General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSay the next insurance "adjustor" expresses his anger
by going to a company's HQ and does a mass shooting.
Will we* still "understand his frustration" and/or call him a hero? If not, what is the limit, or must killings be done one at a time?
{*Consider the "we" to be anything from the general population to any subset you wish}
yagotme
(3,918 posts)What kind of gun was used? Is the shooter a POC? Were the victim(s) POC? What percentage of claims did the company deny? What was their profit this year? Who did the victim(s) vote for? Quite the sticky wicket, I'd say...
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)so many people who are vociferously "not caring" are suddenly silent.
Silent Type
(7,140 posts)info we have now. Unfortunately, doctors weren't able to reverse nerve damage.
Sounds like any beef he has is with doctors.
boston bean
(36,516 posts)I dont know. But it is a possibility.
Silent Type
(7,140 posts)his remaining nerve issues. But he took it out on the wrong person.
I feel for the guy, whatever it is.
Meowmee
(5,892 posts)I read that he had an older surgery treatment for his condition for whatever reasons, which could have been influenced by insurance coverage.
Walleye
(35,988 posts)It never results in any change. The Unabomber didnt. And shining a spotlight or bringing attention to never works for anything.
Silent Type
(7,140 posts)Scrivener7
(53,036 posts)This one's just aimed at a new group, and this group has a voice to object.
Avalon Sparks
(2,596 posts)Didnt understand the reason for pitchforks and knives back in the day either.
They dont fear the populace anymore, and I support any and all means that might restore that fear.
kerry-is-my-prez
(9,346 posts)James McConnell - a talented (and good guy) who did nothing to harm people. He was very prominent in his field. A student was severely injured and McConnell lost his hearing for a while. The shooter is pretty confused, comparing Professors to a greedy CEO.
cactusfractal
(565 posts)We can understand the frustration that drives people to violence, and we can even lionize someone who takes that to the extreme Luigi did, because his target was decidedly, irrefutably making himself obscenely wealthy by letting insured Americans sicken and die. But no, we aren't likely to exalt someone who kills innocents, regardless of their motivations.
Brian Thompson was not innocent.
yagotme
(3,918 posts)Heard that phrase before?
Response to sarisataka (Original post)
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Response to sarisataka (Original post)
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DeepWinter
(539 posts)Blackwater's in for a booming 1st quarter.
Hellbound Hellhound
(229 posts)It's like celebrating Assad getting ousted, winning WWII or if Putin were to get whacked. Bad guy dies, good guys cheer. That's kind of how these things work.
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)or does guilt extend to all employees. I have a bit of a personal interest in the answer.
Hellbound Hellhound
(229 posts)Those who guide the policies and procedures of a company. That's a pretty small subgroup, probably less than a hundredth of a percent of the company in question. Far better odds of survival there than the odds the company gives their clients.
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)I am licensed in health and life but primarily work in P&C. I am thankful I have nothing to do with claim processing- I would want to just approve everyone unless it is obviously egregious.
Hellbound Hellhound
(229 posts)I kid, it's a running gag at my old place of work that the Pinkies (PnC) were coming to get you so you gotta get 'em first.
Still, I'd wager you'll be fine. No more at risk than the janitor or even the claims agents.
Problem is, there's a lot of good people working in the industry, just putting in a 9/5, getting paid and going home. Those people certainly shouldn't have anything to fear. They're not the decisionmakers, the policymakers, the shareholders; Those are the people America is seething against. No one gives a care about what Jim in Marketing is up to, unless he designs a notably bad advertisement.
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)and everyone questions if the underwriters really want to insure people...
When people call about their home and auto going up I always commiserate that I understand. We do not get employee discounts and I can only wish I was paid what the latest celebrity received for making a 30 second commercial.
DronePilot
(12 posts)That seems to be the qualifier for most - as if its 1870 and people are having duels in the street.
Trenzalore
(2,522 posts)There is a lot of anger. The question should not be what is wrong with people, but why are they so angry that this seems ok.
proud patriot
(101,185 posts)he is a symptom of a illness .
the illness is our healthcare industry .
as long as we are ill as a country this symptom will continue .
if we want to stop the symptom we must cure the illness.
mcar
(43,589 posts)orangecrush
(22,035 posts)Scrivener7
(53,036 posts)But for years, many gungeoneers here have laid school shootings at the feet of idiotic pablum like "must not restrict gun access! Must blame mental health services!"
How is this different?
That position by the gun lobby is always staunchly defended here by the "it's a clip not a magazine" crowd, and it has taught people here and throughout the country to respond to school shootings with learned helplessness.
So the goal of the gungeoneers has been met. In the situatuon you describe, people would be bothered for a day or two, wish we could get better gun laws, know there are too many gun fanboys preventing that, and let it go.
Just like we did with the last school shooting.
Wasn't that the plan?
Why is this different?
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)and I suppose we can join the idiotic pablum, shrug our shoulders and give it an "oh, well. Mass shootings are just how it is now"
I have never found that attitude acceptable and do not plan to change my opinion now.
Murder has been wrong, murder is wrong, murder will be wrong.
Scrivener7
(53,036 posts)mass shootings ARE just how it is now. Acceptable or not, if you support the gun lobby, you support that state of affairs.
And yes, your opinion is that murder is murder. Murder has always been murder. And your opinion doesn't matter. The power of the gun lobby is what matters.
It happens regularly to school children and staff. Incels often shoot up groups of women because no one will sleep with them.
Why would employees of companies that are actually hurting and killing people be exempt?
This is where our gun laws, and those who fight for gun access, have brought us. You may not like it, but you DO accept it.
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)While I recognize I cannot unilaterally induce change I can try to influence the country through contacting my reps because I DO NOT accept it.
I can also try to influence individuals, both in person and online, that rule by the barrel of a gun is not acceptable. We must fight for change even if such change is unlikely. Ironic since I have been called a gunhumper more than just a few times...
Scrivener7
(53,036 posts)I used to regularly do what you are talking about. But I came to recognize that I can't fight the gun lobby. I can't even have a conversation with gun owners on DU after a mass shooting, because, without exception, the effort is met only with bad faith attempts to shut the conversation down.
Only when enough gun owners feel heat, and when gun owners become the loudest voices for change, will anything change.
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)and will fight for decades more- my Polish heritage makes me stubborn.
Next mass shooting (hopefully a very long time from today- but I'm not confident of that) find me. We can discuss in good faith.
Scrivener7
(53,036 posts)Bettie
(17,273 posts)Or does the death of this one guy render everything that industry does A-OK?
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)our health care system is a travesty in desperate need of reform.
I do not support murdering people as the method to make that change.
Bettie
(17,273 posts)but, I wish there were a conversation other than "but the insurance companies have to have billions of dollars, so fuck anyone who needs care that might impact the bottom line".
Iggo
(48,374 posts)Also, if trumps car flips over and he dies, Im gonna be happy about it. That doesnt mean Im pro cars-flipping-over.
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)I have never asked anyone to mourn or even to not celebrate if they are that type of person. My position is simply murder is wrong. Are you trying to say an accident is the same as premeditated murder?
Iggo
(48,374 posts)And Im saying the manner of his death has absolutely nothing to do with how happy I am that hes dead.
That shouldnt be hard to understand, but apparently it is.
ProfessorGAC
(70,303 posts)...the threads where people are calling him a hero?
Because I missed them. I see several people not having much sympathy for the victim, but that's a long way from calling a back-shooting murderer a hero.
People Get shot every day. I'm not considering this crime more heinous or noteworthy because the guy was a rich big-shot.
I keep seeing these lectures here in GD, but little evidence it's rampant.
The most common perspective seems more to ve "Who cares? One less parasite." That's not lionizing the shooter.
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)However after doing a search for the word hero, something you can do as well, I did find several posts calling him a hero.
ProfessorGAC
(70,303 posts)...and you used "we". Not sure how you expected me to infer anything else.
Also, you're the one lecturing, not me. I think it pretty audacious of you to expect me to do searches to support your contention. I'm not contending anything.
sarisataka
(21,211 posts)And then defined my use:
{*Consider the "we" to be anything from the general population to any subset you wish}
It appears you chose the subset to be DU and only DU.