# mass- hysteria

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-hysteria/108321>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 10, 2002, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-hysteria/108321 "2002-05-10T17:48:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@kase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kase)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-hysteria/108321/1 "2002-05-10T17:48:14Z")

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What [or whom] sets of mass-hysteria?

To my amazement I saw thousands of -otherwise no-nonsense Dutch- crying and throwing flowers at the funeral of the murdered Pim Fortuyn.

[here:](http://europe.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/05/10/fortuyn.funeral/index.html)

The man was an opportunist and a dangerous right-winger.

How come all these people suddenly find the need to go out on the streets?

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**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-hysteria/108321/2 "2002-05-10T17:54:21Z")

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Just a WAG, but my feeling is that even those who disagree with Fortuyn’s political views dislike political debates being fought with guns. It’s just not a nice style, so to speak, and even if you’re anti-right wing you might pay tribute to a rightwinger who fell victim to it.