Calling them "tragedies" makes it sound like no one was at fault. There are Internet conspiracy theorists who have accused the Newtown families of being "crisis actors." "Nobody died!" they say. "It was all a ruse to take our guns!" they say. The level of denial is mind-boggling.
I call them a tragedy because that is exactly what they are. Unless of course you're referring to literature, which, in that case you're right. It's a horror story. It's not a catastrophe or disaster, because that infers it was not done on purpose. So, because someone(s) lost his (their) life, as a result of a predetermined action of another person, it is tragic. It's also tragic when someone who normally leads a very sane life all of a sudden snaps and loses control of their mind, as can happen. Although, in most massacre's, the person who commits the atrocity doesn't just snap over night. In a lot of cases they seem a little off, and either can't get help or don't get help. Not only that, but the way our society reacts to someone who's different only compounds the problem.
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Do you want to continue this discussion? If so, I'll set up a new thread so we can do that.
