Why is there such a lack of value to a human life in today's society?

[Turkey Creek]

Not my typical post, but this thought has crossed my mind more than once in recent days. Maybe a sign of older age. LOL. Those of you in KS and possibly outside the state may have heard of a Sheriff's deputy being shot and mortally wounded on Friday evening in Phillips County, KS. What was a call to look into illegal fireworks (in this case pipe bombs) turned out to be the death of a 30 year old deputy who was shot and killed by a 27 year old suspect as he was attempting to cuff him. The Sheriffs Deputy was alert enough after being shot to put multiple rounds into the suspect who also died. Details are still coming in at this time. I have friends in the area and one my best friends daughter was a deputy in this same department for a short while. It could have very well been her investigating the situation. My youngest brother is a LEO as well so these situations always hit a little too close to home for us. Today it just hit me really hard, I was trying to read some information to my wife on the situation and I got choked up enough I had to stop. Not my typical reaction, yea I know this one hit closer to home in a couple of aspects. I have 2 kids in the same age range as the deputy and suspect. From what I have been told the suspect didnt have a bad reputation with law enforcement and the deputy was a cool headed, stand up guy who had actually trained my buddies daughter when she started there. She of course is taking it hard. We hear of situations like this locally where somebody gets bent out of shape so badly over something insignificant in the grand scheme of things that they figure killing them is a reasonable solution. What makes a 27 year old decide that killing a deputy is better than taking a ride down to the Sheriff'f office to sort out something?

 

[buckdeer1]

Then 2 firefighters killed and others injured responding to wildland fire that may have been set to lure them there in Idaho. Prays to all the first responders. Exactly the reason more FD are getting vests and I have even concealed carried on some calls.

 

[Native Hunter]

For the answer to that question - look at what has happened to churches in the last 60 years. I rest my case, and I won’t be responding to any negative responses to this post.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

There’s been a fast degradation of society. It’s in the culture now. Between the acceptance of substance abuse, the lack of any responsibility for most actions and a general breakdown of decency (see rap music, movies, even tv shows), society is crumbling. People don’t have to grind and struggle to take care of a family so they have idle time to fill with other things. Speaking of family, the idea of a two parent, loving household is the minority it seems. It will get worse before it ever gets better because too many people are too limp wristed to hold people accountable…and I mean really accountable. Some people don’t have any business in a functioning society

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

 

[Electrodigical]

I swear some of it has to do with our short attention span / no consequences (no follow up, no reality, no perception of consequences) society. You see this a lot. Pissed at someone in traffic? Shoot em. Cop pulls you over and you have a suspended license? Shoot em. Argument with your neighbor? Shoot em! ?????
On what planet did you think that was going to work out? That you were just going to do that and walk away like it never happened and your life not be over?

Oh yeah, in the nine million movies, TV shows and video games you've been bombarded with your whole life where this happens regularly.

 

[BenA]

There's a degrading moral compass across our country and a no consequences approach in our judicial system. Both go hand in hand. Our local jail/prison system is like a revolving door. It's nothing now to see someone killing someone else while they're on their 5th bond release.

I don't see a positive change coming for either one.

 

[jsasker007]

Morals, ethics, common sense and decency are all lacking like never before. Not a lot to be proud of in this country anymore sadly. I'm not giving up but the world around me seems to have really gone to hell. jmho

 

[Westwind]

We have created a culture of non-compliance.

Everyone, all the time.

 

[bwoods11]

In my opinion, the amount of individuals with mental problems has increased . Why exactly ? Not sure. Some of them have such terrible lives the alternative of jail, or death is not much different!

Lots of depression which leads to terrible incidents. For years we had a lot of mental institutions, but many of those have been shut down? So those people are living amongst us …

 

[Westwind]

I think you are right about that. Also social media algorithms keeping us engaged by keeping us mad all the time. Our patience is razor thin and everything feels like an attack.

 

[West_Fork]

When I was child I held the belief that the last thing I ever wanted to do was to take a human life. As I have gotten older I am not sure I feel that strongly anymore.

I had someone run me off the road the other day, very intentionally. I have his first name and know what he drives. Shockingly I did not chase him down, I have other things to do, but it could have ended badly.

Two times now I have had (or still have) someone trying to ruin my life. One guy claimed he owned my land using false pretenses. It cost me over $70k. His life is not worth that much, I should have made him gone.

Another decided to end my career, again no evidence to support such other than what she could manufacture.

If you do not value my life, I won't value yours.

 

[jsasker007]

When I was child I held the belief that the last thing I ever wanted to do was to take a human life. As I have gotten older I am not sure I feel that strongly anymore.

I had someone run me off the road the other day, very intentionally. I have his first name and know what he drives. Shockingly I did not chase him down, I have other things to do, but it could have ended badly.

Two times now I have had (or still have) someone trying to ruin my life. One guy claimed he owned my land using false pretenses. It cost me over $70k. His life is not worth that much, I should have made him gone.

Another decided to end my career, again no evidence to support such other than what she could manufacture.

If you do not value my life, I won't value yours.

I've had similar experience with people who I swear are trying to push me to a point that won't be good for them. I really do think people who are looking for trouble should find it in spades. I have never done anything to anyone and often have tried to help other people only to have it get turned around and bite me in the ass. Now I just want to live my life if that's even possible anymore. jmho

 

[bwoods11]

When I was child I held the belief that the last thing I ever wanted to do was to take a human life. As I have gotten older I am not sure I feel that strongly anymore.

I had someone run me off the road the other day, very intentionally. I have his first name and know what he drives. Shockingly I did not chase him down, I have other things to do, but it could have ended badly.

Two times now I have had (or still have) someone trying to ruin my life. One guy claimed he owned my land using false pretenses. It cost me over $70k. His life is not worth that much, I should have made him gone.

Another decided to end my career, again no evidence to support such other than what she could manufacture.

If you do not value my life, I won't value yours.

I’d be curious how the guy claimed he owned your land ? I’ve had a couple of forged ID situations in Minnesota, they actually had a realtor list the land and they were using legit looking fake IDs from North Dakota.

Luckily it didn’t go any further.

 

[West_Fork]

I’d be curious how the guy claimed he owned your land ? I’ve had a couple of forged ID situations in Minnesota, they actually had a realtor list the land and they were using legit looking fake IDs from North Dakota.

Luckily it didn’t go any further.

He just started sending threatening letters throwing around legal terms, and it evolved from there. Takes a bundle of cash to get someone on the stand with a judge, that's where it all fell apart. He was counting on someone just giving up. He was the retired district ranger for the usfs and thought he had some legal skills.
Talked to another guy 20 miles away, same deal with a different guy.

At want point is it ok? In accounting class in the 1990s they said a human life is only worth like $100k, or maybe it was $50k.

 

[Brian662]

He just started sending threatening letters throwing around legal terms, and it evolved from there. Takes a bundle of cash to get someone on the stand with a judge, that's where it all fell apart. He was counting on someone just giving up. He was the retired district ranger for the usfs and thought he had some legal skills.
Talked to another guy 20 miles away, same deal with a different guy.

At want point is it ok? In accounting class in the 1990s they said a human life is only worth like $100k, or maybe it was $50k.

My life is worth a hell of a lot more than that to me and my family. Same with my family's lives. We have a justice system for a reason. Even though it can be unfair or even at times crooked. We don't get to play judge, jury, and executioner in this life, not in this country.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Lots of valid points you have all brought up. I do believe that there are lots of good and decent people in this world, but they seem to be overshadowed by those who are not most of the time. I hate to believe that the only way out of this constant decline in human "civilization" is a widespread mass reduction in human population, a smash of the "reset button". Sadly I don't think there is much chance it will ever reverse course without one.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

It isn't that the world is getting worse, it's that we are all much more aware of negative news in places we didn't use to hear from. The internet and overall more connectedness of everyone makes it seem like crime is higher and society is failing. Before, few on this board outside of Kansas would have even heard about a Sherriff's deputy in Kansas. By almost any metric, violent crime has plummeted since the 90s.


Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/24/what-the-data-says-about-crime-in-the-us/

 

[West_Fork]

My life is worth a hell of a lot more than that to me and my family. Same with my family's lives. We have a justice system for a reason. Even though it can be unfair or even at times crooked. We don't get to play judge, jury, and executioner in this life, not in this country.

Are you saying you would make a good hostage? You can come out to my place and be hostage for the week. Then once we get the cash I can come out there and do the same. No one is going to give you a dime, but I will keep you busy with projects.

 

[West_Fork]

It isn't that the world is getting worse, it's that we are all much more aware of negative news in places we didn't use to hear from. The internet and overall more connectedness of everyone makes it seem like crime is higher and society is failing. Before, few on this board outside of Kansas would have even heard about a Sherriff's deputy in Kansas. By almost any metric, violent crime has plummeted since the 90s.

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Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/24/what-the-data-says-about-crime-in-the-us/

But bad attitudes are up, so what this means is that people are angry, but too lazy to kill someone.