I was watching OPRAH today, with her special report from Blacksburg, Va with Lisa Ling. Lisa was interviewing anyone she could find that knew anything about any of the shooting victims. I switched over to MSNBC just for a quick check and Brian Williams was telling about the "Manifesto" that came to NBC today. Evidently mailed in between the two shootings. I did not want to watch it so I switched back to Oprah, and she was interviewing a young man who was at Columbine and saw his sister killed there too.
What the young man said was what the entire world should be concentrating on. He and his Father go around to groups and schools and talk about the shootings and the victims, and how to cope with the death. But what was unique was the fact that he said he NEVER gives the two shooters any press at all. He only concentrates on the good things. THe work that his sister had done, the subjects that she had studied. THe things and the families that the other victims left behind.
WHen Oprah asked why, he said that there is always going to be someone who wants to be bigger, and better and faster, and gorier, and why give them something to aim for? He said that if the media would just not give them the press that they want, then the violence would calm down. They only want to be on TV, and they want their faces known. He is right.
Last night I was watching the news and they had pictures of some of the victims, only 15 out of the 32 that died! and NONE of the wounded. But they had about 15-20 minutes of the shooter and his manifesto, and his picture, and his mental evaluations, and the who what why and when of his life. But No mention of the rewst of the victims.
THere were people who were killed that were research scientist, there were WWII holocaust survivers, there were Grad students working towards their PHD's. WOnderful beautiful people all, and no mention of them. No mention of their families, or the work they did. It took Lisa Ling to get that this afternoon.
I am so tired of the media running full tilt with the first bang of a gun, and then re-living it, and re-living it until you are sick to death of it. How many times can you watch the 5 minutes of very bad cell phone video? I know that there is freedom of the press, and I would not want to do anything that would staunch that, but damn, people, wouldnt you think that one of them would stop and just say whoa! I will report it once, and then I will only concentrate on the goodness of the victims. DONT give these maniacs any more coverage! Let's find out who these murdered people were and what they did, and who loved them, and who they loved, and what we can all do to prevent it from happening again, but let's quit giving press and coverage to the criminals! That is exactly what they want. AQnd we played right into his hands.
I'll bet we can all name the criminal, and where he was from, and who his family was and what his grades were but I will bet you all a doughnut, that you can't tell me anything about 5 of the victims off the top of your head.
We are a SAD society!
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