdrew a few days later. In order for him to return he would have needed "mental health clearance" from a mental health professional saying he did not present a danger. He chose not to do this and did not return to school. Some say this behavior points to the fact that he did have mental health issues that he knew needed to be addressed. It is also reported that he had delusional thinking patterns ranging from his obsession with conspiracy theories to his ideas on lucid dreaming.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, I’m not fond of “theorizing” about things like this. In any tragic event, the media immediately goes to possible reasons or explanations to why the event occurred. I understand it is a part of our human nature to often try to explain or understand the reasoning behind why such tragedies occur. Unfortunately, it is my opinion that speculating to the behavior of an individual who participated in a violent act only adds to the ignorance of the situation. The fact is, we don’t know why Loughner did what he did. We can guess and speculate and theorize all day about it. We can get statements from his peers from junior high/high school/college and read into everything they say and make judgments based on those statements. We can accumulate all the facts about his behavior, substance abuse, mindset/mentality, childhood, etc. but gathering all those facts together still does not give us an answer to WHY he did it. In reality, we know nothing because we don’t know what was going on inside his head the moments leading up to the tragedy or in the moments of the tragedy. I guess what I’m saying is we can categorize and theorize all day with the information we think we have. We can put the “facts” into categories in attempts to shed light on Loughner’s behavior, but all it is at this point is speculation. And when this occurs, often is when the rumor mill begins and ignorance spreads. Therefore, although we naturally as intellectual human beings want answers in the midst of chaos in attempts to provide some sort of explanation to give us a better understanding of why such a tragedy could occur…we need to accept the fact that we may never get that.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/10/loughners-meltdown-began-adulthood-near-say/#ixzz1BY8dqXfi
http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/12/arizona.shooting.suspect
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202477639410
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/10/jared-lee-loughners-worldview-a-conspiracy-theory-laundry-list/
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11016/1118484-84.stm
Psychological: According to the first website source I located (Arizona Public Media), there are some questions as to whether or not Loughner was sane when he pulled the trigger on his victims. According to Paul Charlton on this website, Loughner had a history with troubling YouTube videos and outbursts in classroom settings. Personally, I think the courts have a great shot at showing Loughner had mental issues prior to committing his crime. However, they may have a hard time making an insanity plea if there is clear evidence that Loughner had fully planned his crime. While there is clear evidence that Loughner was, indeed, mentally unstable, we need to look at the deeper issue on whether or not he actually planned his crime. There is also a lot of evidence to suggest that Loughner suffered from Schizophrenia, which may have also lead to his violent and psychotic episode.
CNN also had a couple videos about Loughner. One of them showed interviews with people in Loughner's distant past. A couple of them were people that worked in the tattoo parlor Loughner had been at prior to the rampage. The people interviewed all said they were uneasy with Loughner around, and were even more scared after they saw his mugshot. CNN also interviewed Loughner's old jazz band instructor who talked about how normal Loughner seemed and how he dropped out of school in his junior year. This, to me, indicates that something must have happened to make Loughner snap and become psychologically unstable. The second video talks about how the defense attournys feel as though Loughner may have a mental illness, which not only explains why he went on the rampage, but also how he can possibly escape the death penalty.
Sociological/Cultural: Going along with the need for evidence, an article from the NY Times website claims that there was a clear plan for Loughner to murder Gabrielle Giffords. Tony Taylor, special agent for the FBI, even found an envelope that clearly stated that Loughner had planned his idea for murder ahead of time. There is also evidence to suggest that Loughner had even had contact with Giffords before the attack. There was even a letter, according to the article, from Giffors that thanked Loughner for attending one of her events. This clearly indicates that he had thought ahead of what he was going to do and was trying to get close to Giffords. With this evidence in mind, I personally think that there may be deeper polical reasons for Loughner's act of violence.
Genetics: Gentics seem to have had a slight impact on Loughner's Tuscon shooting. Neighbors to the Loughner's said that they were oddly reclusive, and sometimes even antagonistic, according to the website "The Daily Beast". This behavior could, of course, have been transferred to Jared when he was growing up. The website Nowpublic.com also claims that Loughner's parents kept to themselves, mostly. The antagonistic behavior, especially, could have contributed to Loughner's overal personality and demeanor. While genetics are not nearly the largest contributing factor to Loughner's shooting rampage, I think there is clear evidence to suggest that they played some sort of role.
Socialization: Socialization may also have an important role with being the cause of Loughner's violent actions. The associated content website (associatedcontent.com) claims that Loughner was bullied throughout high school. He started to show strange and aggressive behavior following these incidents and they followed him to college. The New York times suggests that Loughner faced a large amount of rejection in his life from girlfriends, the military, and other sources. In turn, Loughner rejected the American society. There are people that said Loughner was a very talented man and a great employee, however the socialization and rejection he faced could have had a lot to do with his dramatic changes, ultimately causing him to go on his rampage.
Sources:
http://www.azpm.org/politics/story/2011/1/20/1645-web-feature-the-united-states-vs-loughner/
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/01/19/exp.ps.loughner.indicted.death.cnn?iref=allsearch
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2011/01/19/gutierrez.az.fbi.loughner.cnn?iref=allsearch
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/10/us/10giffords.html?_r=1
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-01-11/jared-loughners-parents-randy-and-amy-did-they-know-about-his-mental-illness-/?obref=obnetwork
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/jared-lee-loughner-and-parents-kept-themselves-says-neighbors-2745808.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6239858/jared_loughner_reportedly_beaten_poked.html?cat=17
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/us/16loughner.html?scp=3&sq=loughner&st=cse
Psychological: Loughner was aware of the decisions he made, regardless of any mental illness symptoms he may have exhibited. The day of the attack he posted, "Goodbye friends. Please dont be mad at me". As for Representative Giffords, he had developed those negative feelings for quite some time. He had attended at least one of her events/rallies, however was furious when she did not answer a question of his. Though it may not have been done on purpose, he took offense to it, and so brewed his hateful feelings toward Giffords and her policies. He saw his way of thinking as correct, and he was frustrated that Giffords wouldn't listen to him.
Loughner was also highly interested in 'conscious dreaming'. He believed in the power of very deep thoughts, and being able to pursue your beliefs.
Socialization: One of the websites I looked at questioned the possibility of his connection to a white supremacist group. He had MySpace and YouTube videos posted with strong language and feelings communicated. American Renaissance group is described as being "anti-government, anti-immigration, anti-ZOG (Zionist Occupational Government), anti-Semitic." Having his name tied to them would show harsh feelings toward large groups of society.
Loughner dropped out of high school and was kicked out of comm college. Professors say he frequently caused disruptions in classrooms. This disregard for authority and carefree attitude shows another desire to stir up trouble.
Which leads to the question: was he involved in these things on purpose? Was he wanting to 'push people's buttons'? A friend says Loughner posted Mein Kampf as one of his favorite books on MySpace, knowing that fact would offend many people.
He showed a strange mixture of antisocial feelings and active participation with friends. Friends said he would tell people "life means nothing" yet other times was social; attending concerts, hang out w/ friends, etc.
Cultural: Loughner currently lived with his parents in a Tucson neighborhood that one neighbor described as part of an area that is notorious for "stash houses" for Mexican gangs to bring drugs into the U.S. and store them. Living in such a rough area can lead to civil disobedience purely by going along with the flow. We mentioned the mob mentality/peer pressure leading to certain violent actions. Who's to say he didn't start out as an observer to violence in his neighborhood brought on by drugs, etc and then later merge into being an active participant in it himself?
Neighbors described him as a loner, possibly wanting to cause problems. "He wanted the media to freak out about this whole thing. he wanted exactly what's happening".
Biological/Genetic: Sources describe Loughner's father as argumentative. Mental abuse from an angry father could easily lead to emotional instability and unchanneled anger toward the rest of society, leading to it being released in a public incident such as a shooting. Those angry feelings created from a hostile home life combined with substance abuse can most definitely lead to erratic behavior. A slight thought about causing violence combined with enough drugs could turn into a full-fledged planned attack. Any small inkling can become much more exaggerated when see through the lens of drugs or alcohol.
I don't think any one of these four categories necessarily led to Loughner's attack in Tuscon. I think a combination of them brought upon the violent thoughts, and he chose to exhibit them in the public act of a mass shooting.
Sources:
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/jared-lee-loughner-friend-voicemail-phone-message
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/09/arizona-suspected-gunman-no-stranger-to-trouble/
http://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2011/01/jason-loughner-nature-via-nurture.html
Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary: One of the first things the media and other individuals bring up in cases such as these are mental health issues. The case of Jared Loughner is no exception. Loughner has been portrayed as a “weirdo”, a disturbed individual displaying paranoia and aggression towards the government. Despite his strange behavior he has never been formally diagnosed with any kind of disorder. He has no history of mental illness and neither one of his parents has a history of mental illness or criminal activity either. Therefore, this particular category (Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary) is irrelevant.
Socialization: The main premise of socialization can be traced to Social Learning Theory. We learn and model behaviors we see from peers, parents, media, and what have you. For all intents and purposes it seems as though Loughner had a normal upbringing. There have been no reports of him having been abused or neglected as a child or having deviant peers. In fact, his parents have expressed their sorrow and guilt for what their son did and his friends have claimed to be shocked that he committed such a violent act. There have been some reports however that he had used media sources such as ‘youtube’ and ‘myspace’ to express his hatred toward the government and the institution of education. For example, he filmed a video of himself at his old community college campus talking about how this was his “school of suicide” and how teachers had violated his right to freedom of speech. Given his use of media tools such as the ones mentioned above and the fact that there are scores of anti-government groups/individuals, it is quite possible that he also viewed similar material on the web that could have had an effect on his thought process.
Sociological/Cultural: Out of the categories we developed as a class, I believe sociological/cultural is the best way to explain Loughner’s violent behavior. It is well known that Loughner had various encounters with campus police and other school authorities at Pima Community College. Why didn’t they report such behavior to law enforcement authorities? In our society and our culture, the idea of Freedom of Speech as been ingrained at a very young age. Unfortunately, this idea is a double edge sword. Yes, we have the right to express our ideas and opinions freely but where does one cross the line? Should people be allowed to express hatred towards others or hatred towards institutions? What would have happened if Loughner had been detained for his behavior prior to the shooting and given a mental evaluation like the school had suggested months ago? It seems like a catch-22.
Another issue involves the institution of health care (in this case in the form of mental health services). About a week ago, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) proposed to cut health care for an estimated 280,000 low-income residents in the state. This includes over 5,000 mentally disabled individuals. In my opinion this can pose a potential hazard for public safety. What if an individual turns violent because he/she did not receive the mental health care the desperately need? Given the fact that Gov. Brewer has a mentally ill son who was convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault 20 years ago, her proposal is both perplexing and disturbing. It is with good reason that advocates and other political leaders believe such budget cuts in the health sector would lead to mentally unstable individuals to become a threat to society as Loughner has proven to be.
Psychological: As I previously stated, Loughner didn’t seem to be the most stable individual. He was disruptive and aggressive in school, he talked about mind control, made claims that his school was a genocide school, that his school was going to make him homeless, took pictures of himself wearing nothing but a red g-string and posing with a firearm, and the list goes on. Clearly some of these are symptoms of mental disorders such as schizophrenia and antisocial personality disorder. Although his behavior is not normal, we cannot place the blame on any kind of disorder. For starters, he’s never been evaluated or screened for any mental health issues. What if such reports have been exaggerated given the gravity of his crime? What if he was faking it? Anyone can pretend that they hear voices or that someone is out to get them. Killers such as Jeffery Dahmer faked being a schizophrenic during his trial for killing over a dozen young men. I think people are very quick to point the finger at mental disorders when people commit such heinous acts of violence. We as a society want to put a label or have an explanation for everything, particularly with violent individuals. People refuse to believe that some people are just plain evil. There’s nothing wrong with them mentally, they just was to hurt others. I think we should wait to hear what a well trained psychologist or psychiatrist has to say after giving Loughner a thorough mental health evaluation before pinning the blame on a disorder.
Sources used: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/20/AR2011012002847.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/15/us/15giffords.html?_r=1
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41053261/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41088221/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41116195/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/.
The case of Jared Loughner is a complex, confusing one. I don’t think that a single category can explain his behavior, but combining several of them can start to paint a picture of the event.
1. Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary: I think a major contributor in this category is his drug use. It is reported that he frequently used marijuana and alcohol. It is also reported that he had done the drug Salvia. This is a legal hallucinatory drug. Another hallucinogen that was said to be used was LCD. These could have really affected how he viewed situations and people. This could have contributed to his ramblings and his strange YouTube videos. He could have very much been affected by a lack of sleep, etc.
2. Socialization: He was known to be someone who stayed mostly by themselves; however, he was not someone who necessarily stayed TO themselves. He would speak out in class, even though he’d sit by himself in the corner. He was mostly someone who seemed to be shied away from. People that had class with him at college would say that he was scary and weird and not someone they wanted to be around. This could also have a profound effect on the human mind and how they view the world. He did not have much guidance by friends or others to help him along. These are vital connections we need every day.
3. Sociological/Cultural: He definitely had a problem with politics. I am not very good with politics, so I do not understand everything that was written on this aspect, but it is clear that he had an agenda and viewed certain people/ways very badly. He would rant about these and his YouTube videos show that. He believed that the government was using language and words to control our minds and that our currency isn’t right and such. Having such extreme views could influence someone to take actions such as these if they really see this as harmful to everyone.
He also was shown to have an “alter” behind his house with a skull and everything. Now I think that this isn’t necessarily someone that caused or contributed to the event; however, it is creepy and much against our basic culture and society. Who knows why he had it or what it meant to him.
4. Psychological: This is where the defense will come from for his case. He definitely showed he had something wrong with his mind. He would go into these kinds of trances where he would not be “himself” as some friends described. He got worse and worse as time went on and he was no longer the person that people knew him as when he was younger. Mental illnesses really don’t just start at the push of a button. They are progressive such as this. While he may legitimately be “psychotic” and have bipolar disorder or schizophrenia as many feel, he also clearly had planned out this murder. While these acts seem very irrational and psycho to all of us, to him it was rational, there was a reason, and he was “right”. That is something that many people do not realize when they look at crimes from this view. Like I’ve said in other posts, it is all about perception. So while we may label him “mentally ill”, he may have been acting with rational knowledge of the outcome and consequences and such of his actions. I think this is the most likely and largest contributor to his behavior; however, as I stated in the beginning, I think a combination of them all created the man we see in the news.
Websites used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Lee_Loughner
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/10/national/main7229463.shtml
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2041878-2,00.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-01-10/jared-loughners-mental-health-could-determine-his-punishment/
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/01/jared-loughners-behavior-recor.html
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2041733-2,00.html
Jared Loughner’s actions has astounded many, and therefore led others to find reasons that could possibly lead to his behavior. In class we developed four specific categories to more thoroughly understand Loughner’s wrongdoings. I believe it is difficult to separate the categories completely, due to the many overlapping between each of them.
Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary:
It is quite difficult to assess thoroughly how much this category has had a role in shaping Loughner’s life and actions. He is at an age where many mental illnesses manifest, which could be a contributing factor in his horrific actions in Tucson.
There were a few occasions in which others suspected drug use from the erratic and bizarre behavior of Loughner. One such report of actual drug was the use of some hallucinogenic drug, which Loughner was said to use repeatedly. The usage of hallucinogenic can cause problems with even a stable individual (which Loughner apparently is not).
Socialization:
In association with socialization, Loughner was reportedly bullied throughout high school which could possibly be an early causal factor in the degradation of his character. After high school, during college, many reports were made on Loughner’s disturbances throughout the years. He often made other students and teachers uncomfortable and was basically ostracized as an individual.
Sociological/Cultural:
I consider the school system to be under this category and it often ties in well as its own little political system. Loughner was said to be openly antagonistic and disrespectful towards the professors, the campus police, and other members of the college community. This sort of separation from one’s own culture can create harmful damage psychologically (which will be discussed in more detail later).
As mentioned in class, Loughner may have originally tried to state his actions were politically motivated, but there seems to be no actual intended violence towards any one group. Many people were injured and kill from Loughner’s actions, which seems to imply his behavior was more for being noticed than anything else. This sort of assassination killing is an easy way to step out of invisibility and, in his mind, “become somebody.”
Psychological:
Also mentioned earlier was bullying during high school. This could possibly induce trauma, which with certain personalities can be quite detrimental. His prior experiences and insecurities held through life might have led him to believe assassinating someone was the only way to gain recognition.
All of these categories can delve into why Loughner might have exhibited such extreme and violent behaviors, but in the end I believe it was his choice to pursue such a brutal end as Tucson.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6239858/jared_loughner_reportedly_beaten_poked.html?cat=17
http://www.explorernews.com/articles/2011/01/19/news/doc4d361361b6dad667584668.txt
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/should-you-blame-jared-loughner-s-mental-problems-for-shootings
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nabita-position-statement-on-pima-community-college-jared-loughner-and-the-arizona-shootings-114268404.html
I used a Google News search to find information on Jared Laughner. What I found is that we don’t really know why he committed the shooting. Many news sites call Laughner psychotic and mentally unstable. However, the statements from others are mixed. People who had contact with him, like fellow students, called him violent with disturbed tendencies while others say he seemed normal. One student said he often disrupted class with outbursts while another said he was weird but kept to himself. His friend reported that Laughner did not watch the news and didn’t take a political side but evidence on his social networking pages would suggest otherwise. The facts are the he spoke critically about religion and government including the local literacy rate. Laughner went on rants about hatred for the federal government as well. He smoked marijuana and had a couple of previous drug charges on his record. Also, he was rejected by the Army. Some things I found that I’m not sure are true. One thing is that he was recommended for psychological treatment. This means nothing to me because I didn’t see who recommended him for treatment. Another thing I read is that Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” is one of Laughner’s favorite books. That statement was linked with another statement that Gabrielle Giffords is Jewish. Even though I can’t decide why I think Laughner committed the shooting, I will analyze the possible reasons.
In the genetic/biological/physiological/evolutionary category, we can place the suspected mental disorders. Some, say schizophrenia is to blame. This is a neurological disorder that affects people in Laughner’s age group (he’s 22). This disorder could cause the “paranoid” thoughts about government and religion, sporadic actions and outbursts, irrational thinking, and witnessed instability. All of the things included in a mental illness could have allowed Laughner to commit the shooting feel like it was justified.
In the socialization category we could place social isolation although I would not bet on this as a cause of the shooting. For one thing, I couldn’t find hardly any information on Laughner’s family. All I know is that he has a father. Also, I found no information on how Laughner behaved or acted as a child. I have no information on the kind of home life he experienced. As a hypothetical, he could have been exposed to violence, racism, government hatred or skepticism and anti-Semitics. He could have been socialized to be the person he was when he committed the shooting but like I said I do not have enough information to actually believe socialization as a cause.
In the sociological/cultural category we could place “Mein Kampf” and other forms of anti-Semitics media. Also, there are many anti-government people and websites who could have influenced Laughner. I also read that the video “Zeitgeist” had a big influence on Laughner’s views of government and the monetary system. Rejection from the Army could have also changed or influenced Laughner’s view of government. These negative views could have led Laughner to want to make a political statement which he choose to do with the shooting.
The psychological category could include many things. It could include a mental illness, the emotional effects of social isolation, stress from a difficult home life or many other possibilities of issues we do not know about. Personally, I think he probably has some sort of biological mental disorder and has been exposed to many influential anti-government media. I cannot say for sure that I believe the shooting had anything to do with Giffords’ religion. I also have no idea how his home life environment has impacted his views and actions.
Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary
In a discussion blog the biology and genetics of Jared Loughner are talked about and the impact on his genetic make-up and personality traits that would be influential on his mental illnesses he may have developed. With the type of mental illness that Jared was diagnosed with, he probably had some impulsive problems that could contribute to the way that the brain interacts and serotonin levels in the brain. This can easily relate to any drug intake he was participating in and how drugs interact in the brain and distort our ideas of reality. Another important thing that the discussed touched base on was individual personality traits that people have and that influence on your thoughts and behaviors.
Socialization
In an article the way that Jared's parents acted was discussed by a neighbor. The neighbor had said that his parents were not social or friendly when being approached. He said that they often did not respond to "hello"s and just kept walking by while ignoring your greeting. The neighbor said that Jared acted much like his parents and also ignored people that greeted him. They also said that he did not have many friends and was often a loner. That seemed to be true in college as well. I've heard in many sources that he did not have many friends on college and really begun to act "differently/odd/weird" in college and kept to himself unless he was trying to make a statement.
Sociological/Cultural
In one of the articles I was looking at, it discussed that Jared was obsessed with guns. I think culturally this an easy obsession to pick up with virtual violence and media sources glorifying violence in the way that it does. Another culturally accepted idea of violence is war and military personnel. Jared was interested in going into the army, however was declined because of drug use. With his interest in gun and war and the cultural acceptance of violence and war, it is understandable that like lots of guys he was interested in violence at the cultural level.
Psychological
According to Psychology Today, general diagnoses of schizophrenia do not fit the type of psychological problems that Jared has, they feel that schizotypal personality disorder better describes his mental illness. Some of the symptoms that they discuss are that people with this disorder "have odd thoughts, odd speech, odd behavior, and often an odd appearance. They are attracted to unusual ideas and tend to get lost in their bizarre beliefs. They are socially awkward and often paranoid. In addition, they often meet criteria for paranoid personality disorder. Their speech can be highly idiosyncratic and meandering, and they are prone to inappropriate expressions of emotion." Most of these symptoms fit Jared pretty easily. For example, hanging on to an unusual idea fits perfectly, the conference that Jared initially became upset with Congresswomen Gifford was in 2007, which was over 3 years ago. That is a long period of time to be plotting against someone and holding negative feelings against. Among other symptoms discussed in the article.
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/jared-lee-loughner-and-parents-kept-themselves-says-neighbors-2745808.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/keeping-kids-safe/201101/jared-loughner-what-kind-psychosis
http://ryviewpoint.blogspot.com/2011/01/genetics-and-jared-loughner.html
As I was doing this assignment, I felt like it was really hard to find the true story about Jared Loughner. As we discussed in class, once something terrible happens people always claim "they knew it all along," which is what a lot of the news articles are saying about Loughner. Many of the articles are looking to Loughners friends for reasons behind the shooting. While there are some friends who claim he was always strange and disconnected, others say he was completely normal, just a little quiet. It's difficult to get a good read on what type of person he really is. It's really frustrating how many contradictory statements there really are on Loughner, it makes it nearly impossible to look for true causes of his violent acts.
Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary:
Some sources say that Lougher was heavy into drugs throughout his high school years. Loughner was apparently into drugs like mushrooms and other hallucinogens, which can have an effect on your brain chemistry and change behavior. It is also said that there is a possibility that Loughner has schizophrenia. This disorder also has an effect on the brain chemistry and hormones of the body. Again, it is difficult to say whether or not he really has this disorder, as articles have contradictory reports on the issue. I have not found any information on his parents or other relatives of Loughner, so basing any of his violent acts on genetics is difficult.
Socialization:
While some of the news articles may be jumping to conclusions, one of Loughners high school friends claims that Loughner never mentioned his family, which was reflected in a negative way within the Times article. If he did have negative experiences with his family it could have caused or contributed to his violent thoughts and actions. Loughner was also considered kind of a loner throughout high school, hanging around with the "gothic" group but never fully fitting in with them. While the social events that happen in high school can definitely have an effect on someone’s social development, it’s hard to tell whether or not Loughner developed his violent streak in high school, after, or whether he's had it all along. It is my belief, after researching this topic, that he may have had some sort of social apprehension in high school, which may have left him alone to his thoughts. I think that maybe this is why his thoughts on violence and government paranoia may have intensified, as he didn't have close friends to confide in on any of the issues (and no close friends to talk him out of his paranoia or outrageous ideas).
Sociological/Cultural:
It seems that Loughner had an intense hatred for the government, or possibly authority in general. Many of the claims of Loughner's "weirdness" included comments about government conspiracy or paranoia. However, many times Loughner's expressions about government issues (such currency and gun control issues) ARE legitimate government issues right now, so I feel like much of the personal statements may be blown out of proportion. While some of the articles say that Loughner was "obsessed with guns," others claim that one of his friends thought it was strange when Loughner asked if he could join him at target practice, because Loughner had never expressed an interest in guns. Again, none of the articles have mentioned anything about Loughner's home life or parents, so these ideas may have been a norm in the Loughner household. It's difficult to develop any strong theories about Loughner, as many of the articles and information provided on Loughner have contradictory statements. It does seem, however, that Loughner's hatred for government and authority seems to prevail again and again in each article. Loughner had a lot of problems with his teachers and professors, as well as law enforcement, outlining his problem with authority.
Psychological:
While many people claim that Loughner was schizophrenic, there is also a lot of evidence against that idea. If he is schizophrenic, it may explain his paranoia and account for some of his negative emotions. It is also claimed that he engaged in disorganized speech, which is commonly a sign of psychosis. There have also been claims about strange behavior from Loughner in the form of disturbing poems, as well as scaring other students and faculty at his school. I'm skeptical as to whether or not many of these claims are fully accurate, considering much of the provided evidence seems to be to an extreme. I think that Loughners violence can be best attributed to a combination of his social issues as well as psychological issues. His social awkwardness lead to intensified psychological problems, or vice versa. The two problems may have worked hand to push Loughner to the extreme.
Some of the main articles I used:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2041878,00.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/10/national/main7229463.shtml
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2041733-2,00.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/keeping-kids-safe/201101/jared-loughner-what-kind-psychosis
In the case of Jared Loughner, I do not feel that the category of Gentic/biological/physiological/evolutionary category really applies from what I understand about the case. When I consider this category I would be more inclined to consider head trauma, genetic defect or severe imperment to an individuals physiological state. I would also consider evolutionary in cases of self defense or something similar. I do not believe these apply to this situation. Although there are reports that Jared may have used substances, which may affect his physiological state I do not believe there is strong enough evidence to support that this was the cause for his violent outbreak.
Socialization - I believe there are aspects of this category that may have influenced Jared and can shed more light on his behavior. Many individuals do not commit violent acts because of the consequences that occurr following. I am not just referring to legal consequences, but more so the consequences towards other individuals. As other students stated above, it appears that Jared had significant difficulties with his relationships. It does not appear that he had positive interactions with others on a regular basis and he lacked a strong support system. It also appears that rejection had been occurring frequently in his life. Given these factors, I believe that Jared felt very isolated and did not have a strong desire to maintain close relationships to those around him, in other words, he had little to lose by going to jail. It appears that he desired to be wanted and have a purpose, which may also have been a cause to his behaviors.
Sociological/Cultural - Unfortunately in our society, mass shooting are becoming much more wide spread and "acceptable" ways of expressing an individual's feelings and thoughts. I seems like it has become a more convienent way to "make a point." That being said, I believe that this category does apply to Jared's case and can help use gain a better understanding of his behaviors.
Psychological - I feel that this category will give us the greatest insight on Jared's behaviors and attempt to understand causality of his actions. I think that as a society we want to have and "answer" for why incidents such as Jared's and similar incidents occur. I do not believe that Jared was insane at the time of the incident and it appears from the articles that he thought out his plan in advance and had clear enough cognition to carry the plan out. But I do believe that an individual capable of this severe of a violent crime has to be struggling with some psychological impairments. I understand that schizophrenia has been a considered diagnosis regarding Jared. This is a very severe mental health diagnosis and I believe that his behaviors leading up to the shooting could be indicators to support this diagnosis. I struggle with the fact that if his behaviors were considered so severe and unstable, why would he not have engaged in some type of services to assist him with addressing these mental health concerns. Again this issue may have more to do with the fact that he did not have a strong support system. The other factor that could be considered is that Jared may not have a mental health diagnosis. His behaviors may seem odd and unpredictable and alarming to others, but may not be diagnosable. Jared may have been struggling with several issues regarding his thought processes(ie: conspiracy theories, etc.) but that still may not answer why he committed such violent acts. I feel that to gain a full understanding, within our capacity, of this case we have to analize all aspects that could have been affecting Jared the day and days leading up to the shooting.
Genetic/Biological/Physiological/Evolutionary
From what I’ve read, I’m not completely convinced genetics was a major factor in Jared’s act of violence. However, one can discuss genetic predispositions to certain mental health issues that could possibly relate to this case. People have described Loughner was being strange, depressed, and as being “reclusive”. The same things have described his family as well. Also, there could be an argument made about higher hormone (testosterone) levels predisposing some people to have higher tendencies of aggression which may partially explain acts of violence. I haven’t read enough information, nor do I think there’s much information, on Jared’s family background in this area to make any reasonable conclusions and therefore his category is irrelevant.
Loughner’s history of substance abuse could also fit into this category (and possibly others). He had been known to take hallucinatory drugs and drink heavily which may have caused certain brain functions to be altered or damaged which resulted in him expressing different types of behavior.
Socialization
To me, Loughner didn’t seem to grow up in a completely “normal” household with “normal” parents. For one, neighbors described Loughner and his family as being “reclusive” and dysfunctional. His father often behaved in ways that would scare or concern other neighbors. Loughner has also been described as being depressed and “out of it”. Some neighbors reported that they were worried about Loughner throughout his life. It wasn’t until after dropping out of high school that people really started taking a closer look at Loughner’s changing behaviors. Friends and neighbors described him as being someone who liked to be alone a lot. Loughner also reportedly got into abusing alcohol and drugs (e.g., marijuana, salvia, mushrooms, LSD) around the time he dropped out of high school. His high school girlfriend had reportedly broken up with him around this same time as well which is only a part of the overall rejection Loughner reportedly experienced. Loughner experienced rejection throughout his life including the time he was told he would not be allowed back to college unless he underwent a mental health exam, and when he was rejected from the U.S. Army after admitting to repeated marijuana use. Maybe to him, taking the action he did was empowering and maybe he felt like the act of terrifying and killing people feels more empowering on top of that.
Sociological/Cultural
Loughner definitely has an issue with politics in our country. Loughner reportedly made and viewed videos expressing hatred toward our government (in one video, he tapes the burning of the American flag.), hatred toward our education system, and the concept of brainwashing and mind control methods that our government is supposedly using against its citizens. I know some people have suggested that his crimes were politically motivated. I’m kind of on the fence about this because I don’t quite understand that if that were so, why would he try to shoot a Republican and a Democrat as well as many other people? ---D(AZ) Gabrielle Giffords was reportedly his main target.
Psychological
Maybe Loughner has a mental illness and maybe he doesn’t. So far, there hasn’t been an official diagnosis as to whether his is mentally ill or not. Some people believe he might have schizophrenia, or more specifically paranoid schizophrenia, or antisocial personality disorder. At this point, I would lean more toward antisocial personality disorder after reading articles about his reclusive home life and how he behaved more like a loner especially after he dropped out of high school and went to college. Of course, I can only speculate at this point as there has not been an official report of his mental health that this time.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-01-22-loughner-parents_N.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/08/jared-laughner-gabrielle-giffords-shooter_n_806229.html
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/01/26/Accused-Ariz-gunman-researched-executions/UPI-29501296072714/
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2041878,00.html