A most interesting trend-watching phenomenon this has become. It is super neat to see this on the SOTT Focus/main page, I do feel honored. My thanks also to the team for publishing my OP and helping to shine a light on this weirdness!
I would like to say a word about what, in my opinion, could be considered some basic criteria for choosing whether or not a stabbing incident should be included in this thread.
The reason I bring this up is due to the sheer volume of stabbing incidents that appear to occur in the course of day to day life. When I first began researching, I did not realize the magnitude of seemingly "normal" stabbings that happen all the time. I was rather shocked and alarmed, like everyone here, when I saw how many stories abound, and how easy they are to find.
It would be interesting to study knife crime on it's own, just to see the psychology involved of the many people who are (or appear to be) willfully, consciously, and even pre-meditatedly attacking people with these objects. Knife crimes in general seem to be on the rise, and while specific statistics are hard to come by (I haven't had as much time last 2 days, maybe someone can help find a better source) I'm conservatively guesstimating the number to be over 250,000 knife attacks every year. I base this guess on a set of stats from Britain (this link is also a good read regarding knife crime in general in the U.K. and it's increases):
http://www.insight-security.com/facts-knife-crime-stats.htm#Statistics%20-%20the%20numbers
[quote author=Insight Security] Statistics - some specifics / the numbers
(based on the latest annual statistics for crime in England & Wales) [comment: I'm not sure if these are actually up to date, I think this is more 2003-2006ish. Following are snips of the relevant knife stats:]
Homicides (incl. murder / manslaughter / infanticides) 1,045 (Recorded Crime Statistics)
- Homicides with sharp implement 7% (Recorded Crime Statistics)
Incidents involving edged weapon attacks (London Only) 54,000+ [British National Martial Arts Association]
16 year old boys admitting attacking someone with a knife - intent on causing serious injury 1 in 5 [Youth Justice Board / Mori 2003]
- 15-17 year olds admitting to carrying knives for self defence 46% [Ian Johnston - Chief Constable British Transport Police] [/quote]
So, I gather the number worldwide to be quite high, much higher than I ever would've imagined before I started looking into all this. In reality, I am still having a hard time "truly grasping" the sheer insanity of just that portion of it all.
I simply want to caution folks from reporting every single horrible stabbing story they come across. Unfortunately, the much more "horrible" reality, to me anyways, is that so many hundreds of these attacks happen every day, and they are all horrible, and very worthy of noting, but perhaps are better suited in a different type of discussion, with a more general context. The same can be said for all violent crimes - of which I'm sure millions occur each year, something I also cannot grasp (I've yet to be involved in a physical confrontation in all my travels, and I don't think I ever will find myself in such a situation, so this is all extra foreign for me to process lol)
The reason I chose the articles I shared in my OP, was because they all followed a certain "pattern" that was disturbing. There were multiple signs of something more than "just people stabbing people."
I do think it's awesome that people are doing research and collectively helping to add to this data - but I also think it's important to set a standard of what articles are being included as "fitting this unusual pattern." Unfortunately, just being stabbed in an argument (by someone with a history of stabbing people during arguments); being stabbed in a bar fight; being stabbed by a group of gang members, someone breaking into a house and stabbing someone, someone turning up dead in a field that has been stabbed - without any other signs of truly odd and unexplainable behavior, these events most likely have somewhat normal, or at least commonly accepted, explanations.
If we add every article about every atrocious stabbing, we will have a never ending list that will end up bigger than the total collective articles of SOTT!!! OK, maybe that is an exaggeration (or maybe not? yikes.), but I hope my point is clear. :)
Man this is just such a strange topic. It feels weird just using the word "stab" so many times in one post, aside from thinking about it all, creepy critters indeed.
I've checked out all the articles added so far, and would actually propose that most be removed, simply because they are too "normal" to be considered a "sign of the times." Again I would stress, that the increase in stabbings in general is indeed a sign of the times, but perhaps a bit to broad of a general subject to try and track in this article/forum topic. If at least a quarter million people are stabbed every year, then perhaps we should just focus on the most bizarre incidents, that are suggestive of something else altogether taking place.
Here are the articles added so far, and my reasoning behind whether they should stay or go (hopefully you will see a common thread emerging here :)
May 6: Gay man found guilty of Britain's first homosexual domestic murder (Should be removed - the man has a history of stabbing people during arguments, also both partners worked at a bar and had been drinking. No signs that this stabbing is "unusual" other than lying to police about it, which is pretty normal for a likely psychopath)
May 6: Husband Stabbed to Death After Argument Over Heating Bill (Should be removed - this is the same story as above, but with more supporting evidence to show the history of violence in both the perp's life, as well as the relationship)
May 10: Man Denies Stabbing Wife to Death in Letchworth (Should be removed - pleading not guilty to violent crime is a common tactic, and not unusual by itself)
May 11: Hunt for Dead Woman's Sister Following Stabbing (Should be removed - This person was stabbed and left in a field, but there are simply no details about the case, let alone anything "unusual" about the attack)
May 12: 16-Year-Old Boy Quizzed After Fatal Stabbing Outside Bar (Should be removed - unfortunately bar fights involving stabbings our incredibly common, and not terribly unusual on their own)
May 12: Teen hero stabbed to death saving his girlfriend (Should stay - this story is so bizarre in so many ways, and the reasons why are highlighted in the update)
May 11: 17-Year-Old Boy Stabbed at High School in California (Should be removed - this was a fight amongst several people, and someone got stabbed. Happens every day (sadly).
May 11: 30-Year-Old Woman Stabbed to Death, Suspect Killed by Police in a Chase (Should be removed - while this stabbing is intensely gruesome, the perp has a LOOOOOOONG history of crime and violence, and the article indicates threatening phone calls were made prior to the attack (so was a premeditated attack by a drug addict known to attack people, case solved))
May 12: Woman Charged in Fatal Stabbing in Tabor City, North Carolina (Should be removed - while this is also very gruesome, there is nothing to suggest that this is any more than a "domestic dispute")
May 12: Man Found Stabbed to Death in Middle of Road in Charlotte, also in North Carolina (Should be removed - the two men were observed arguing and fighting before the knife was pulled - this sounds like how most knife fights probably go down)
May 7: Woman Dead, Man Injured in Ipswich Stabbing (Should be removed: "Initial reports have indicated the couple had been involved in a domestic dispute, which turned violent." Again, and sadly, somewhat normal.)
May 11: Man dies in stabbing in Sydney home (Should be removed - other than the fact that "a stabbing occurred," there is nothing unusual to report here)
May 12: Man Charged Over New South Wales Stabbing (should be removed - a young man stabbing a teen with a beer bottle probably speaks for itself in this case - there are no odd details. Almost interesting in that 2 other stabbings occurred that day in that state, but those stabbings, also, sound like "run-of-the-mill" stabbing. (inner thought: Wow, it really doesn't get any easier to type out that bizarre concept of a "normal stabbing.")
And New Zealand: "He Just Came Over and Stabbed Him in the Back Seven Times," Says Witness (should stay - for the reasons already highlighted in the article update)
Aside from this, there have been some very interesting links posted by members in this thread that should perhaps be added, as they "stand out" from other knife attacks:
From RyanX: Stabbing suspect to get mental evaluation http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_14988433 (should be added for the reasons highlighted in his post)
GrimX's article, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7708748/China-suffers-seventh-child-stabbing-attack-in-a-month.html , added in the comments section, should stay due to their being nine victims, all children, and the dude used an axe. I would think that all of the "China school attacks" fall under "super weird" as they involve strange weapons, strange victims (always multiple), strange circumstances, and a bizarre sub-trend in and of itself.
From Psyche: http://www.corriere.it/cronache/10_maggio_11/donna-uccisa-marito-collegno_2a71f7d8-5cd8-11df-97c2-00144f02aabe.shtml (should be added because a man stabbed his wife *50 times* in front of a social worked, *for no apparent reason,* *then turned himself in willingly*)
From Perceval: I have covered these, as they have all already been added to the article.
From TigerSoap: Unfortunately, I do not read French, but from the one-liner descriptions, I would venture that most of these stabbings have readily apparent circumstances leading to the incident.
from Myrddin Awyr: Some of these have also been covered, as already added to the article.
California: Man Charged with Stabbing of Bus Driver
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/208412-California-Man-Charged-with-Stabbing-of-Bus-Driver (should be added - suspect was a stranger, stabbed a public figure multiple times, then immediately turns himself in pleading guilty - very strange)
From Michael Martin: http://claycord.blogspot.com/2010/05/employee-stabbed-while-taking-out.html (should be added - no clear motive, random stranger approached subject and stabbed multiple times for no reason, no existing relationship between perp/victim)
The article added by commenter "Jax" seems right up the alley - no motive, a sudden attack of a public figure, repeated stabbing with no concern of witnesses all around - very very strange.
You know, the idea that just came to mind - why not a Signs Supplement section devoted to possible mind controlled/program triggered/Greenbaumed/MKULTRAed individuals "going off" in this way? The more I type this, the more I am realizing this encompasses a lot of the "criteria" I'm outlining. I've always found that type of stuff to be super interesting. :)
I'm totally open to any "unusual, unexplained, bizarre, or ultra mysterious cirumstances" type of stories.
I just think that "normal crimes" must be excluded from such a specific investigation so as not to add too much "noise" to the "signal" of documenting such strangeness and patterns.
Thoughts?
PS - I also had a strange night, few days ago, dreamtime wise, was very out of whack/sync, felt like I travelled far and did much, but no recall, and also a little tired/foggy when I woke. Oddly, I have slept well with nothing strange to report every other night before and after, so I guess I will count myself as mostly blessed in that regard. Strange how that stuff comes in waves though!!
[edited to include article suggestion of Michael Martin, unintentionally left out of post]
