Morgan Freeman's brilliant take on what happened yesterday :
"You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.
It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed
people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.
CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.
You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news."
I was putting the lights on the tree yesterday... like normal each Christmas.
I put on the TV ... like normal.
Doctor Phil's face came on. He was there with families in CT.
Heartbreaking sadness.
I pray this overwhelming sadness is not the new normal.
I thought of the torn Middle East, the frequent bombings. So many innocent lives lost.
A Mother's a Father's sadness, the loss of a child, the loss of a parent.
We all feel this sadness the same. Their normal is this sadness.
Facebook! Now that's where you'll find the truth.
I think I would rather watch the news.
I wasn't looking for any truth. It was on Facebook afterall. It was a good quote. So I copied and pasted it. I'll make a point of double-checking that shit in future. That's all.
That was tough to watch. :( that being I once taught preschool for 5 years, barricading the door and turning off the lights while trying to keep the children quiet was tough to do but brilliant and the right thing to do.
Peace
*We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
Facebook! Now that's where you'll find the truth.
I think I would rather watch the news.
I wasn't looking for any truth. It was on Facebook afterall. It was a good quote. So I copied and pasted it. I'll make a point of double-checking that shit in future. That's all.
This is a point that I wish the media would pick up on. Instead of "glorifying" (in a sense) the deeds of one horrible person, it should be more about the victims. Instead, what we end up having is a benchmark for some other sick fuck out there to try and top in order to get his/her place in the history books.
R.I.P Victoria Soto. I didn't know you but I will remember your name and wish your family well. Victoria is the one name I will remember from all this. She is a hero.
*We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
this tragedy haunts us all everyday. I don't think anyone can get away from it.
I see the children when I'm out and about...
look in the parents eyes ...
and I see the hint of sadness that wasn't there before, it lives in us all now.
Our hearts filled with each of those children lost.
Feeling the pain of each of the loved ones.
Someone somewhere posted a quote that there were parents who went home that day to houses that had hidden Christmas presents for children who were dead. I can't get that thought out of my head. Haunted by it almost. Whenever I think about this, that is where my mind goes.
Someone somewhere posted a quote that there were parents who went home that day to houses that had hidden Christmas presents for children who were dead. I can't get that thought out of my head. Haunted by it almost. Whenever I think about this, that is where my mind goes.
yeah,was at a thread that locked..its so hard this thought...
by blackredyellow » 14 Dec 2012 20:56
Just saw this on twitter from someone:
"There are parents in Connecticut who are going home to hidden Christmas presents for children who are dead."
I'm a 38 year old man (and father) who doesn't cry often... reading that statement made me cry at my desk at work.
I'm at a loss...
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Great thread we must never forget these kids i hope that they didn't die in vain and that thought of presents under the tree that will never be opened by the intended kids is truly heart wrenching , it doesn't even feel like xmas time at all
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Aside from my volunteer work for the homeless next week I'm going to do 15 random acts of kindness around Palm Beach County. It can be anything from buying a person inline a cup of coffee or let some else take my place in line or send some friends a box of Honeybell oranges from here in Florida.
All for some random acts of kindness in memory of the children and teachers from a Newtown. I hope will pass on some random acts of kindness maybe it'll bring us some peace in these violent times that we live in.
Peace
*We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
Aside from my volunteer work for the homeless next week I'm going to do 15 random acts of kindness around Palm Beach County. It can be anything from buying a person inline a cup of coffee or let some else take my place in line or send some friends a box of Honeybell oranges from here in Florida.
All for some random acts of kindness in memory of the children and teachers from a Newtown. I hope will pass on some random acts of kindness maybe it'll bring us some peace in these violent times that we live in.
Peace
Love it.
I did an act of kindness today at the mall while finishing my Christmas shopping. I stopped at the food court to get something to eat and as I was eating, a guy walked by, took his money out of his pocket, and dropped a $5 bill. I didn't notice it right away, but I went over, picked it up, and brought it to the guy waiting in line at one of the food places.
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Saw that. Not a Yanks fan at all, but a classy move by a classy guy. It'd be nice if their were more athletes like #2.
Alpine Valley 6/26/98, Alpine Valley 10/8/00, Champaign 4/23/03, Chicago 6/18/03, Alpine Valley 6/21/03, Grand Rapids 10/3/04
Chicago 5/16/06, Chicago 5/17/06, Grand Rapids 5/19/06
Milwaukee 6/29/06, Milwaukee 6/30/06, Lollapalooza 8/5/07
Eddie Solo Milwaukee 8/19/08, Toronto 8/21/09, Chicago 8/23/09
Chicago 8/24/09, Indianapolis 5/7/10, Ed Chicago 6/29/11, Alpine Valley 9/3/11 and 9/4/11, Wrigley 7/19/13, Moline 10/18/14, Milwaukee 10/20/14
Someone somewhere posted a quote that there were parents who went home that day to houses that had hidden Christmas presents for children who were dead. I can't get that thought out of my head. Haunted by it almost. Whenever I think about this, that is where my mind goes.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
I have no problems thinking of the victims (actually, I think most about victims' families). But I really wish the fucking news would stop trying to control what my moral priorities are. The news should be the news. They should NOT be deciding that they aren't going to pay lots of attention to the killer so that the viewers don't focus on the killer while forgetting the victims. CNN is on this ridiculous little moral high horse since it was suggested by a victim's brother in Aurora, and I'm getting really irritated. Fuck you Anderson Cooper - I don't need you deciding for me how much attention I do or don't pay victims vs killers, as though I need YOUR help setting those priorities in my own mind. Fucking give me all the info, and then shut the fuck up. :evil:
Also, quite frankly, it's actually way more useful to think about and remember everything about the killer, since that's the shit people have to watch out for and learn from. Thinking about the victims is very nice and all, and definitely most important for those who actually knew and loved them, but as far as strangers are concerned, it doesn't do anything whatsoever in preventing future massacres or learning something about warning signs or anything like that, so... sure, wish those who are truly mourning (the families) all the best wishes in the world, but seriously, pound into everyone's brains every detail about the killers' behaviours and patterns before the violent act so that people might be more likely to recognize danger signs in the future.
But mostly, fuck off with the moral compass shit, stop yammering on emotionally about how we don't want to give any attention to the killers in mass shootings, CNN, and just report everything.
All that said, I feel true sorrow for those who loved all of those victims; I find it difficult to see or hear any coverage of Newtown without getting really upset. The parents of those children... :( :( :(
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I have no problems thinking of the victims (actually, I think most about victims' families). But I really wish the fucking news would stop trying to control what my moral priorities are. The news should be the news. They should NOT be deciding that they aren't going to pay lots of attention to the killer so that the viewers don't focus on the killer while forgetting the victims. CNN is on this ridiculous little moral high horse since it was suggested by a victim's brother in Aurora, and I'm getting really irritated. Fuck you Anderson Cooper - I don't need you deciding for me how much attention I do or don't pay victims vs killers, as though I need YOUR help setting those priorities in my own mind. Fucking give me all the info, and then shut the fuck up. :evil:
Also, quite frankly, it's actually way more useful to think about and remember everything about the killer, since that's the shit people have to watch out for and learn from. Thinking about the victims is very nice and all, and definitely most important for those who actually knew and loved them, but as far as strangers are concerned, it doesn't do anything whatsoever in preventing future massacres or learning something about warning signs or anything like that, so... sure, wish those who are truly mourning (the families) all the best wishes in the world, but seriously, pound into everyone's brains every detail about the killers' behaviours and patterns before the violent act so that people might be more likely to recognize danger signs in the future.
But mostly, fuck off with the moral compass shit, stop yammering on emotionally about how we don't want to give any attention to the killers in mass shootings, CNN, and just report everything.
All that said, I feel true sorrow for those who loved all of those victims; I find it difficult to see or hear any coverage of Newtown without getting really upset. The parents of those children... :( :( :(
the whole purpose of saying "fuck you" to the killers is:
a) to deny them the attention they so desperately crave. If the next potential shooter knows they won't achieve notoriety and become infamous from this, it might just make them kill themselves instead of 20 children.
b) to give a voice to the victims. as that fake quote by Morgan Freeman stated, we all remember the names of the killers from Columbine, but we don't remember the ones killed. that's unhealthy.
The victims deserve more press than the killers.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
I have no problems thinking of the victims (actually, I think most about victims' families). But I really wish the fucking news would stop trying to control what my moral priorities are. The news should be the news. They should NOT be deciding that they aren't going to pay lots of attention to the killer so that the viewers don't focus on the killer while forgetting the victims. CNN is on this ridiculous little moral high horse since it was suggested by a victim's brother in Aurora, and I'm getting really irritated. Fuck you Anderson Cooper - I don't need you deciding for me how much attention I do or don't pay victims vs killers, as though I need YOUR help setting those priorities in my own mind. Fucking give me all the info, and then shut the fuck up. :evil:
Also, quite frankly, it's actually way more useful to think about and remember everything about the killer, since that's the shit people have to watch out for and learn from. Thinking about the victims is very nice and all, and definitely most important for those who actually knew and loved them, but as far as strangers are concerned, it doesn't do anything whatsoever in preventing future massacres or learning something about warning signs or anything like that, so... sure, wish those who are truly mourning (the families) all the best wishes in the world, but seriously, pound into everyone's brains every detail about the killers' behaviours and patterns before the violent act so that people might be more likely to recognize danger signs in the future.
But mostly, fuck off with the moral compass shit, stop yammering on emotionally about how we don't want to give any attention to the killers in mass shootings, CNN, and just report everything.
All that said, I feel true sorrow for those who loved all of those victims; I find it difficult to see or hear any coverage of Newtown without getting really upset. The parents of those children... :( :( :(
the whole purpose of saying "fuck you" to the killers is:
a) to deny them the attention they so desperately crave. If the next potential shooter knows they won't achieve notoriety and become infamous from this, it might just make them kill themselves instead of 20 children.
b) to give a voice to the victims. as that fake quote by Morgan Freeman stated, we all remember the names of the killers from Columbine, but we don't remember the ones killed. that's unhealthy.
The victims deserve more press than the killers.
The latest killer seems to have sought no notoriety whatsoever, and that is the case with a lot of other people who commit such crimes, particularly the mentally ill ones. I don't think the Aurora shooter sought it either. That seems more a characteristic common to serial killers, actually.
I'm sorry, but this whole idea of "remembering the killed, not the killer" is a bunch of sentimental bologna, and I find it outrageously insincere when it comes from the news networks. I also find it unrealistic. Of course people are going to remember the one name of someone who shot up a school and not the 27 other names of the victims. People's memories aren't that good. Plus, knowing their names doesn't do anything for anyone, so I'm not sure what the point is to be honest. I don't think my knowing their names or not knowing their names has any effect whatsoever on my or anyone else's impression of the event, nor does it lessen my empathy for the families of the dead or my memory of the event or those killed. Their names are neither here nor there. Have you memorized every name of the ones killed in Newtown HFD? How about all the people killed in Aurora? Do you remember all their names?
As far as "deserving" press goes... I really don't think it makes one bit of difference to the dead. I personally don't think that "deserving" comes into it. I think it is much more USEFUL for people to know what the warning signs and personal issues of the killer were. Saying "fuck you" to the killer needn't mean that you don't pay attention to him, his name, and his motives. Remembering his name is part of that. And what I think is unhealthy is having a media that is trying to dictate to the public what their moral priorities are supposed to be after a human disaster... insincere sentimentalities and all.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
The latest killer seems to have sought no notoriety whatsoever, and that is the case with a lot of other people who commit such crimes, particularly the mentally ill ones. I don't think the Aurora shooter sought it either. That seems more a characteristic common to serial killers, actually.
I'm sorry, but this whole idea of "remembering the killed, not the killer" is a bunch of sentimental bologna, and I find it outrageously insincere when it comes from the news networks. I also find it unrealistic. Of course people are going to remember the one name of someone who shot up a school and not the 27 other names of the victims. People's memories aren't that good. Plus, knowing their names doesn't do anything for anyone, so I'm not sure what the point is to be honest. I don't think my knowing their names or not knowing their names has any effect whatsoever on my or anyone else's impression of the event, nor does it lessen my empathy for the families of the dead or my memory of the event or those killed. Their names are neither here nor there. Have you memorized every name of the ones killed in Newtown HFD? How about all the people killed in Aurora? Do you remember all their names?
As far as "deserving" press goes... I really don't think it makes one bit of difference to the dead. I personally don't think that "deserving" comes into it. I think it is much more USEFUL for people to know what the warning signs and personal issues of the killer were. Saying "fuck you" to the killer needn't mean that you don't pay attention to him, his name, and his motives. Remembering his name is part of that. And what I think is unhealthy is having a media that is trying to dictate to the public what their moral priorities are supposed to be after a human disaster... insincere sentimentalities and all.
No one knows the killer's motives, not you, not me.
When I started this thread, I had not heard of any media outlets trying to "dictate" what the public knows about this event. My point was that it's sad that we focus on the killer rather than the victims. it's kind of backwards.
The point was not about memorizing the names of the victims, nor their details. Just remembering them in spirit, as in, why waste time thinking about the killer, when you can think about the lost instead? No one was trying to be disingenuous or insincere. It was more about how to deal with it ourselves than helping the living victims of this act.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
1) talking so we don't forget
2) paying it forward
3) nix news coverage
and always -- do unto others as you would have done unto you
A meaning to transcend division.
Comments
"You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.
It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed
people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.
CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.
You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news."
Anyway, I've realized I can't forget what I already know - this man's name - but it doesn't mean I won't remember the victims either.
I got it from Facebook. I know I probably shouldn't pluck anything from that place.
Facebook! Now that's where you'll find the truth.
I think I would rather watch the news.
is that exactly what I thought I read."
I put on the TV ... like normal.
Doctor Phil's face came on. He was there with families in CT.
Heartbreaking sadness.
I pray this overwhelming sadness is not the new normal.
I thought of the torn Middle East, the frequent bombings. So many innocent lives lost.
A Mother's a Father's sadness, the loss of a child, the loss of a parent.
We all feel this sadness the same. Their normal is this sadness.
A world of pain.
I wasn't looking for any truth. It was on Facebook afterall. It was a good quote. So I copied and pasted it. I'll make a point of double-checking that shit in future. That's all.
That was tough to watch. :( that being I once taught preschool for 5 years, barricading the door and turning off the lights while trying to keep the children quiet was tough to do but brilliant and the right thing to do.
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
This is a point that I wish the media would pick up on. Instead of "glorifying" (in a sense) the deeds of one horrible person, it should be more about the victims. Instead, what we end up having is a benchmark for some other sick fuck out there to try and top in order to get his/her place in the history books.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VTnSbAC6UDM
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=torfwGPgyEg
this tragedy haunts us all everyday. I don't think anyone can get away from it.
I see the children when I'm out and about...
look in the parents eyes ...
and I see the hint of sadness that wasn't there before, it lives in us all now.
Our hearts filled with each of those children lost.
Feeling the pain of each of the loved ones.
Their love a moment of grace ...
"...I changed by not changing at all..."
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Derek Jeter is such a class act. If Victoria Soto's sister didn't tweet this, no one would know and that would have been good, also.
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_ ... toria-soto
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Usually those kind of billboards flip through a series of ads. This on didnt. Was cool to see this kind of attention being paid.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/1 ... ostpopular
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
what a disgusting group of people.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
All for some random acts of kindness in memory of the children and teachers from a Newtown. I hope will pass on some random acts of kindness maybe it'll bring us some peace in these violent times that we live in.
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
I did an act of kindness today at the mall while finishing my Christmas shopping. I stopped at the food court to get something to eat and as I was eating, a guy walked by, took his money out of his pocket, and dropped a $5 bill. I didn't notice it right away, but I went over, picked it up, and brought it to the guy waiting in line at one of the food places.
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Saw that. Not a Yanks fan at all, but a classy move by a classy guy. It'd be nice if their were more athletes like #2.
Chicago 5/16/06, Chicago 5/17/06, Grand Rapids 5/19/06
Milwaukee 6/29/06, Milwaukee 6/30/06, Lollapalooza 8/5/07
Eddie Solo Milwaukee 8/19/08, Toronto 8/21/09, Chicago 8/23/09
Chicago 8/24/09, Indianapolis 5/7/10, Ed Chicago 6/29/11, Alpine Valley 9/3/11 and 9/4/11, Wrigley 7/19/13, Moline 10/18/14, Milwaukee 10/20/14
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Also, quite frankly, it's actually way more useful to think about and remember everything about the killer, since that's the shit people have to watch out for and learn from. Thinking about the victims is very nice and all, and definitely most important for those who actually knew and loved them, but as far as strangers are concerned, it doesn't do anything whatsoever in preventing future massacres or learning something about warning signs or anything like that, so... sure, wish those who are truly mourning (the families) all the best wishes in the world, but seriously, pound into everyone's brains every detail about the killers' behaviours and patterns before the violent act so that people might be more likely to recognize danger signs in the future.
But mostly, fuck off with the moral compass shit, stop yammering on emotionally about how we don't want to give any attention to the killers in mass shootings, CNN, and just report everything.
All that said, I feel true sorrow for those who loved all of those victims; I find it difficult to see or hear any coverage of Newtown without getting really upset. The parents of those children... :( :( :(
the whole purpose of saying "fuck you" to the killers is:
a) to deny them the attention they so desperately crave. If the next potential shooter knows they won't achieve notoriety and become infamous from this, it might just make them kill themselves instead of 20 children.
b) to give a voice to the victims. as that fake quote by Morgan Freeman stated, we all remember the names of the killers from Columbine, but we don't remember the ones killed. that's unhealthy.
The victims deserve more press than the killers.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
I'm sorry, but this whole idea of "remembering the killed, not the killer" is a bunch of sentimental bologna, and I find it outrageously insincere when it comes from the news networks. I also find it unrealistic. Of course people are going to remember the one name of someone who shot up a school and not the 27 other names of the victims. People's memories aren't that good. Plus, knowing their names doesn't do anything for anyone, so I'm not sure what the point is to be honest. I don't think my knowing their names or not knowing their names has any effect whatsoever on my or anyone else's impression of the event, nor does it lessen my empathy for the families of the dead or my memory of the event or those killed. Their names are neither here nor there. Have you memorized every name of the ones killed in Newtown HFD? How about all the people killed in Aurora? Do you remember all their names?
As far as "deserving" press goes... I really don't think it makes one bit of difference to the dead. I personally don't think that "deserving" comes into it. I think it is much more USEFUL for people to know what the warning signs and personal issues of the killer were. Saying "fuck you" to the killer needn't mean that you don't pay attention to him, his name, and his motives. Remembering his name is part of that. And what I think is unhealthy is having a media that is trying to dictate to the public what their moral priorities are supposed to be after a human disaster... insincere sentimentalities and all.
No one knows the killer's motives, not you, not me.
When I started this thread, I had not heard of any media outlets trying to "dictate" what the public knows about this event. My point was that it's sad that we focus on the killer rather than the victims. it's kind of backwards.
The point was not about memorizing the names of the victims, nor their details. Just remembering them in spirit, as in, why waste time thinking about the killer, when you can think about the lost instead? No one was trying to be disingenuous or insincere. It was more about how to deal with it ourselves than helping the living victims of this act.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
2) paying it forward
3) nix news coverage
and always -- do unto others as you would have done unto you
A meaning to transcend division.