Check me out. I’m now an expert. Heheh. Anyway, ego-stroking aside, I was reading through the comments with great interest. On a blog the people who reply are generally interested in what you have to say. Sure you get an occasional person who just did not get the point, but most people are on the same wavelength.
The people replying on the CNN post, however, wow…the audience is noticeably different. Most of the critics, honestly, didn’t get past the headline. I could have written filthy limericks and nobody would have noticed. Either that or reading comprehension is WAY down. Regardless, I thought I would compile my favorite replies because I have 10 minutes.
phatchunk99
CNN brings dumb articles everyday. Are we going to see a repeat again today?
MrsLaceyB
Hey, a lot of other news sources have done this story too. So, ease up, readers. I’ve seen this story published year after year on various news websites. Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, and numerous other sites have the same type of story except they didn’t even try to oppose the coincidences, they just brought it to our attention. I agree with the professor, its confirmation theory, people tend to seek out what they want to hear. The news media loves to put fear into the heart of Americans to manipulate us.
(Always agree with the professor.)
angbahokoTactically thinking and speaking, spring time and fall time has probably the most ideal weather for those who want to carry out a terror attack. April is the beginning of Spring. Most people are busy doing their thing and are outside more often, thus more activity (more distraction) and less attention from the guarding eyes. The change in season (warmer climate) easily provokes the temper of violent people. Summer is even worse, thus more road rage and homicides during summer time.
The only problem with this, though I generally agree that violence is probably more likely during nice weather, is that the ATF set the timeline for Waco. When my cross-country rampage comes around, my top is going to be down.
longtooth
I’ve seen a lot of inane and desperate attempts at filler stories, but this one takes the cake. CNN, where have you gone? Look at the BBC website, and hang your head in shame.
MadMelGibson
What an irresponsible story. You could say that about any month. Its called coincidence.
Again, he didn’t read or understand it. But it’s Mel Gibson, so what do you expect?
NathanS
The American people know about the Bomb squad trucks that were witnessed at the scene an hour before the explosion in oklahoma… Coincidence? You do the math, oh wait you won’t because CNN didn’t say it first.
Guest
“Conspiracy theories are a contemporary mythology, not unlike the Greek gods. Everything that happens has a reason, and the gods affect the course of human events through direct intervention.”Now why did the author feel the need to specify which gods are mythological? These two sentences sum up the absurdity of all religions. It’s certainly not limited to Greek mythology.
Only because they are clearly agents with motivation that are a lot like people, that they walk among us and have human form but can do anything. They live like elites on their holy mountain and are inaccessible to mere mortals. There was a reason I said that and the image in my head was of Athena deflecting an arrow aimed at her champion. Sure, it was just a crummy shot, but Athena gets the credit. Besides, I did say, “really seem to me to be a secular version of religious mythology.”
sonnycam
good analysis there, CNN……..ever heard of COINCIDENCE?? idiots
There’s an irony buried in this analysis. But at least he gets to walk away feeling smug.
alwaysrite9
If you read the article, you would have noticed that CNN is debunking conspiracy theories – so, if you consider the debunking to be paranoid, doesn’t that mean that you are actually the paranoid. Gotta go, time for “Twilight Zone” . . .
That one made me happy.
antil“Following the election of [Barack] Obama, however, there was a steep rise in the number of hate groups”
“last year on the 19th of April, gun advocates had a rally in Washington””in the mythology that has grown up around Waco and Oklahoma City among self-identified patriots, the 19th has become a sort of high holiday””Conspiracy theorists”I see what you did there. Talk about tying unrelated thing together…
These people are laboring under the demonstrable delusion that Obama is designing to take away their guns; it is a conspiracy theory that is at the heart of just about every fascist take-over scenario dreamed up by modern conspiracists. They are related, and I never said that everyone there was conspiracy theorist.
BeyochKnowlz
Didn’t Shakespeare write “April is the cruelest month”? This has been going on for centuries.
turtle995
I am a Jewish interdimensional shapeshifting reptilian space alien that works as a banker for the CIA. Why can’t we all just get along?
Win.
LiberaI
“Conspiracy theory expert.” What a joke.
Heheh.
NewEditi0n
April showers bring May conspiracies.BGko
This guy they interviewed missed the boat. Actually April 19th to May 1st is an Occult Holiday time period in which blood sacrifice is required. On April 19th in particular, a sacrifice by fire is required, hence we have Waco, OK City, BP, etc ,etc ,etc…. I know it sounds wacky, but this is truth. Research deeper into the occult and you’ll find our government, media, etc is absolutely riddled with it, but you won’t see it unless you know what you’re looking for. You’ll find many such ‘disasters’ fall on occult holidays for good reason. You don’t have to believe in it, what matters is that they believe in it and act accordingly.
Wait…there was a boat? Why wasn’t I told?
SeekTruth911
Put simply, the globalist elite are very much obsessed with numerology because they believe in Satanic forces that empower them. I think that’s a bunch of bull pucky but THEY believe it.Just google “dark secrets inside bohemian grove” to see the political and financial leaders of the world performing a mock human sacrifice to an ancient god known as Moloch.Also google David Gergen Bohemian Grove and just look at his reaction.
Kjcube
“He teaches a course examining conspiracy theories and runs a blog” well that settles it then… stupid CNN
I thought you had to be an expert to teach college classes on…your subject. The blog is just gravy for me.
BP2UThis ‘expert’ apparently doesn’t know that more suicides occur in Spring, as people come out of a long depressing winter only to see everyone else (except themselves) change for the better. It’s not a conspiracy, that’s just how it works.The tax time and 4/20 connection are also practical.Next time, ask normal people instead of these so-called ‘experts’ 😛
You’re right. Columbine was probably about taxes. And experts. Pish! What do they know?
NikkiNouse
It has been reported that levels of male testosterone are highest in April, probably from evolutionary survival mechanisms over millions of years. Not surprising, then, that male-initiated violence increases this time of year.
AleforgeI agree with some of the others, its warmer out so people start picking up new hobbies. I almost started a cult but ended up doing some yard work instead. Maybe next year. *shrug*KetoneCan the professor cite any violent acts that actually were deliberately planned to coincide with the Battles of Lexington and Concord? He says the timing of Waco was merely “an unhappy coincidence”. Bringing up Lexington and Concord sounds nice but does it have any meaning?
Clearly not to you.
joeisking4This article is ridiculous. While I’m not one to tone it down just to please a few sensitive people but cnn should really be more careful when putting out pointless articles such as this. Copy cats do exist and want to add their names to the long list of April tragedies. This is pointless journalism. Call me crazy, but this seems like a ploy to further violence so a few writers and editors can have their time to shine.
Imagining sinister motivations much? Dude, I want to study you.
nocode42Confirmation bias is the single greatest threat we face today. It has allowed complete lunatics from both sides of the spectrum to basically hijack national politics with the kind of delusional sense of certain righteousness that produces suicide bombers. And there is literally no way to speak reason to such people… they could watch Obama’s birth with their own eyes and their brain would tell them the eyes are lying and their grandmaster’s right.
I like the next exchange a lot:
GixxerJoe
CNN forgot about April 19, 1775. Typical libtards.
nocode42
Both battles were mentioned in the article you didn’t read. Thanks for illustrating the concept of confirmation bias though. Your idiocy might be instructive to others.
Heheh.
GHullYou forgot the oil spill starting on April 20th. These dates are intentional. Illuminati mind control and sick cult like belief systems causes these dates to be used. Get real CNN. This is a piece intent on debunking people like Alex Jones and John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Glades2The Bible says that many things happen spiritually that we are not aware of – the week before or after Easter was also near or almost at the same time of these events, and represents the suffering of Christ for our sins, so it’s possible that spiritually evil tries to counter this sacrifice by generating evil in different forms. In fact, at the time of the Columbine shooting, Rachel Scott’s Father said that the thought kept coming to him (as said in the book “Rachel’s Tears”) that what was happening was “a spiritual event”, so again it does seem that many things happen for spiritual reasons, that we cannot see or understand by God’s permitting Will, for the good of mankind…
Oh, shut up. Er, I mean…good point!
sarcastr0
I can’t believe CNN’s obvious bias against interdimensional shapeshifting reptilian space aliens living in hollowed-out artificial moons. Obvious liberal bias.
That was my favorite comment, by the way.
Starter1977CNN-you puppets for the illegal corrupt government..please see that you are controlled and you don’t even know it. You think you are high game, you are a joke and are being controlled like a video game. WAKE UP. Obviously the middle of April has an increase as it is Hitlers Birthday tomorrow. Every year he makes sure another event happens around the anniversary. And quit playing dumb like you actually think Hitler is dead. Wake up your fruitcakes and quit playing dumb..I guess that’s what you become after getting brainwashed by your controlled school system.
That one wasn’t.
andruhaActually, I thought this article wasn’t half-bad. Granted, CNN asked inane question — they are trying to play the average American — but the expert was pretty interesting. I like his comparison to Greek Mythology — interesting interpretation.
Ah, that’s more like it.
So that’s that. I will never mention the CNN article again. Unless I’m drunk or think you might be interested in or benefit from being told about it.
RJB
Skeptical Humanities 
@ your comments – ROFLOL!!!
As a former journalist who spent some time monitoring comments at a newspaper website, I share this piece of advice: Never, ever, EVER read the comments on a news site.
Yeah, I’m learning to not, Jason. Almost nothing of any substance whatsoever. Sad, really. 🙂
Jennifer, at my old site, I did that sort of thing a lot more. I miss it. But now I’m all growed up.
RJB
Thanks to CNN, I found you. I’m not sure being all growed up is a good thing. It’s hard to tell since there are so few people who are!
Jen 🙂
I’m delighted that you did, Jennifer!
RJB
“Dude, I want to study you.”
Sounds like a pickup line.
A sinister pickup line…