Television Media as the Killer's Bullhorn
What is the state of affairs in our society with the current trends in popular media, particularly on television?
With every massacre recently perpetrated by some individual or group in recent years, the news media has made it completely clear that they will not stop until those killers are sitting next to us in our living rooms and at our dinner tables. After the Columbine shooting, the American public was treated to videos, pictures, diary journals, character interviews, and anything of the like so that we could get a full picture of who these killers were. And for what purpose? Are we the jury appointed to determine where the system broke down? Are we now more informed about our own security practices?
In the wake of this bone-chilling and revealing tragedy at Virginia Tech, we have been exposed to the story from so many different angles: pictures and video from campus, interviews with friends, coverage of vigils, in-depth background stories on the victims, and, of course, the "treasure trove" of pictures and video that the killer addressed DIRECTLY to NBC. Does this young man's package not scare the hell out of anyone else?
Whatever the intent of television media for bombarding us with this young man's "digital manifesto," there is one terrifying function. The message has now clearly been sent to every would-be copy-cat that he will get the full amount of attention that he desires and then some. When someone holds this much aggression inside themselves and decides to lash out in such a grandiose way, it is obvious that they deserve to be seen, heard, and, for the first time, respected by those who have done him injustice. If he cannot earn respect, then he will demand it with fear. The fear of death at his very hands.
If you are hesitant to believe me, look back at to whom Mr. Cho's package was addressed. He could have sent it to many people: family, friends, Virginia Tech, Police, FBI, etc. But why send it to any one of those places when he could easily cut out the middle man?
Our media must stop giving a voice to these murderers and the would-be delinquents who will learn from the examples of their terrorist fore-fathers. In the wake of the largest massacre in the history of the United States, we are at a crossroads. We must examine deep inside our own habits to see if we are not only supporting the actions of these deranged people but even encouraging it.
With every massacre recently perpetrated by some individual or group in recent years, the news media has made it completely clear that they will not stop until those killers are sitting next to us in our living rooms and at our dinner tables. After the Columbine shooting, the American public was treated to videos, pictures, diary journals, character interviews, and anything of the like so that we could get a full picture of who these killers were. And for what purpose? Are we the jury appointed to determine where the system broke down? Are we now more informed about our own security practices?
In the wake of this bone-chilling and revealing tragedy at Virginia Tech, we have been exposed to the story from so many different angles: pictures and video from campus, interviews with friends, coverage of vigils, in-depth background stories on the victims, and, of course, the "treasure trove" of pictures and video that the killer addressed DIRECTLY to NBC. Does this young man's package not scare the hell out of anyone else?
Whatever the intent of television media for bombarding us with this young man's "digital manifesto," there is one terrifying function. The message has now clearly been sent to every would-be copy-cat that he will get the full amount of attention that he desires and then some. When someone holds this much aggression inside themselves and decides to lash out in such a grandiose way, it is obvious that they deserve to be seen, heard, and, for the first time, respected by those who have done him injustice. If he cannot earn respect, then he will demand it with fear. The fear of death at his very hands.
If you are hesitant to believe me, look back at to whom Mr. Cho's package was addressed. He could have sent it to many people: family, friends, Virginia Tech, Police, FBI, etc. But why send it to any one of those places when he could easily cut out the middle man?
Our media must stop giving a voice to these murderers and the would-be delinquents who will learn from the examples of their terrorist fore-fathers. In the wake of the largest massacre in the history of the United States, we are at a crossroads. We must examine deep inside our own habits to see if we are not only supporting the actions of these deranged people but even encouraging it.