i had my hindsight checked - surprise! it's 20/20

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My home has largely been a news-free zone for the last few days. I think I want to watch, to stay informed about what they’ve discovered, but I can barely watch about 30 seconds before I literally cover my ears and say to Shoogie, "I can’t." I’m not a very delicate soul, either; I’m pretty hardy. I gotta tell ya, too - it’s not the thought of the killings that keeps me from the news. What I can’t stomach right now is all the news noise that keeps us from actual thoughts of the killings. All the postulation, the shots-in-the-dark (pardon the expression - ha ha - cry cry), the woulda-coulda-shoulda, the knee-jerk reactions (in some cases, with an emphasis on the jerk). It minimizes the impact; it diminishes the import. Talk talk talk ... all manipulated so that - what? So we don’t actually have one single moment to think clearly and truly about what happened? I don't know why, but I can't watch it. It's offensive.

A deeply troubled human being shot 47 other human beings. On purpose. Shot 32 of them dead. And then he shot himself in the face. We can never know why. If we could, it wouldn’t be enough.

Comments

Tina Rowley said…
Egg-

I remember when Columbine happened I was taking a class from Leonid, and he made pretty much the same disgusted observation about how the news was handling it. Empty. No one dropped in to the reality of it at all.

Yes. Exactly.
4/18/07, 11:23 PM
Anonymous said…
For whatever it's worth, NPR has been doing a good job of keeping the event in mind, as well as reporting on all the idiots who are using this as an excuse/leverage point for their own agendas. Interviews with kids who were in the classes and survived, etc. It hasn't been gentle to wake up to that on the clock radio, but at least it hasn't been all stories about gun control and psych evals for everyone.

I must say, I find it intensely annoying that all anyone ever seems to do with tragedies like this is give them a bit of "Oh, so sad" lip service, then immediately launch into their agenda talking points. At least let their memories rest peacefully for a week or three before you go pouring your politics all over them.

Having thus promulgated my agenda, I will now shut up and think kind thoughts at the families who suddenly don't have kids any more.
4/19/07, 9:37 AM
(egg) said…
Thanks you lovelies! It feels good not to be alone on this one.

love,
me
4/19/07, 11:30 AM
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