Dannie Baker, age 60, walked up to a townhouse meeting room full of Chilean college students and opened fire on them. Apparently he had warned neighbors earlier not to have any immigrants in their homes, and asking one of them if they wanted to join him in his "revolution."
For more information (and even some video footage) click here. '
Baker has a history of mental illness. The author of the Crooks and Liars article, David Nelwert, linked on this page connects this event to a number of violent attacks in line with right-wing ideologies made by mentally ill individuals.
I'm uncomfortable with that connection but mostly I just wish I knew more about it. I guess it makes sense that someone who is experiencing paranoia and fear would be likely to act out on individuals that they have heard referred to as a threat by the media, religious leaders, community leaders, whatever/whoever. But my psychiatrist father says that mentally ill folks can be susceptible to any kind of manipulation whether it comes from the left or the right or whatever part of that spectrum you want to point at... I guess Nelwert's main point is that these right-wing groups and organizations prey on mentally ill individuals or at least take advantage of them. I suppose it is the generalizations he makes in trying to connect the dots and present a trend that make me concerned. Can't we also look at what drives so many white men to random, isolated, devastating and overwhelmingly violent attacks on people they often don't know and identify nonetheless as 'the enemy'? There is clearly so much work to be done here. Enough rambling from me... please post if you have insights!
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3 comments:
I agree with your father. There are many people susceptible to manipulation and this manipulation can come from anywhere. In Baker's case, based on what he said to his neighbors, "are you ready for the revolution to begin and do you have any immigrants in my house. If so, get them out."
It is clear that someone influenced him to hate illegal immigrants and he thought these students were illegal immigrants. He also thought he was starting the "revolution". Talk Radio and many ANTI Immigrant websites use this language.
In response to your last question, what motivates some men to commit violence? The question I always wonder about is what motivates husbands to murder their wives. Scott Peterson comes to mind. He had a beautiful wife and baby on the way. I know he was cheating, but why kill your wife.
Then there is Drew Peterson. We are told he murdered two of his wives. He cheated too, and he was manipulative.
I came across this article in the Boston Globe. They list 7 men who killed their wives and why, including Neil Entwhistle who shot his wife and baby daughter in 2007.
The article provides this explanation:
"Sometimes men - and let's be clear here, it is almost always men - decide to murder their wives simply as a way to end a rocky, unhappy marriage and avoid a divorce that could ruin their bank accounts or trash their reputations or spoil a dream life they have concocted for themselves."
Maybe this means that men view themselves as "in-charge" of the situation and they can QUICK FIX any problem.
Maybe that's what Danny Baker thought he was doing. He listened the Anti Immigration Hate Talk. He thought he could start the Revolution and FIX the problem by shooting those he THOUGHT were illegal immigrants.
Maybe all the husbands thought they could SOLVE their problems with a Quick Fix by murdering thier wives and children.
Maybe most women and most Logical men do not commit such crimes because they tend to think through their actions and consider the consequences for their actions.
Dee,
Thank you so much for your thoughts. I can't imagine ever thinking about murder as a solution to anything but what you're saying makes sense - especially because, as you noted, these ideas and images come through the media fairly regularly. I can't count how many films I've seen where murder is normalized and conceptualized as a way to end a situation -- even when films ultimately condemn the murders or when the murderer doesn't get away with it. Definitely food for thought.
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