What brings someone...

[Whickerman]

..to kill their entire family?

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-n ational/article3652324.ece

I just can't get my head around it.

[Clanad]

Sadly and ominously, Whickerman, the same types of murder/suicide occurs with frightening regularity here in the U.S. as well as the rest of the world.
I see the suicide rate in Japan is up significantly and they've found a new method that has become quite the rage...some mixing of a common detergent and fertilizer.
But more to your point (since suicide has been part of the Japanese culture for centuries) of trying to understand the phenomena. I, personally, believe that the culture of death. that has become prevalent in our western societies over the last 25 to 40 years has so dulled our sensitivities to death as to make it somehow unreal to those contemplating your reference.
It'll certainly draw the ire and condemnation of many, but a society cannot murder 40 million of its most helpless and defenseless members by abortion (as here in the U.S.) without, somehow, putting a stamp of imprimatur on other such acts. Simply witness the movement, slowly for the present, but gaining momentum, for assisted suicide. There's already been statments by politicians and members of academia that the elderly have a duty to die. When the coin of life becomes so devalued, it's not long until the example you cite becomes almost the norm... in my opinion...

Thanks for raising the spectre for discussion...

[Avatar]

I think they're probably insane.