April 13th to 20th... Historically Worst 7 Day Span of All Time?

Not sure what it is about this week that brings out the worst in people, though I think I have an idea (hint: it's in bold in the list below). But, for your consideration, a list of things that have happened over the past week along with similarly historical/awful tragedies from past years. Strange, if nothing else.

Boston Marathon bombing
West Fertilizer explosion
Illinois levee breach
MIT shooting

Virginia Tech Massacre
Columbine Massacre
Oklahoma City Bombing
Hitler's birthday
Tax Day
Waco Siege
Lincoln Assassination

And that's just off the top of my head...

So my question, monkeys: is this what we've become? I'm desensitized to it by now, but will all of society end up being the same way as this stuff happens more and more frequently? Or are we in the middle of some strange period in our timeline as a civilization that provokes some unnaturally high level of aggression and violence? What the hell is going on here?

13 Comments
 

Easy to find something strange when you're looking specifically for it.

I'm sure we can name a million good things that have happened in those 7 days.

 
BlackHatNot sure what it is about this week that brings out the worst in people, though I think I have an idea (hint: it's in bold in the list below). But, for your consideration, a list of things that have happened over the past week along with similarly historical/awful tragedies from past years. Strange, if nothing else.

I've always noticed this because my birthday is very close. Then I think about it, and there are a lot of shittier things that have happened on different days.

Pick a day during any one of these battles:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brusilov_Offensive http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Somme http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Battle_of_Ypres http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Moscow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Baghdad_(1258)

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

Well, this week really is especially bad for shootings/massacres. Columbine was inspired to do it on 4/20 because of Hitler's birthday and proximity to Oklahoma Bombing. Lots of other school shootings happen during that week because of Columbine. Boston and MIT almost certainly had this in mind too. Obviously you can find a ton of bad stuff that happens during other weeks, but school shootings/random large-scale acts of violence are more likely to happen during the few days around 4/20 simply because of this copycat principle.

 
Best Response
ScorpionWell, this week really is especially bad for shootings/massacres. Columbine was inspired to do it on 4/20 because of Hitler's birthday and proximity to Oklahoma Bombing. Lots of other school shootings happen during that week because of Columbine. Boston and MIT almost certainly had this in mind too. Obviously you can find a ton of bad stuff that happens during other weeks, but school shootings/random large-scale acts of violence are more likely to happen during the few days around 4/20 simply because of this copycat principle.

I was going to make a post last night, but decided against it, but now that I know Columbine was inspired by Hitler's Birthday. VT was done in honor of Columbine (Asian dude wrote it in his manifesto) and OKC was done "in memory" of Waco. Hitler's been been dead for 70 years and that fucker is still inspiring mass murder and mayhem on his birthday. It would almost be sweet if it wasn't so disgusting.....

"Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
 
Gekko21
ScorpionWell, this week really is especially bad for shootings/massacres. Columbine was inspired to do it on 4/20 because of Hitler's birthday and proximity to Oklahoma Bombing. Lots of other school shootings happen during that week because of Columbine. Boston and MIT almost certainly had this in mind too. Obviously you can find a ton of bad stuff that happens during other weeks, but school shootings/random large-scale acts of violence are more likely to happen during the few days around 4/20 simply because of this copycat principle.

I was going to make a post last night, but decided against it, but now that I know Columbine was inspired by Hitler's Birthday. VT was done in honor of Columbine (Asian dude wrote it in his manifesto) and OKC was done "in memory" of Waco. Hitler's been been dead for 70 years and that fucker is still inspiring mass murder and mayhem on his birthday. It would almost be sweet if it wasn't so disgusting.....

Most influential man to ever live, no matter what your feelings are on the guy.

 

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"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee

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