This latest shooting has dusted up the old tired topics that get activated each time someone walks into a public setting and kills some innocent people. We hear discussions of gun control, conceal and carry, public safety, security procedures, immigration law, freedom of speech, prayer in school and video games/media violence. People with an opinion on all these topics will come out rattling off stats and figures that support their agenda. But this event is more complex than a "set of issues".
These shootings are a specific meme that I would simply call the School Shooting. The School Shooting can happen in any public setting - a business, a day care, a library, schools, colleges and of course, the Post Office. It has evolved to become a medium of expression - cousin to the cafe bombing. Like all memes, in order to survive it must be carried in the heads of some host of people who are aware of it and can understand the language that describes it. There are fewer and fewer people who haven't heard of the School Shooting meme so it's survivability is very strong.
As long as the environment supports a the School Shooting, it will continue to evolve and thrive. But where does this environment live? What fuels the breeding of more of these events? Is it as simple as guns or no guns? Is it the "culture of violence"?
A closer look at the School Shooting reveals a set of conditions that fuels it's evolution and survival. It has many ingredients that we already know and suspect. A heart broken, jealous, mentally ill person with a message for the world. Some insecure, public location, stocked with targets. Some kind of weapon (usually guns).
How does a potential shooter know what to expect in the wake of the shooting?
How does he/she know that his message will be broadcast? What must he do to ensure this?
If the media doesn't dramatize the event, can it be considered a School Shooting?
If the media (television/radio/websites) didn't try to recreate the event for so many viewer's entertainment, we may not have sewn the seeds of the next shooter's "solution".
The truth is - once the media goes beyond the facts of the event - they cross into "infotainment" world. They have a news story that is SO entertaining that they will focus all resources in digging up any possible way of exploding this topic in order to serve as entertaining fodder for the curious masses (this means you and me).
You and I watch this... coverage... analysis.... back story... in the mode of "my god - how could this happ..." (Get a brighter whiter smile) "..and I wonder if this could happen here" (The new Ford Escape.. from Ford) "Man - I remember the CASE School Shooting..." (Save money on your phone bill) "... compare and contrast all shootings".
None of this amounts to any constructive discourse. Just watching the stream of images set to a somber slow tempo song. I see crying faces, prayer huddles, timely critical analysis. I hear people comparing this to other School Shootings - (new record set 33!). Fox News had a montage all ready only 6 hours after the event.
In the vain of keeping everyone informed and educated, they abuse the events of Blacksburg in to a stream of reality TV for the rest of the world to be entertained. Commercials roll like normal.
Why do we, here in Lakewood, need to know a damn thing beyond the facts of the event? How can one event shape policy across the world? Why would anyone outside of VT have any connection to the reality of this event? Why do we struggle to find ANY connection to this event?
Is this coverage/analysis supposed to stop it from happening again?
The Media Coverage ENSURES that it will happen again.
Instead of making us all feel part of the Blacksburg community (totally impossible - you don't know anything about that community) you are now part of the School Shooting Community. You know the language, you know what to watch for. You may be the next victim or you may be the next shooter. But you know your role. You know who to watch for. You know now how to get your message out. You know now how your message will be glorified. You know now that your book/play/drawings will be seen by the world. You know now that anyone who looks/acts a certain way could be a shooter. You are fascinated by the tech specs of a particular firearm. You have followed the tech-gear fetish of security technologies. You have become an expert on the ______ Shooting. You are part of the community that will breed the next School Shooting and the American Media has created You.
The School Shooting Meme
Moderator: Jim O'Bryan
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Vince Frantz
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Ivor Karabatkovic
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In my journalism class, we did a case study on the columbine shooting and how the media played a big role in it.
did you know that President Clinton held a press conference because the US had bombed serbia on the same day as the columbine shooting?
Most likely you didn't because the media was busy jamming up the emergency lines of Littelton, Colorado. They called the emergency workers, hoped to talk to principals, teachers and students.
The problem with interviewing students that are hysterical and have just escaped this horrible situation inside the school is that they are in fact, hysterical.
The media took every account of what happened seriously. So you have a problem of numbers. 3 dead, 25 dead, 13 dead, so on.
Ever since 9/11, new security measures have been taken at jobs, schools and public places across the country. Covering Columbine the way it was covered was the mistake that the newspapers and channels made. The media has learned (through new ethics laws and rules within the media) how to report these events respectfully and in a accurate manner, just like the government has learned to keep our airports and harbors safer than before 9/11.
sometimes it takes drastic events like this to open our eyes. I just wonder how many more events will happen until the government does something about it.
did you know that President Clinton held a press conference because the US had bombed serbia on the same day as the columbine shooting?
Most likely you didn't because the media was busy jamming up the emergency lines of Littelton, Colorado. They called the emergency workers, hoped to talk to principals, teachers and students.
The problem with interviewing students that are hysterical and have just escaped this horrible situation inside the school is that they are in fact, hysterical.
The media took every account of what happened seriously. So you have a problem of numbers. 3 dead, 25 dead, 13 dead, so on.
Ever since 9/11, new security measures have been taken at jobs, schools and public places across the country. Covering Columbine the way it was covered was the mistake that the newspapers and channels made. The media has learned (through new ethics laws and rules within the media) how to report these events respectfully and in a accurate manner, just like the government has learned to keep our airports and harbors safer than before 9/11.
sometimes it takes drastic events like this to open our eyes. I just wonder how many more events will happen until the government does something about it.
"Hey Kiddo....this topic is much more important than your football photos, so deal with it." - Mike Deneen
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Vince Frantz
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The media has learned (through new ethics laws and rules within the media) how to report these events respectfully and in a accurate manner...
I think they have learned that people will tune in at length for anything related to a violent event so it is only a matter of reporting as much as humanly possible for as long as possible. This favors their bottomline so it only needs some kind of "keeping the public informed blah blah blah" to pass off their editing techniques and commentary as "news" when, once the vent has ended, it is all just a form of entertainment.
Some examples of News:
"The campus of VT is shut down due to a violent crime"
"There were 32 victims at the VT crime scene"
"Charges have been filed against XYZ as a result of the crime"
Some examples of Entertainment:
"Killer had written violent poems and plays"
"One VT Victim's father was killed on 9/11"
"South Korean's concerned with image in American public"
"Hand gun used in killing can be fired continuously"
The difference isn't totally obvious. But despite what people say about America's fascination with guns, no country trumps our fascination with "news".
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Vince Frantz
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This event has brought out the most disgusting side of our media that I have seen in my life. I see they are now showing this guy's pre-filmed video clips that he sent along with his writings to none other than NBC. Did he send it to the school newspaper? Did he send it to his girlfriend or parents or the head of the English Department? Hell no... VT is not his stage and VT was not his audience. His script was picked up by News Corp and General Electric and is now finally being made into a movie.
Why the hell are people not up in arms at our the national media's role in perpetuating these shootings?
We have a new art form on our hands and big money media is supplying the funding.
Some predictions...
1. The next event will be soon.
2. The time between these incidents will decrease thanks to an ever opportunistic media and an insatiable appetite for "reality" tv of the viewers.
3. The online video community sites and social media will fuel this cycle even further thanks to the viral nature of these images.
4. But the discussion will center around gun control, enhanced security in public places, and a reduction in civil rights to keep us safe.
There is no conspiracy. This is just the nature of a revenue driven media and an uncritical viewer base.
This is a guaranteed cycle because to break it, the media would need to expose itself as a part of the problem. It would need to run stories on how these shootings seed and evolve and what forces are at play. They would need to admit that they are complicit in aligning their profit needs with the shooter's goals. They would need to say that "too much coverage could be bad" while the market says "give me 24 hour coverage".
The fact is that 32 people are dead and it doesn't amount to a hill of beans for 99.9999% of us. But there is money in making it relevant and there is money in supporting the School Shooting medium. And there are consumers willing to spend it.
The bodies aren't even buried and a whole new generation of School Shootings are in the planing stages right now.
Why the hell are people not up in arms at our the national media's role in perpetuating these shootings?
We have a new art form on our hands and big money media is supplying the funding.
Some predictions...
1. The next event will be soon.
2. The time between these incidents will decrease thanks to an ever opportunistic media and an insatiable appetite for "reality" tv of the viewers.
3. The online video community sites and social media will fuel this cycle even further thanks to the viral nature of these images.
4. But the discussion will center around gun control, enhanced security in public places, and a reduction in civil rights to keep us safe.
There is no conspiracy. This is just the nature of a revenue driven media and an uncritical viewer base.
This is a guaranteed cycle because to break it, the media would need to expose itself as a part of the problem. It would need to run stories on how these shootings seed and evolve and what forces are at play. They would need to admit that they are complicit in aligning their profit needs with the shooter's goals. They would need to say that "too much coverage could be bad" while the market says "give me 24 hour coverage".
The fact is that 32 people are dead and it doesn't amount to a hill of beans for 99.9999% of us. But there is money in making it relevant and there is money in supporting the School Shooting medium. And there are consumers willing to spend it.
The bodies aren't even buried and a whole new generation of School Shootings are in the planing stages right now.
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ryan costa
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oh
The media is repetitive, and maybe not so informative.
But a Massacre occurred, and not just of Native Americans on some reservation. A lot of emotional turmoil is wrapped up in that. It's a bit cathartic to watch it on tv constantly. I suppose two hundred years ago people would gather at the taverns and talk about it.
My temporary step-cousin attended VT last year. I don't know if he's dropped out since then, but hope he wasn't one of the shooting victims. One of my friend's co-workers mentioned graduating from VT: he was only in his mid-twenties, and some kind of engineer, so I imagine he had known some of the faculty killed.
The storms and flooding in the Northeast will probably also kill a few dozen extra people in car accidents, increased likelihood of flu, and stress related cardio-vascular attacks. In the meantime there will be a lot of smaller suffering. It's a cruel world, and people watch the tv coverage to feel connected for a little while.
But a Massacre occurred, and not just of Native Americans on some reservation. A lot of emotional turmoil is wrapped up in that. It's a bit cathartic to watch it on tv constantly. I suppose two hundred years ago people would gather at the taverns and talk about it.
My temporary step-cousin attended VT last year. I don't know if he's dropped out since then, but hope he wasn't one of the shooting victims. One of my friend's co-workers mentioned graduating from VT: he was only in his mid-twenties, and some kind of engineer, so I imagine he had known some of the faculty killed.
The storms and flooding in the Northeast will probably also kill a few dozen extra people in car accidents, increased likelihood of flu, and stress related cardio-vascular attacks. In the meantime there will be a lot of smaller suffering. It's a cruel world, and people watch the tv coverage to feel connected for a little while.
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Mike Deneen
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This is a very major news story. This is not a manufactured story like Anna Nicole or Don Imus.
It is not everyday that you see a bloodbath on a college campus, so this is very big news.
Is it unfair that the deaths in Iraq get less coverage? Sure. However, America was ignoring the war last week, too. That's a whole other issue.
Are you suggesting that the story be ignored? How? Is it already "time to move on"?
Does your logic extend to Iraq? Do you think the Arab media is fueling the insurgents in Iraq?
It is not everyday that you see a bloodbath on a college campus, so this is very big news.
Is it unfair that the deaths in Iraq get less coverage? Sure. However, America was ignoring the war last week, too. That's a whole other issue.
Are you suggesting that the story be ignored? How? Is it already "time to move on"?
Does your logic extend to Iraq? Do you think the Arab media is fueling the insurgents in Iraq?
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Vince Frantz
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Mike -
I am actually more saddened by the media coverage than the loss of those people. I say that because, no matter how much coverage and dramatizing the story there is utterly no way you or I could connect with those losses. The fact that these Shootings depend on the media for success, makes this coverage even more deplorable.
Really? Where those events less real than this shooting? Or do you mean that the media over-dramatized those events to create more interest? Is there some solitude we can take in the fact that this latest story is rooted in an event that hold more intrinsically complex and dramatic sounding details? Who edits the story for us? What motivates the editors' decisions to talk about one detail over another? For 99.99% of the viewers, this is only a story. No connection at all.
Is there a single benefit that we gain by hearing one more minute of this story other than satisfying simple human curiosity?
Is there a possibility that you would change your daily routine in Lakewood after knowing that this guy killed 32 students or that Anna Nicole Smith died? Do either of these events require immediate action to be taken across the country or a region - as if a hurricane was coming?
News is information that you need to make a decision everything after that is entertainment. Our form of broadcast medium is designed around entertainment. So news with high entertainment value is a gold mine.
127 people died in one attack in Iraq yesterday. That was news. But it is not entertaining, so we receive it only as news. This VT Shooting was unique! Therefore it is a "big story". But if uniqueness sells, who is buying?
I think that unless the deaths in Iraq come in more unique and interesting ways, we won't hear much more about it. The Iraqi's would need a tsunami or an earthquake with some big casualties and some new images to get the average TV viewer to think about any deaths in iraq. I recently was in a argument with some "average" guys who disagreed with my crazy idea that 50,000+ people were dead in Iraq. They said they would have heard about it by now so I must be exaggerating.
I think only those who have had to "stop moving" can decide when it is time that they move on. I don't see the knowledge of the facts of the event would stop you or I from going to work. But the media would love for as many people to engage themselves in the details so they will draw it out as long as ratings come in or unless a BIGGER story comes along. Nothing very responsible or terribly complex. Nobody blames them for trying to make a buck. Exploiting events for their bottomline (like the death of a celebrity... JACKPOT! - or some bad weather - or maybe a war).
100%. The media is a force multiplier in the war of ideologies. The cafe bombing was invented and applied through the careful understanding of the mechanics of the media. A potential shooter/bomber only needs to believe that his victims are not innocent -but are guilty by their nature. And that killing these "guilty masses" will get his message out.
If a bomber kills 20 innocents and no media covers it, does it make a sound?
I am actually more saddened by the media coverage than the loss of those people. I say that because, no matter how much coverage and dramatizing the story there is utterly no way you or I could connect with those losses. The fact that these Shootings depend on the media for success, makes this coverage even more deplorable.
Mike Deneen wrote:This is a very major news story. This is not a manufactured story like Anna Nicole or Don Imus.
Really? Where those events less real than this shooting? Or do you mean that the media over-dramatized those events to create more interest? Is there some solitude we can take in the fact that this latest story is rooted in an event that hold more intrinsically complex and dramatic sounding details? Who edits the story for us? What motivates the editors' decisions to talk about one detail over another? For 99.99% of the viewers, this is only a story. No connection at all.
Is there a single benefit that we gain by hearing one more minute of this story other than satisfying simple human curiosity?
Is there a possibility that you would change your daily routine in Lakewood after knowing that this guy killed 32 students or that Anna Nicole Smith died? Do either of these events require immediate action to be taken across the country or a region - as if a hurricane was coming?
News is information that you need to make a decision everything after that is entertainment. Our form of broadcast medium is designed around entertainment. So news with high entertainment value is a gold mine.
It is not everyday that you see a bloodbath on a college campus, so this is very big news.
127 people died in one attack in Iraq yesterday. That was news. But it is not entertaining, so we receive it only as news. This VT Shooting was unique! Therefore it is a "big story". But if uniqueness sells, who is buying?
Is it unfair that the deaths in Iraq get less coverage? Sure. However, America was ignoring the war last week, too. That's a whole other issue.
I think that unless the deaths in Iraq come in more unique and interesting ways, we won't hear much more about it. The Iraqi's would need a tsunami or an earthquake with some big casualties and some new images to get the average TV viewer to think about any deaths in iraq. I recently was in a argument with some "average" guys who disagreed with my crazy idea that 50,000+ people were dead in Iraq. They said they would have heard about it by now so I must be exaggerating.
Are you suggesting that the story be ignored? How? Is it already "time to move on"?
I think only those who have had to "stop moving" can decide when it is time that they move on. I don't see the knowledge of the facts of the event would stop you or I from going to work. But the media would love for as many people to engage themselves in the details so they will draw it out as long as ratings come in or unless a BIGGER story comes along. Nothing very responsible or terribly complex. Nobody blames them for trying to make a buck. Exploiting events for their bottomline (like the death of a celebrity... JACKPOT! - or some bad weather - or maybe a war).
Does your logic extend to Iraq? Do you think the Arab media is fueling the insurgents in Iraq?
100%. The media is a force multiplier in the war of ideologies. The cafe bombing was invented and applied through the careful understanding of the mechanics of the media. A potential shooter/bomber only needs to believe that his victims are not innocent -but are guilty by their nature. And that killing these "guilty masses" will get his message out.
If a bomber kills 20 innocents and no media covers it, does it make a sound?
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Vince Frantz
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Cho Versus The Volcano
You can't make this stuff up, people.
The VT shooting happened two days ago. It ended the same day. There have been no events surrounding that shooting except a DVD showed up at NBC.
MEANWHILE...
170 dead in Iraq (booooring)
Volcano erupts in Columbia (did anyone die?)
Wait wait - it gets good again...
Preacher's wife is made to dress slutty. (is that considered an event?)
Zoo asks visitors to not stare at chimps (I bet there is cute monkey photo)
CNN home page Wednesday 11:00 PM:
You can't make this stuff up, people.
The VT shooting happened two days ago. It ended the same day. There have been no events surrounding that shooting except a DVD showed up at NBC.
MEANWHILE...
170 dead in Iraq (booooring)
Volcano erupts in Columbia (did anyone die?)
Wait wait - it gets good again...
Preacher's wife is made to dress slutty. (is that considered an event?)
Zoo asks visitors to not stare at chimps (I bet there is cute monkey photo)
CNN home page Wednesday 11:00 PM:
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David Anderson
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This morning's Today Show on NBC had multiple psychiatrists and other officials more than suggest on camera that the public viewing of the Cho supplied footage is "modeling" a way for others who are disenfranchised and suffer from psychosis to gain attention and exact revenge.
And yet NBC and others keep showing it.
And yet NBC and others keep showing it.
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Jeff Endress
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I've got to admit...there is a huge personal curiosity. The normal journalistic, "Who, What, When and Where" have been answered. But there remains the 5th W. WHY. But, as in most things insane, I suspect that we will have to be satisfied with an unsatisfying, "There is no rational explanation for an irrational act". There will never be an acceptable answer to the "Why" inquiry, and yet now, the journalists will embark on many hours of speculation about "Why?". And in the end, despite all the experts, all the interviews, all the coverage, the answer will remain, "There is no rational explanation for an irrational act". And attempting to make that which is clearly irrational, understandable, is probably a futile exercise.
We tend to have morbid fascination with destruction. "Show that video of the car bombing again!" And we all watch, mesmerized. "Roll that footage of the car crash, the 9/11 Twin Towers destruction" and we're hypnotized by the forces at work. And, most of us are reasonable sane, and able to come to the "Why" conclusion that no amount of inquiry will ever provide an acceptable reason for an irrational act. What scares the hell out of me are those who may be a bit less sane who view these "Why" inquiries and ask themselves, "Why Not?" And over the next weeks, those who ask "Why Not?" will have many hours of reinforcement, which, in all probability will bear disastrous fruit long after the sane segment has accepted that there exists no rational explanation.
Jeff
We tend to have morbid fascination with destruction. "Show that video of the car bombing again!" And we all watch, mesmerized. "Roll that footage of the car crash, the 9/11 Twin Towers destruction" and we're hypnotized by the forces at work. And, most of us are reasonable sane, and able to come to the "Why" conclusion that no amount of inquiry will ever provide an acceptable reason for an irrational act. What scares the hell out of me are those who may be a bit less sane who view these "Why" inquiries and ask themselves, "Why Not?" And over the next weeks, those who ask "Why Not?" will have many hours of reinforcement, which, in all probability will bear disastrous fruit long after the sane segment has accepted that there exists no rational explanation.
Jeff
To wander this country and this world looking for the best barbecue â€â€
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Vince Frantz
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I tuned into Right Wing central (WHK1420) expecting to hear some gun control/2nd amendment stuff but was surprised (and delighted) to hear that they were pretty much railing against TV media for showing these images and dragging out the coverage of this event in light of the recent events of Iraq (or past events where Americans were burned but no footage was shown out of some decency claims).
I know that these radio hosts love to stick it to TV counterparts, but hopefully this will new take on things will gain some ground. Hopefully there will be a public backlash against the media for focusing on these images instead of news today. I see they are calling his video/writing package a "manifesto". I bet Cho didn't even think to call it that. But that's ok. NBC knows what to call it to get people interested. They are pros at that.
I see the Plain Dealer has taken the bait hook line and sinker and served up this headline:
A KILLER SPEAKS
Cho saw Columbine murderers as brothers
(Then 4 posed images from Cho's tape are blown up for the front page.)
David -
How did the Today hosts receive these comments of the psychiatrists?
Jeff -
The curiosity is natural (and I don't have a problem with that). But if you were interested in a subject, you can decide how much you want to know. But here are some companies that will profit from your curiosity (as long as it is within broadcast standards). You can do research at a library or even just check out Wikipedia to follow your interests. You should be in charge of that process.
On the "WHY" - this was answered long ago by Emile Henry after he bombed a outdoor cafe in Paris: "..there are no innocent bourgeois."
That reason hasn't changed for any bombing/shooting/etc. Some people have an opinion of some other people. They want the world to know about the way they think. So they express it in a way that will shed light on their ideas.
And on rationality - what is rational about any killing of innocent people? But we've been rationalizing that for thousands of years.
For future shooters - these images and analysis of Cho's WHY has laid the groundwork for WHY NOT.
I know that these radio hosts love to stick it to TV counterparts, but hopefully this will new take on things will gain some ground. Hopefully there will be a public backlash against the media for focusing on these images instead of news today. I see they are calling his video/writing package a "manifesto". I bet Cho didn't even think to call it that. But that's ok. NBC knows what to call it to get people interested. They are pros at that.
I see the Plain Dealer has taken the bait hook line and sinker and served up this headline:
A KILLER SPEAKS
Cho saw Columbine murderers as brothers
(Then 4 posed images from Cho's tape are blown up for the front page.)
David -
How did the Today hosts receive these comments of the psychiatrists?
Jeff -
The curiosity is natural (and I don't have a problem with that). But if you were interested in a subject, you can decide how much you want to know. But here are some companies that will profit from your curiosity (as long as it is within broadcast standards). You can do research at a library or even just check out Wikipedia to follow your interests. You should be in charge of that process.
On the "WHY" - this was answered long ago by Emile Henry after he bombed a outdoor cafe in Paris: "..there are no innocent bourgeois."
That reason hasn't changed for any bombing/shooting/etc. Some people have an opinion of some other people. They want the world to know about the way they think. So they express it in a way that will shed light on their ideas.
And on rationality - what is rational about any killing of innocent people? But we've been rationalizing that for thousands of years.
For future shooters - these images and analysis of Cho's WHY has laid the groundwork for WHY NOT.
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Vince Frantz
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Here is the Wikipedia entry for Emile Henry. After reading it, he seems like the "patron saint" of School Shooters.
This statement is telling:
"Though his activity in the Anarchist movement was limited, he garnered much attention as a result of his crimes and of his age"
Check it out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emile_Henry
This statement is telling:
"Though his activity in the Anarchist movement was limited, he garnered much attention as a result of his crimes and of his age"
Check it out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emile_Henry
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dl meckes
- Posts: 1475
- Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:29 pm
- Location: Lakewood
The problem with remarks from the psychiatrists is that they must bring up all those nasty citizens' rights issues.
And that there have been studies done about whether psychiatrists can predict violent outbursts (the sucess rate seems pretty abysmal).
As the collective grieves for these victims, questions come to mind where there are no good answers, so we must process that.
We wish we could better protect the students, staff and faculty, we wish we could take some sort of preventive action, and we wish we could better understand.
I think some of the discussion must be heard as part of the healing process. What could we do if something like that happened here? We hate feeling powerless.
"Infotainment" is another issue.
When John Lennon was murdered, Rolling Stone did a big issues about him and what had happened. They didn't name the killer and gave no information about him. Whether or not they've ever put the person's name in print from then on, I don't know. It was an interesting tactic. I was grateful.
Why is this young man more important than anything or anyone else?
And that there have been studies done about whether psychiatrists can predict violent outbursts (the sucess rate seems pretty abysmal).
As the collective grieves for these victims, questions come to mind where there are no good answers, so we must process that.
We wish we could better protect the students, staff and faculty, we wish we could take some sort of preventive action, and we wish we could better understand.
I think some of the discussion must be heard as part of the healing process. What could we do if something like that happened here? We hate feeling powerless.
"Infotainment" is another issue.
When John Lennon was murdered, Rolling Stone did a big issues about him and what had happened. They didn't name the killer and gave no information about him. Whether or not they've ever put the person's name in print from then on, I don't know. It was an interesting tactic. I was grateful.
Why is this young man more important than anything or anyone else?
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Ivor Karabatkovic
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- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2005 9:45 am
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My government and sociology teacher pointed out that there will be copycat attacks that are going to happen soon.
and what do you know, today a man in california threatend to make the VT shootings "look mild"
He called his pastor at his church saying he's armed with a AK-47, poison and home made explosives, causing 12,000 students in the city's school district to miss a day of school.
here's the story
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070420/ts_nm/crime_california_dc;_ylt=AhNazulRmvkqtKCALQPa7uHMWM0F
and what do you know, today a man in california threatend to make the VT shootings "look mild"
He called his pastor at his church saying he's armed with a AK-47, poison and home made explosives, causing 12,000 students in the city's school district to miss a day of school.
here's the story
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070420/ts_nm/crime_california_dc;_ylt=AhNazulRmvkqtKCALQPa7uHMWM0F
"Hey Kiddo....this topic is much more important than your football photos, so deal with it." - Mike Deneen
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Ivor Karabatkovic
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- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2005 9:45 am
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but the fact that 190 people died in Iraq yesterday (? sometime after the shooting) and no one heard about it made me pretty sad.
I gotta get back to math homework. I've done three homework assignments so far, and have two more to go. That's just counting math, not government and sociology....
*sigh*
I gotta get back to math homework. I've done three homework assignments so far, and have two more to go. That's just counting math, not government and sociology....
*sigh*
"Hey Kiddo....this topic is much more important than your football photos, so deal with it." - Mike Deneen