I believe that the hate talk that fills the airwaves 24/7 is one of the factors that contributes to

[still_one]

A lot of violent acts

Madow had a show discussing this with the killing of a doctor in Kansas that performed abotions. O'reilly(sic) and others were practically calling for his killing

When I hear teabaggers calling for armed insurection, or the likes of pat robertson praying for the demise of justices who are not hard right, you know bad things will happen.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. To you believe that music that calls for violence is also a contributor?

It gets a lot more air time than hate radio

[2ndAmForComputers]

8. Aw, he dissed your favorite entertainers?

What a meanie.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. Hardly...

There was a bunch of noise made about hip hop and its pro violence/anti women lyrics. They get a lot more play than talk radio hate spewers. Whenever I hear someone demanding action on one of them, I ask about the other.

[still_one]

11. It's a good question. I would say no, because it could be considered a work of art. However,

When you have hate radio, in many cases telling people to take out a specific person or groups, that is incitement

[Manifestor_of_Light]

2. it's called stochastic terrorism.

Somebody who makes a living reciting hate speech says that someone should be killed. Example: Bill O'Reilly calling Dr. George Tiller "Tiller the Killer" and saying he should be killed.

Out of the millions of listeners, the odds are good that one or two people with guns will hear this and act upon it. Then the broadcaster can say "I was not responsible. I didn't kill anybody."

It's about statistics.

[Zax2me]

10. But what does this have with this shooter?

You have any proof or just more...speculation?

[Zoeisright]

12. No one exists in a vacuum. Limpballs has been ranting about the new Batman movie for days.

That's all it takes to push some people over the edge. It's just too much of a coincidence.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

17. This plan was formulated before that

It wasn't something that was drawn up overnight.

[still_one]

14. My post was a general comment about violence, and how much hate radio may or may not influence

Violent behavior. It was not specifically about last nights incident, though it is what prompted my question in general

[4th law of robotics]

18. Could you please describe a way in which

stochastic terrorism could be separated from simply random tragic events?

In other words: is it possible for this theory to be disproven?

[DrDan]

3. yes - that hate permeates our lives in so many ways

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. You bet it does.

Feeble-minded people lap that shit up like sponges.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

5. While political talk is protected under the 1st Amendment even when it includes expressions of hate

and contempt towards politial opponents and policies, talk which can be shown to incite unlawful violence is not.

No one should mistakenly believe that all talk, including talk inciting unlawful violence, fraud, slander, etc., is similarly protected.

[Bluerthanblue]

6. I believe it goes even beyond the hate talk on the airwaves

it is even in the way we at DU treat one another at times.

Our society seems so incredibly angry and short tempered.

We seem to feed on it. No, that doesn't justify or explain what happened but-

I think we all would do well to step back and do some reflecting.

[HooptieWagon]

7. Charlie Manson was set off by a Beatles song...

you planning to ban the Beatles, also? I do deplore the level of speech on RW radio and the internet. But to be honest, if somebody is a freakin' looney tune you can't predict what will send them off the deep end.

[still_one]

15. Sometimes they are not looney, they have an agenda, and if they are able to incite others to do

Violence against others, there is an issue with that

Free speech is not ultimate

Ted nugent was investigated by the FBI because of his remarks

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. I made the point earlier in the day

it is called stochastic terrorism... but some folks really don't want to get it.

[still_one]

16. Well, I think it is a good point. /nt

[4th law of robotics]

19. People get it

*It* just happens to be a stupid theory.

There is no way it can be disproven. It is an article of faith then. Not a real theory.

You don't even have to prove he listened to any of these people because you can always fall back on "a popular climate of fear. . . ".

The entire theory is just a way to justify using tragic events for political ends without feeling bad about it.