Argument-based Homicide in America

A detailed Summary of Argument-based Homicide in America

Feeling alienated by fellow classmates, two students at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO who referred to themselves as the Trench Coat Mafia went on a rampant killing spree which took the lives of themselves, twelve other students and one teacher (Obmascik 1). This incident caused an immediate plea for more socially responsible communities, assuming that greater moral values would curb the likelihood of these argument-related homicides. This relies on the notion that greater social organization will lead to a decrease in the rate of crime. Dov Cohen, in her article "Culture, Social Organization, and Patterns of Violence" shows that in the West (which includes Colorado) and South, where a culture of honor persists, there is a higher rate of argument-related homicide that in other areas of the country (the North). More specifically, in the South and West, more organized societies have a higher rate of argument-related homicides than less stabl

Obmascik, Mark. "Massacre at Columbine High: Bloodbath leaves 15 dead, 28 hurt." The Denver Post. 21 April 1999.

In the West and South, greater stability within a community would not have the effect of reducing argument-related homicides because increasing community stability seems to condone these actions, not only by sentiments, but by laws which make this type of crime more acceptable. For this reason it is not the communities who should be blamed, and the ability to point fingers at a lack of morals may be diminishing. By Cohen's theory, the Columbine killings were not due to lax communal structure, but they were more a function of the region that it occurred, a region that represents a culture of honor. It may be that the Columbine killings were argument-based homicides, which were provoked rather than random, but the mere fact they exist at all is distressing. It is upsetting to think that certain cultures condone the beliefs that can lead to such atrocities. Homicide is s

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Approximate Word count = 668
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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Argument-based Homicide in America

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