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[ed boy]

In addition, a young child was shot and killed

I hate how whenever a kid gets caught up in something like that it's always harped on about to the exclusion, or near exclusion, of everyone else involved. The only reason the congresswoman is being mentioned at all is because she's a congresswoman, while everyone else is practically ignored in favor of talking about how tragic some kid getting killed is. As though society having invested significantly less resources feeding, educating, and otherwise supporting the individual somehow makes them more important than those who've had decades of training, socialization, and support. In addition, children are produced as a generally unwanted consequence of recreation, and there are literally more of them than are wanted. An adult is generally far more valuable than a child in terms of their benefiting society, and their loss is significantly greater, due to all that society has invested in them over the years. Trying to paint the child's death as the real tragedy is either a case of a foolish kneejerk reaction, bullshit sensationalist journalism, or just paying lipservice to the fact that everyone else is doing it, so that one doesn't stand out as "cold" or somesuch.

What makes a federal judge less important than a child who has yet to finish their first half-decade of schooling?

In the short term, a child may not contribute as much to society, but more future contributions are lost when a child dies than when an adult dies, and it is considered more of a tragedy.

[G-Flex]

There's also the fact that, in a politically-motivated attack, the identities of the political targets is pretty important. And yes, it's important to a society that people like judges and members of congress don't get shot. It sucks when a kid dies, but there's a lot at stake politically when a congressperson, or a president, or a prominent judge dies. They're all horrible and tragic, in different ways. Of course, like I said, one reason they're focusing on the congresswoman and judge is because this was a political attack and they were the political targets.

[Sir Pseudonymous]

In addition, a young child was shot and killed

I hate how whenever a kid gets caught up in something like that it's always harped on about to the exclusion, or near exclusion, of everyone else involved. The only reason the congresswoman is being mentioned at all is because she's a congresswoman, while everyone else is practically ignored in favor of talking about how tragic some kid getting killed is. As though society having invested significantly less resources feeding, educating, and otherwise supporting the individual somehow makes them more important than those who've had decades of training, socialization, and support. In addition, children are produced as a generally unwanted consequence of recreation, and there are literally more of them than are wanted. An adult is generally far more valuable than a child in terms of their benefiting society, and their loss is significantly greater, due to all that society has invested in them over the years. Trying to paint the child's death as the real tragedy is either a case of a foolish kneejerk reaction, bullshit sensationalist journalism, or just paying lipservice to the fact that everyone else is doing it, so that one doesn't stand out as "cold" or somesuch.

What makes a federal judge less important than a child who has yet to finish their first half-decade of schooling?

In the short term, a child may not contribute as much to society, but more future contributions are lost when a child dies than when an adult dies, and it is considered more of a tragedy.

There are also significantly more resources left to be expended before they can even potentially start repaying society. An adult just out of college is more valuable because they have yet to repay society, yet have reached the peak of society's contributions to them, and they've only progressed slightly further towards their own (currently) inevitable demise; an older adult is more valuable because they have decades of experience, and are probably in the process of raising their own kids at that point, even if they probably only have a few more decades left in their life.

[Realmfighter]

Kids get instant sympathy, unlike adult.

People don't do the philosophical arithmetic before deciding who to mourn.

[Eugenitor]

For those not familiar with basic Western-standard morality, I'll tell you why she's the real tragedy, and resources and contributions have nothing to do with it.

A guy sees the whole government as his enemy, and shoots VIPs like a Congresswoman and a federal judge? That's his beef. It doesn't make sense, he's a completely crazy asshole, and it's a horrible thing, but that's his beef.

But a preteen kid? A fourth grader? She was innocent by definition, what the fuck could an ordinary nine-year-old girl have done to him? What business did he cook up in that twisted head of his to make her his enemy? The dude just put lead where dreams were, traumatized her whole damn class on top of it, and for what? Was she part of the conspiracy too? What books has he been reading?

It's the difference between "plain old violent nutcase" and "Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK?!"

[Pnx]

For those not familiar with basic Western-standard morality... [snip]

Why do I get the feeling that's more about proving what an asshole he is than about the girl dying?

... This doesn't seem to be a popular view, but I feel some sympathy for the guy... Or something like it...
Perhaps it's just because I'm odd, but I feel sad that whatever drove him to this occurred to him*, everything else feels like an extension of that...

Maybe it's just when I see the headlines "plane crash kills 8" and "crazed killer murders 8" I tend to think they're the same, more or less... Regardless of how innocent the victims.

*^{whatever combination of events/influences/mental illness}

[Sir Pseudonymous]

An unhinged lunatic shoots a (comparatively minor) government official because his hallucinations made it make sense, he proceeds to fire randomly into the crowd because "oh right, unhinged lunatic." Another (minor) government official is hit and killed, as are five other people, one of them a child. When people list it out, they mention the congresswoman (who's still alive, last I heard; correct me if I'm wrong there), then the child, commenting on how tragic the child part is, and proceeding to ignore everyone else. Of the people killed, the child is the least important one.

"Hopes and dreams"? Those aren't, you know, actually worth anything. At all. Ever. You might as well be mourning that she died with such a diminutive stature, and could have totally grown another couple of feet or so.

As I said, the only reasons to single out the kid are either a foolish kneejerk reaction ("OMG A KID SO TRAGIC YOU GUYS"), bullshit sensationalist journalism ("HEY EVERYBODY, A KID TOTALLY DIED AND SHIT AND THAT'S JUST HORRIBLE PLEASE LISTEN TO US TALKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE TRAGEDY (AND RATINGS)!"), or people who feel they'd be singled out if they didn't pay lip service to it, I presume (the previous reason could also end up under this, since it would "look bad" for journalists not to be spewing disingenuous commentary on "how bad it totally hurts them inside, because a kid you guys a kid"). Unless you personally knew the kid/their family, and none of the others, where it's an understandable sentiment, due to proximity making that particular part more personal than the rest.

And yes, if you go out of your way to try to empathize with the kid or their family to a rather unhealthy degree, you'll feel sad on a personal level about it. It's unhealthy to do so, because it serves no purpose but feeling agony. It's generally involuntary when a matter is actually personal, where the appearance of empathy, and the support it may compel you to provide, are important social mechanisms. Getting all bent out of shape because a kid thousands of miles away died (who isn't connected to you at all)? Not conducive to a healthy mind in the least.

Maybe it's just when I see the headlines "plane crash kills 8" and "crazed killer murders 8" I tend to think they're the same, more or less... Regardless of how innocent the victims.

Honestly, if I saw "plane crash kills 8," I'd marvel at how few casualties there were for a fucking plane crash. Unless it was accompanied by a picture of a wrecked cessna sticking out of a house or something, which would make it disturbing that a two man (correct? or do they hold more?) plane also managed to kill another six people by falling out of the sky.

[Servant Corps]

Yeah, uh, I'm going to shut down debate because I think i made my point and then saw that point blown up by six tons of TNT. No reason to keep this thread up.