Humans are motivated by what is called psychological egoism, we are always motivated by what we perceive to be in our own self-interest, and it is the reason behind many of our everyday interactions and choices we make. However, what influences interactions we never hope to have, and decisions we never hope to make, such as deadly mass shootings? Was it a form of free will, or was it a result of psychiatric disorders such as PTSD or antisocial personality disorder, or was it the unleashing their anger, such as the rage and discrimination that they might have dealt with throughout their lives. The recent attacks on police forces were not only influenced by the recent attacks of black men but also as a result of PSTD as both attackers were being
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Racial discrimination by police officers may have also affected the behavior of recent mass shooters. Shooters like Johnson, and also Gavin Long, the Baton Rouge police shooter, may have been affected by Black Lives Matter, a movement that seeks to right the wrongs against African Americans perpetrated by society as a whole. Having prior military experience, Johnson and Long decided to take the worst action they could have taken, to take matters into their own hands by using violence. Looking back to the Alton Sterling shooting, which portrayed an image of an unarmed black male being shot and killed by white police officers, what does this show to the public? It shows racial discrimination. It was reported that Gavin Long was obsessed with the Alton Sterling shooting footage, watching it over and over again, trying to convey what it meant. Since both were young African American males, Long empathized and identified with Sterling. He was tempted to do something on behalf of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, as well as the minorities wrongly mistreated and murdered by figures of authority every day. Johnson seemed to take matter in his hands following the killing of Philando Castile by the police in Minnesota 24 hours before his actions and 68.5 hours following the killing of Alton Sterling in Louisiana. Just like the Afghanistan War had taught him, he felt that violence was the only way these people would be avenged and the system put to the right
Racial discrimination by police officers may have also affected the behavior of recent mass shooters. Shooters like Johnson, and also Gavin Long, the Baton Rouge police shooter, may have been affected by Black Lives Matter, a movement that seeks to right the wrongs against African Americans perpetrated by society as a whole. Having prior military experience, Johnson and Long decided to take the worst action they could have taken, to take matters into their own hands by using violence. Looking back to the Alton Sterling shooting, which portrayed an image of an unarmed black male being shot and killed by white police officers, what does this show to the public? It shows racial discrimination. It was reported that Gavin Long was obsessed with the Alton Sterling shooting footage, watching it over and over again, trying to convey what it meant. Since both were young African American males, Long empathized and identified with Sterling. He was tempted to do something on behalf of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, as well as the minorities wrongly mistreated and murdered by figures of authority every day. Johnson seemed to take matter in his hands following the killing of Philando Castile by the police in Minnesota 24 hours before his actions and 68.5 hours following the killing of Alton Sterling in Louisiana. Just like the Afghanistan War had taught him, he felt that violence was the only way these people would be avenged and the system put to the right