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Elliot Rodger
Instead of saving men from radicalization, Peterson is normalizing their radical views on "enforced monogamy," to the applause of his fans.
Lone-acting offenders were far more likely to have a history of mental illness than offenders who had been part of a group. Lone-actors with mental illness were also more likely to have a spouse or partner who was part of a larger movement (making them more vulnerable to outside influences) and to have parents who were divorced. Though offenders acting alone are often characterized as being "loners" without any real sources of emotional support, that doesn't appear to be the case.
Yes, misogyny was evident but it wasn't the reason for the actual shooting. Just to be clear, pointing out misogyny isn't being anti-men -- it's highlighting a problem in society. While Elliot Rodger did stab three men to death in his apartment, he also seemed to have a serious issue with women. But it seems that most young men have misogynistic feelings of inadequacy at some point in their lives, so this was not remarkable. Things went as far as they did because the system Rodger was in did a horrendous job of identifying just how much of a danger to society he was.
It's time America looks up to Canada, where anyone can own a gun -- but licensing is properly managed with a process that takes weeks, requires applicants to show up in person and includes background checks and a personal safety-training course.
I know that many of us feel hurt when men in general are blamed for violence against women. And many of us have or do feel the need to exclaim, "not all men!" And its true, not all men hurt women. And some of us have been hurt by women. But I encourage, implore, beg and hope all men will consider, just consider, what it means to walk through the world with the privilege of being seen as a man.
This "give me what I'm owed" attitude is prevalent -- ask any woman who's ever been to a dance club and been cornered and made to chat, had her ass grabbed, her tits groped. I'm talking about literally every woman I know. What's interesting is that this attitude is rarely articulated quite so clearly by the actual person perpetrating the violence -- in many ways, Rodger was more upfront than most about his sexist ideology. He admitted to it, then he acted on it, and the consequences were enormous. Now that #YesAllWomen has shown the world what it feels like to be female, I hope that the little, "insignificant" instances of everyday sexism are no longer brushed aside.
We are all shocked and outraged by Elliot Rodger's shooting spree in Isla Vista, California -- with three legally purchased handguns and over 400 rounds of ammunition. I can understand us being outraged -- but shocked? Really?
If you are a man and reading this, you might be thinking "But not all men would hurt women." That's true. Not all men would. But all women have been dehumanized by a man. That's what's forgotten in this conversation -- there's so much defensiveness from men. Please listen to what we have to say. We're telling you that this happens enough that every woman has a story. Not all men do this, but enough men do that the default is to be distrustful and wary around men. Elliot Rodger believed in the lies the Men's Rights Activist Movement told him.
When you look the statistics on violence against women, Elliot Rodger's act doesn't seem so much like a one-off incident. He was participating, albeit in a grandiose public way, in the time-honoured tradition of controlling women with violence and punishing them when they don't behave as desired. This is what the Men's Rights Movement teaches its members. Especially vulnerable, lonely young men who have a hard time relating to women. It teaches them that women, and especially feminist women, are to blame for their unhappiness. This is what the Men's Rights Movement does: it spreads misogyny, it spreads violence, and most of all it spreads a sense of entitlement towards women's bodies.
A man killed six people in a drive by shooting on Friday night in California. On Thursday night the apparent shooter made a video explaining why he was going to embark on the murderous rampage. In this video the man stated that he was a 22-year-old virgin who couldn't attract women. We should avoid reducing the murderer to a crazed individual whose actions can be explained solely by his mental state. Instead, we should analyze how the misogynistic societies we live in enabled the murderer's killing spree.
