Not sure what to think about this...
I was watching Oprah today and obviously she had a special about the VA Tech tragedy. Very chilling hearing the recounts of the students who were there and survived it. Near the end of the hour she had on an ex-Columbine student who lost his sister in that shooting and now talks to students across the country with his father about school violence. (BTW, how eerie is it that two days from now it will be exactly eight years since the Columbine shootings happened? It happened when I was a senior in high school and I still remember it like it happened yesterday. It freaked me out so much that I had nightmares about it). Anyway, the young man said something that I majorly agreed with. He said that the media should focus on the victims and their families and not (solely) on the gunman and how the teen gunmen at Columbine were almost "glorified" in a way by very sick people because their faces were plastered all over the news and on the cover of Time and People. Major WORD to that.
I'm sure by now everyone is aware of that creepy "media package" the VA Tech gunman sent to NBC. (I'm sure he chose NBC because it's the most watched nightly news network, at least last time I checked it was). Now you know he wanted this to be shown and get his "fifteen minutes of fame", if you can even call it that even though he's not able to revel in his newfound glory :::rolls eyes::: I understand that it was breaking news and they probably felt that it was important to show, but I don't know, it kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth and it goes back to what the guy who went to Columbine said about giving too much attention to the psychopath. And surprise, surprise, he idolized Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold and called them "martyrs". I think it would have been better to mention the package and tell the people what was in it, but not show anything that was in it. But like I said in the subject line, I'm not sure what to think about it. Showing the photos and videos is exactly what he wanted.
Also, I can't remember what show I saw this on, but there was a quick clip of someone interviewing the guy who owned the gunshop where the killer bought his gun (last month, I believe) and while he expressed his condolences, I seriously felt like kicking him. Now, I've never bought a gun (much less been in a gunshop) before, but aren't you suppose to have background checks on people who purchase firearms???? And wasn't it clear that this guy had a record and there was something clearly disturbed about him??? Something just seemed really off about that. It was only probably less than a minute, so I don't know the full story, but they really need to do something about gun control in this friggin country!
I'm sure by now everyone is aware of that creepy "media package" the VA Tech gunman sent to NBC. (I'm sure he chose NBC because it's the most watched nightly news network, at least last time I checked it was). Now you know he wanted this to be shown and get his "fifteen minutes of fame", if you can even call it that even though he's not able to revel in his newfound glory :::rolls eyes::: I understand that it was breaking news and they probably felt that it was important to show, but I don't know, it kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth and it goes back to what the guy who went to Columbine said about giving too much attention to the psychopath. And surprise, surprise, he idolized Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold and called them "martyrs". I think it would have been better to mention the package and tell the people what was in it, but not show anything that was in it. But like I said in the subject line, I'm not sure what to think about it. Showing the photos and videos is exactly what he wanted.
Also, I can't remember what show I saw this on, but there was a quick clip of someone interviewing the guy who owned the gunshop where the killer bought his gun (last month, I believe) and while he expressed his condolences, I seriously felt like kicking him. Now, I've never bought a gun (much less been in a gunshop) before, but aren't you suppose to have background checks on people who purchase firearms???? And wasn't it clear that this guy had a record and there was something clearly disturbed about him??? Something just seemed really off about that. It was only probably less than a minute, so I don't know the full story, but they really need to do something about gun control in this friggin country!