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Dave Cullen

Dave Cullen
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New York, New York, USA
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June 03
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Written for NY Times, W Post, Slate, Salon, Daily Beast. Publisher Twelve (Hachette)
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An expanded paperback edition of my book COLUMBINE came out March 1, 2010. Links to the book and my bio below: http://www.davecullen.com/columbine.htm

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JANUARY 10, 2011 7:20PM

I'm writing about the Tucson tragedy for various publications

Rate: 20 Flag

I'm working on the Tucson tragedy this week, writing for many different publications.

So I'll try to post the links here, and more quickly on Facebook and Twitter. (Feel free to friend/follow me there.)

Today I have two pieces up, and another one will be on AOL News shortly.

Today's pieces:
Tucson, Jared Lee Loughner, Columbine, shooting, mass murder
WNYC: Shooters Aren't Just Politically Motivated or Crazy.

The Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma: A Reporter's Lessons from Past Shooting.


The latter is the sidebar an outstanding new feature, Covering Mass Killings, by Dr. Frank Ochberg and Bruce Shapiro. Dr. Ochberg founded Dart, and is often quoted by NYT on these incidents. Brilliant guy, very wise. Read it.

More soon.

 

Update:

I'm booked for MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show tomorrow (Tuesday), during the 4pm ET hour. TV tends to overbook though, so I may get bumped. 

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I've already read both, Dave, and as usual, you make my heart a little less heavy in times like these.
Verbal Remedy AKA Denise
January 10, 2011 07:39 PM
Wow, what a sweet thing to say.

I'm so busy trying to think, and pump thoughts out, wondering a bit whether it's of any use to anyone. That makes me happy.
Dave Cullen
January 10, 2011 07:46 PM
I'm sure you wish you weren't so busy, as that means that there's another horrific story, but I'm glad that you're bringing your expertise and humanity to bear here.
Jeanette DeMain
January 10, 2011 07:48 PM
So, there's no causation between the political rhetoric and the act? Not even some thin thread of a link?

Life is often random and that's the hard reality to live with.
denese
January 10, 2011 07:53 PM
A responsible piece. Yes, political rhetoric is too high, but the last time the media painted tea partiers as racist they won elections. Painting them as psychopathic killers is no different. Otherwise, what would have happened if someone shot Bush, take Keith Olberman off the air? The fact is, there are timebombs walking around out there. Look at Oswald. His politics? Crazy. In other words anything to latch on to. Any extreme. Any way to project his anger. What scares the shit out of me is, I dont remember hearing about school shootings until Columbine and now it seems like an annual event. With all the media attention in a country with 300 million people, are we starting another trend? I forget if it was Erickson or Maslow who talked about the need to feel important. And for asshats like this guy or a Mark David Chapman, their options are limited. Is every line of ink on this story another invitation?
Ted Zeppelin
January 10, 2011 07:55 PM
I read your excellent post on The Dart Center earlier. Thanks for the additional links. R
Fay Paxton
January 10, 2011 07:57 PM
It's refreshing to read something thoughtful on this awful event.
Major Mojo
January 10, 2011 08:12 PM
thanks, everyone.

denese, i'm not sure why you're asking "So, there's no causation between the political rhetoric and the act? Not even some thin thread of a link?"

i don't know whether there was causation, but i certainly didn't rule it out. my piece didn't even address that topic.
Dave Cullen
January 10, 2011 08:25 PM
Dave, I wish this country knew how to put you out of business. I wish that we would no longer need your--or anyone else's--expertise on random, senseless acts of violence because these acts would stop occurring.

But thanks for helping to put yourself out of business by helping people to undertand the un-understandable. Lessons can always be learned. Will check back here.
doloresflores_d
January 10, 2011 08:53 PM
Update (i added this to the post):

I'm booked for MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show tomorrow (Tuesday), during the 4pm ET hour. TV tends to overbook though, so I may get bumped.
Dave Cullen
January 10, 2011 08:56 PM
Thanks for both of these. I live in AZ, and honestly my first two thoughts were "young angry man" and "possible cartel" because the border issues are fierce, they pack a lot of heat, and she is in favor of strong border protection. Once I saw the news, I realized, we're just gonna have to wait and see. Despite so many others thinking all of us here are angry gun toting killers, it wasn't likely. Mental illness is a catchall category and it is important to know the types, how they manifest, what can make them worse (like Red bull, pot, and aspartame, and sugar) and also that you can have many different ways of showing it, even within the same person at different times.

I have been hoping someone will call out for better mental health care access, earlier in life, and also to have a way for family and colleagues to report behavior that is dangerous before it becomes life threatening. He hadn't done anything illegal, or significantly so, until he committed a heinous crime.
No one has mentioned the Montreal Polytechnique Massacre. Misogyny is also political, even if gender based, the way that all hate crimes are ultimately political. They don't believe in the right of the other to exist or be free.
Oryoki Bowl
January 10, 2011 09:03 PM
Look forward to your coverage Dave. Thanks for keeping us posted!
Conrad Capto
January 10, 2011 09:06 PM
Thanks for the links and update.
SheilaTGTG55
January 10, 2011 10:32 PM
Excellent pieces. No easy black and white answers here. It's so easy to pigeonhole people into types when in fact they are just people with different psyches and psychoses. I'd like to blame the whole problem on guns but that's also too easy. Really enjoy your writing. R.
Rita Bourland
January 11, 2011 12:28 AM
Thank you for the good common sense reporting needed right now!
pastvoices
January 11, 2011 12:49 AM
I really liked both articles Dave. As one who does a lot of data analysis professionally, I'm always appreciative of efforts to categorize and draw approximate conclusions from what the data appears to reveal. And I liked the underlying message of don't fool yourself into thinking you know more than you can be expected to know. Good on you.
Abrawang
January 11, 2011 01:54 AM