Evil Deeds

Just came across this post on Google. Having lived and worked here in Tokyo for 23 years as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist I have to say I do not share the your "fear that Japan and other non-Western cultures may soon be experiencing a similar trend"

Tokyo Terror was in the title but the Tokyo/Japan/indent where 7 people were killed with a knife are only mentioned in part of 3 of the 7 paragraphs of this posting which personally I feel would be better focused on why mass murders of fellow citizens happens with such frequency in America.

Yes, there are incidents like this in other countries on occasion in other developed countries around the world but taking three or so examples does not substantiate or in any way lend credence to the assertion to the fear that this is a world wide trend in the making. As for Tokyo there is no sense of terror or fear on the streets today as usual, nearly a year and an half after the incident picked up here. As for the "Scottish man" mentioned in this post I assume this refers to the murders which occurred at Dunblane Primary School in the Scottish town of Dunblane on 13 March 1996. Sixteen children and one adult were killed by the attacker, Thomas Watt Hamilton, before he committed suicide. This is over 13 years ago and nothing like it has ever ocoured since then in Scotland. Tragic as these incidents and the loss of life in both Tokyo and Dunblane they do not in themselves support or prove the existence of any rising world trend. I fear the phenomena of mass murder within the united states is a big problem and it would be better to focus on the reasons and factors with American society that allows for such a high prevalence of mass murders by Americans of their fellow citizens in America. I sympathize that this is a vast and tragic problem you and other professionals face on a daily basis in America and as you say, "These are the kinds of cases typically seen by forensic psychologists and psychiatrists daily here in the U.S. Despite the extraordinary drama surrounding them, they have tragically become a routine part of our work..... But, like most human behavior, violence and destructiveness have psychological meaning. They only seem "senseless," random or meaningless to the extent we are unable--or dogmatically unwilling--to decode" I wish you all the best in your efforts and respect your commitment to decode that within your society that others may be dogmatically unwilling to look deep in the heart of America. All the best from Tokyo!

Andrew Grimes
Tokyo Counseling Services
http://tokyocounseling.com/english/

I hope I am wrong and you are right regarding the escalating prevalence of such violent events in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. You might want to have a look at my book regarding my focus in these matters, which there and in my other professional publications, is primarily on the problem of violence here in the United States. See also, for example, some of my other posts at Psychology Today Blogs online. But I believe it is naive and dangerous to think that such evil is limited to any one country or culture.

Best holiday wishes,

Dr. Diamond