Rampage killer Chris Harper-Mercer was an Aspie

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How did they know it was his mother though? All they know is they were a nurse in Oregon with an autistic kid. They didn't confirm it was her.

All these questions are the reasons why I can not definitely think he was autistic. I can just look at all the factors including description of his persona and conclude it looks like he was.

We won't and may never know. With Sandy Hook Aspergers claims were just as if not more vague in the first few days. It took a year or two until the official reports came out to conclusively conclude Adam Lanza was an aspie

With Mercer most of the media angst has been about gun control. His "Aspergers" is a footnote to the coverage at this point.

I assume the authorities took his computer, and found that the message originated from it. That means either he or his mother posted it, and the most reasonable assumption is that it was her.

The mother sounds like a complete idiot and control freak.

She should be executed or at the very least, locked up.

This whole thing depresses me.. I saw the 4chan post (AFTER) it all happened.
This will just give people another reason to fear mental illness and cause issues and hate where it isn't needed..

I mean I get mad when I lose control of myself sometimes but I never truly want to hurt anyone and it's that thought in the back of my mind which helps me stay sane I guess, all life is sacred.

The story reminds me of Adam Lanza's ... I mean, if your kid is having behavioral and emotional problems, then maybe it is not a good idea to encourage his fascination with firearms ... ?

That'd be un-'merican.

Thank goodness he wasn't a gay African American trans man with a cochlear implant too, or certain media outlets would be running the biography "specials" 24/7.

That's only half sarc, half snark. Some media outlets love to jump on anything that makes a shooter, "other" so that the bulk of their audience doesn't have to do any self examination regarding how our culture treats people who are different. Far easier to scapegoat...

It's a sick society in general-- the powers that be in the media will tell you that's what people want and they're in the business of giving people what they want. Then the viewers will use what they see in the media to continue their bad behavior, using the media as justification with phrases such as: "I saw it on (insert media here), everybody does it so stop complaining."

I doubt it too - you have a point there for certain - but by the same token, do you believe there must be only one nurse in the entire state of Oregon who has "a kid" (apparently the gender wasn't even specified?) who is on the spectrum?

Unless I'm wrong and there has been more evidence on this so far unidentified message board that this particular nurse with an on-the-spectrum child must be the mother of this particular individual? I don't want to say for sure that this hasn't happened as I really don't know.

Right. It also comforts people because now they think they can "identify" and therefore avoid dangerous people. It's something people naturally seek following a tragedy of this kind as it gives us a false sense of security: "Okay, now I know to totally avoid people on the spectrum - then I and my children will be safe" (in this case) would be the eventual conclusion, even if that's just a subconscious thought.

So often NOT the case. Some of the most dangerous people in history have made sure to act in ways that would not appear to be "different" and hence, dangerous. Child predators in particular come to mind here - they are often "shockingly" (because of our grooming to assume "different" is what's dangerous) were pleasant, outgoing, kind and even worked with children (teachers, boy scout leaders, community leaders of various description): model stereotypical citizens.

Others have been political leaders who were smart enough to know just how to get people to listen to and follow them. Though "smart" can certainly describe a given autistic individual, "natural leader" doesn't frequently fit that bill.

Even given such cases we still fall back on "no, it's 'different' that's dangerous."

It also conveniently gives people who already wish to avoid the apparently cooty-ridden (half-joke/sarcasm there) "oddballs," such as Aspies, a more solid and socially accepted excuse. Now they're not being bigoted, they're just being protective of themselves and their families. It's quite convenient.

It'd make the same amount of sense to avoid white males completely since there's been a lot of white males shooting up schools.

Surprisingly I haven't seen a thread about this Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/autismkills

(but then again, it's probably been posted). This has probably also been posted

Oh, no way, not going here, LOL! Definitely not going to click...

Here's the thing. There are all manner of groups out there with obtuse ideas, and they seem to find one another on the internet. I'm sure there are thousands of "Group X Routinely Performs Horrible Action Y" groups out there. Nobody's going to convince them otherwise, unfortunately. It's all good - I just try to live my life and be a good person, and if someone wants to "group" me on his or her paranoia site, have at it, I can't stop ya...KWIM?

I also try to be fair and think: Maybe these people have their own problems, maybe there's some horror driving them to be this way. Maybe (just maybe...and I hope) they can and will get help for those problems.

I just try to be an example, and have my son be an example, of perfectly average and ordinary people on the spectrum who are individuals and who certainly have no plans to hurt anybody, I mean why do that?

No one outside the US (like myself) can watch this link, just so you know.

I'm not in the US and I can watch it just fine, so I'm surprised. But people can google "John Oliver gun control" and hopefully find a link to a video that works; but if they want to read about Australia's success with gun control in 1996 then hopefully this link will work: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk ... australia/