The events at Virginia Tech this week really are a tragedy. Thirty two innocent people died for no good reason and the loss to their families and friends can’t be underestimated.
Unfortunately, the media has fixated on this story, including of course the graphic video sent by the gunman in between shootings. Like moths drawn to fire or passersby at an accident scene, the American public seems to be drawn to all the macabre angles of this story. But there’s reporting the news and then there’s fueling a media obsession.
What has happened in the last 3 days is exactly what the gunman wanted–to gain a platform for airing his views and raising his issues, strange as they may be. His bizarre, rambling video diatribe has generated more attention than he could ever imagine. Already there has been at least one copycat incident: a man in Yuba City, CA has made threats that he will make Va Tech look like nothing and that he is trying to commit suicide by police.
Enough is enough. This is a psychotic murderer–a domestic terrorist suicide bomber who used bullets instead of explosives. When spectators disrupt sporting events, they are carted away and arrested–but their image is NEVER shown on TV. They are denied the platform and publicity they crave.
This man did more than disrupt a weekend game: he permanently cut short 32 lives and disrupted hundreds upon hundreds of more.
Enough is enough. Let’s help the families grieve and heal. Let’s stop promoting their murderer.
