"On and on it goes
Till all of us are sucked in.
So shut it off and see
We're missing out on living."~Barlowgirl, "Time for You to Go"
Chances are, you've heard that there was yet another school shooting on May 18 in Santa Fe, Texas. You've probably also heard the call for more gun control in the wake of it, as happens every single time an event like this occurs. However, the more I think about the recent epidemic of mass shootings, the more I think that there is another possible solution to the whole problem, a solution that even if it's been thought of before, has never been reported, and for a very good reason.
That solution is less news coverage, and the media would never report it because they are the perpetrators. I'm not saying that there should be no news coverage at all, especially not locally. People need to know what's going on, especially if they are local to the incident. However, covering it in other places, to the depth that they do, only provides motivation to others who might wish to do the same thing.
The main part of the reporting that I believe lends fuel to the fire is reporting the culprit's name. The only people who need to know that information are the police, the prosecutor, the defense attorney, the witnesses, the judge, and the jury.
The reason for this is twofold. One, it gives the perpetrator great fame to have their name reported across the United States. Someone with a desire to be famous and some anger issues would see committing a mass shooting as a way to gain fame and seek revenge on those who have wronged them. A nobody becomes somebody by killing others and having their name spoken on TV and written in print across the nation.
Another reason is that they are denied their Constitutional right to a fair trial. If the media reports their name hours after they commit their crime, and keep repeating it over and over, then it becomes quite difficult come time for the trial to find a fair and unbiased jury. Almost everyone has had time beforehand to gauge the culprit's guilt or innocence.
Another piece of information that should be reserved for the courtroom is the suspect's motivation. The motive doesn't change the outcome, and reporting it to the public could inspire someone else to take the same course of action in a similar situation. This is the exact opposite of what should be happening after a tragedy like this.
What should be reported is what happened and how many people were affected, and that information should only be reported in the location where the incident happened. Anything more than that only fuels the fires of division in this country, and is an inspiration to other would-be culprits. When this happens is when we will begin to see the downfall of this tragic epidemic.
Till all of us are sucked in.
So shut it off and see
We're missing out on living."~Barlowgirl, "Time for You to Go"
Chances are, you've heard that there was yet another school shooting on May 18 in Santa Fe, Texas. You've probably also heard the call for more gun control in the wake of it, as happens every single time an event like this occurs. However, the more I think about the recent epidemic of mass shootings, the more I think that there is another possible solution to the whole problem, a solution that even if it's been thought of before, has never been reported, and for a very good reason.
That solution is less news coverage, and the media would never report it because they are the perpetrators. I'm not saying that there should be no news coverage at all, especially not locally. People need to know what's going on, especially if they are local to the incident. However, covering it in other places, to the depth that they do, only provides motivation to others who might wish to do the same thing.
The main part of the reporting that I believe lends fuel to the fire is reporting the culprit's name. The only people who need to know that information are the police, the prosecutor, the defense attorney, the witnesses, the judge, and the jury.
The reason for this is twofold. One, it gives the perpetrator great fame to have their name reported across the United States. Someone with a desire to be famous and some anger issues would see committing a mass shooting as a way to gain fame and seek revenge on those who have wronged them. A nobody becomes somebody by killing others and having their name spoken on TV and written in print across the nation.
Another reason is that they are denied their Constitutional right to a fair trial. If the media reports their name hours after they commit their crime, and keep repeating it over and over, then it becomes quite difficult come time for the trial to find a fair and unbiased jury. Almost everyone has had time beforehand to gauge the culprit's guilt or innocence.
Another piece of information that should be reserved for the courtroom is the suspect's motivation. The motive doesn't change the outcome, and reporting it to the public could inspire someone else to take the same course of action in a similar situation. This is the exact opposite of what should be happening after a tragedy like this.
What should be reported is what happened and how many people were affected, and that information should only be reported in the location where the incident happened. Anything more than that only fuels the fires of division in this country, and is an inspiration to other would-be culprits. When this happens is when we will begin to see the downfall of this tragic epidemic.
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