jueves, 12 de marzo de 2009

News 3

Teenage Gunman 'had depression'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7941426.stm



Who: Tim Kretschmer

When: Wednesday, March 11th, 2009.

Where: Germany, Winnenden

What: An armed attacker, wearing black combat clothing and a mask, entered the Albertville secondary school at about 0930 (0830 GMT) and fired randomly at students. The 17 year old, Tim Kretschmer, killed 15 people, before taking his own life.


Why: The motive for the rampage remains unclear, although Kretschmer appears to have targeted women inside the school. Eight of the nine students and all three of the teachers he shot dead, were female. said.
He was interned in the centre in Winnenden, because he sufferd of depression, but he never resumed the outpatient therapy sessions. At the physical examination for the army, he provided proof of an illness that required a psychiatric treatment. Investigators say that he posted gun threats in chatrooms.
Also, his father was a successful businessman who legally owned 15 weapons - including the Beretta handgun used on Wednesday, and belonged to a gun club that both attended regularly for shooting practice.

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Finnish college gunman kills 10

http://www.holology.com/shooting.html#36

Who: Matti Juhani Saari

When: Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Where: Kauhajoki School of Hospitality, a vocational and catering school of 150 students and 40 teachers located in Kauhajoki western Finland northwest of Helsinki. Shootings took place in classrooms with testing occurring.

What: Matti arrived for his business skills exam 90 minutes into the test, opened fire on the classroom killing 8 female, one male student, and one teacher at a college, before shooting himself and later dying in hospital.

Why: Saari was frequently bullied during his time at secondary school, and he had seen a psychologist and been prescribed anti-depressants. For his military service Saari was transferred to the ‘E category’, one common cause for this designation is mental health issues. The YouTube posting under profile Wumpscut86 by 'Mr Saari' stated that his interests and hobbies include "computers, weapons, sex and beer". He had a psychiatric history including the use of psychotropic drugs, had a chronic difficulty interfacing with those around him in healthy ways, and he was obsessed with guns, killing and death.
He hated humanity for not conforming to his own standards and expectations; convinced they deserve to be gods and dictators and then when society fails to fulfill their demands they seek revenge. Being unable to adapt Matti sought a final solution through the perspective of power and violence, the only way he could comprehend forces and events.

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Kazmierczak said nothing when he fired on the class and left behind no known written material or statements of any kind.

http://www.holology.com/shooting.html#34

Who: Steven Kazmierczak

When: 3:06 p.m. February 14 (Valentine’s Day) 2008.

Where: Cole Hall, Northern Illinois University

What: Reportedly wearing black clothing, jeans, t-shirt, and carrying his weapons in a guitar case and hidden under his jacket a tall, thin Steven Kazmierczak entered Cole Hall auditorium at Northern Illinois University where class was being held, and armed with one shotgun and at least three handguns, opened fire on the audience from the stage, injuring 16 random people, killing five, and then himself.

Why: Kazmierczak was in a mental health center. A former employee at a Chicago psychiatric treatment center said Kazmierczak had been placed there after high school by his parents. He used to cut himself and had resisted taking his medications. He also had a short-lived stint as a prison guard that ended abruptly when he didn't show up for work. He was in the Army for about six months in 2001-02, but he told a friend he'd gotten a psychological discharge.
He had some underlying trouble that was being repressed. He liked violent gore-horror themes and films; he had some elaborate tattoos to show it. One interview claimed that he “was abusive, had a temper," she said. "He didn't actually hit her; he would push her [his girlfriend] around." Steven’s family stated that his behavior had become erratic recently after he stopped taking medication used to regulate an unspecified psychological disorder. No other overt indicators of impending violence have been reported besides that and his recent weapons purchases.
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Depressed in Finland
http://www.holology.com/shooting.html#33

Who: Pekka-Eric Auvinen (18)

When: Wednesday November 7, 2007 at approximately 11:45 am.

Where: Jokela High School in Tuusula, located in a small town 30-40 miles from Helsinki.

What: Pekka-Eric Auvinen, an 18 year old, used his .22 caliber pistol to shoot multiple people and after about twenty minutes he shot himself in the head in a toilet stall beside the school cafeteria. About 90 minutes later police found him and took him to the hospital where he died eight hours later.

Why: Pekka-Eric Auvinen was taking anti-depressant medications. In a video that he placed on YouTube, Sturmgeist89 displays packages of Cipralex, Zoloft, Luvox, and Prozac pills. The drugs were prescribed for depression.
Fellow student Tuomas Hulkkonen states the he knew the gunman well and that he had been acting strange lately. His 18 year old girlfriend Tana Scheel recently left him. Also, Auvinen had no previous criminal record and had no difficulty legally obtaining his handgun. He was a member of a hunting club and was practiced enough to direct most of his shots at the head and upper body of his victims during his 20-minute rampage. _____________________________________________________________________________

Copycat Crime

http://www.holology.com/shooting.html#26

Who: Charles Carl Roberts IV, age 32.

When: 10:30 a.m.

Where: West Nickel Mines (one room) Amish School in Lancaster County, about 50 miles west of Philadelphia.

What: On Monday morning, Roberts walked his children to school. Then he drove to the Amish school and walked inside. After entering the ‘one-room’ school around 10:30 he brandished a gun and ordered the 15 boys and several adults in the room to leave. He then had 11 girls line up facing the blackboard and tied their legs together with wire and plastic ties. A teacher, Emma Mae Zook, ran to the find the nearest phone and called 911 for help. Back at the school, Roberts barricaded the doors to slow down the police and allow him the opportunity to sexually abuse his captives. Roberts demanded the police leave ‘in 10 seconds’ or he would start shooting. The police heard a rapid series of shots and they proceeded to break into the room through a window where they found Roberts and several girls dead, most shot in the head. Roberts did not expect the quick arrival of the police and it was no evidence was found that any of the girls at the school were molested before being shot.

Why:Although expressing outward signs of normality, Roberts had a wife and three kids, he definitely had some serious, deeply repressed psychological issues festering away in his mind. In the suicide notes he claims to have been tormented by the death of his prematurely born daughter in 1997 which he wrote caused him “hate toward myself hate towards God”, and his responsibility in (unsubstantiated claims of) sexually molesting two relatives 20 years ago and desire to repeat such actions. The news reporting on the previous shooting at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado on September 27th must have acted like a triggering event on Roberts. The coincidence in timing and the parallel criminal motives are too strong to ignore, and indeed the police consider this to be a copycat crime.

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The opportunity of the situation coupled with student rage

http://www.holology.com/shooting.html#18

Who: Ken Bartley Jr., 15 years old.

When: November 8, 2005

Where: Campbell County Comprehensive High School.


What: Ken Bartley Jr. brought a .22 caliber handgun to school, reportedly hidden under a napkin. After showing off the gun to other students, school authorities became suspicious and called the freshman into the principal’s office where Ken shot the principal and two assistant principals, killing one and seriously injuring the others as well as himself in the melee.

Why: The motive for the shooting remains unclear but at this point it seems likely it was simply the opportunity of the situation coupled with student rage.

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martes, 3 de marzo de 2009

Kirk Agrees to Pay Back Taxes

Who: Ron Kirk

When: March 2, 2009, 6:35 pm

Where: United States

What: Ron Kirk, the nominee to serve as the United States trade representative in the Obama administration, has agreed to pay $10,000 in back taxes for speaking fees that he did not report as income and for deducting the cost of season tickets to the Dallas Mavericks basketball games.

Why: For speaking fees that he did not report as income and for deducting the cost of season tickets to the Dallas Mavericks basketball games.Also, because the Obama administration have run int tax troubles in thir confirmation process.

lunes, 2 de marzo de 2009

News Analysis

1. Who is Robert Mugabe? How long has he been in power? How popular is he?
- Robert Mugabe is the president of Zimbabwe since 1980. People used to consider him a legend or an icon, but his image has changed with the years. Citizens downs't like him much this times.

2. Who is Morgan Tsvangirai? Which is/ has been his political role?
- Mugabe's new partner in a power- sharing government. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai (MDC-T) .

3. What happened during last year's elections? Which was the outcome?
- The Presidential Elections of 2008, were held on March 29, the major candidates were Mugabe, Simba Makoni, and Tsvangirai. According to the official results, Tsvangirai was ahead of Mugabe, but Mugabe won, and Tsvangirai claimed that the results could have been altered.

4. Whis is the economic situation in Zimbabwe? How do the people feel about this?
- The economic situation is bad, because it s collapsing. The people can't understand how Mugabe spent 250, 000 on his party, when the country is desperate for that amount of money to be spent instead on its citizens, who are suffering from a cholera outbreak, food shortages, and spiraling hyperinflation.

5. What do you think about the celebrations and the lavish party?
- I think they shouldn't be celebrating when their economy is that bad. They should be spending that money on things that would benefit the citizens. I think it is a selfish, and ignorant act.

Based only on the article below, define a conflict.
a) Give the conflict a name and explain why you think it is a conflict.
- "Power vs Health" This is a conflict, because the government, and candidates is fighting for power, and they are letting their citizens behind. The country is suffering, while they gaine power.

b) Who is involved and why?
- Robert Mugabe, Richard Tsvangirai, his followrs, the opposing group, and the Zimbabwean citizens, because they're being affected.

c) Explain in detail why the conflict has happened.
- The economy is collapsing, because of Robert Mugabe's mitakes. It is generating a triggering hyperinflation, that is affecting the people. All of the money that should be used to help people providing medicines, and food,has been used to make Mugabe parties. He just thinks of himself, and leave the others behind.

d) Give a timeline of events (at least 5) related to the conflict.
- January 2009, Zimbabwe introduced a new Z$100 trillion banknote.
- February 21, 2009: Mugabe's 85th birthday.
- February 27, 2009: Tsvangirai visits a hospital and says it needs 30,000 dollars.
- February 28, 2009: Mugabe's spent $250 000 for hid birthday party.
- March 1, 2009: Tsvangirai states the country needs $5 billion dollars to tabilize the country.

e) How do you think this conflict can be solved and why?Mugabe hosts lavish party despite national
- The conflict could be solved if the government used the money to helo the citizens, and benefit them, instead of organizing parties, and celebrating. It could be much better if they didn't think only in thmenselves.