Another Hot Topic

We were watching The View yesterday where one of the hot topics was whether it was right for the media to follow the plea of the victims of the Colorado shootings.  They are asking that the media not use the shooter’s name when reporting on the story as this is precisely what the shooter wants, to be famous.  It was quite a squabble at The View desk but in my family room we were in agreement, don’t use the name.  The name is already on record and if you need to know it (but why would you) you can always check it online.  Otherwise, why publicize the name?

       The other part of the discussion was whether Hollywood, movies or television have a responsibility in the spread of violence.  I think the answer is multi-faceted.  I don’t think any movie or television show is actually going to induce any sane person, or even insane person, to go out and start shooting people.  But I do think that the ever escalating display of violence, cursing, sexuality and so on has contributed to desensitizing people to the point that we actually crave seeing the most depraved sort of violence even on the news shows.  I will never forget the moment when I first realized what I was feeling when the Jeffrey Daumer story was first breaking.  As I realized that I was actually sitting on the edge of my seating wanting to hear gory details I had a mental shock, got up and turned off the television.  I walked around the house questioning what had just happened because this was not the person I really was.  At that time, rightly or wrongly, I felt that the news media had drawn me into this sensational story and was feeding a frenzy.  To this day I am shocked at my reaction, as brief as it lasted, and am on the watch for going down that dark path again.

       This is what happened to me, which probably seems like a very tame story; but it does illustrate how easily a person can be desensitized to something awful.  Think of a century ago when women were sheltered to the point of not actually going to the cemetery to bury their loved ones.  Now we see all kinds of ghastly things on television, from poor beaten animals, to children without arms or legs lying with flies covering their faces – and those are only commercials!  Is it any wonder we are building generations of individuals with little feeling for humanity?

       We have choices, we can turn off the television and we can refuse to go the movies that are violent.  And educate our children to have the same kind of value and respect to human kind.