My friend Matt wrote a post on his LiveJournal today talking about the whole Virginia Tech school shooting thing. The viewpoint he took was one I hadn’t seen before, and I felt it needed to be repeated, as it shows another ugly side to this whole thing I personally hadn’t considered…
this may piss people off, but those that do are missing my point.. because it brings up a sore subject, and i am NOT trivializing it or patronizing it. BUT. ….
There are 32 people dead Thats the current count) in the worst mass shooting in US history. You want to know whats showing on my local news? Maury. Jerry Springer. As the World Turns.
This is DISGUSTING.
In this age of internet and cable, some may say big deal.. you got CNN…Foxnews. Blah blah blah…
Well. heres the deal… When Anna Nicole Smith Died, CBS… NBC… ABC… Local affiliates all broke into regular programming and kept with the story for nearly 2-3 hours. 32 die and it doesnt even rate breaking into Jerry Springer? While I was out I mad mention of that fact and I was shot down by a passerby of the local redneck bluehair crowd…. “better not take off my “STORIES” i got to see my “STORIES”
What the hell is wrong with America?
I Felt sick to my stomach. I really did.
I am REALLY not trying to step on anyones toes.. but this is just WRONG. I live near enough to the country that i can say that there are certain areas that still just have Antenna for TV reception….Those people unless they saw it at noon STILL dont know whats going on.
I know some of you are sensitive to the Anna Nicole thing… and im using it because it was the most recent event i can recall that networks broke in…. but regardless.. If Anna Nicole rates 2-3 hours of network time, there is not one explanation you can give me that makes this decison right—-other than the American fascination with celebrity. And its just…. wrong.
Im probably the only person that cares about it, but yah. This chaps my ass in a REAL bad way.
(The following was my reply to him.)
This is another example of why I say that the idea and dream of America is beautiful and wonderful, but the reality horrifies and sickens me. What makes it such a beautiful example is the fact that more importance is placed on the self-caused death of a single “celebrity” (who, let’s face it, was not really that important) than on the MURDERS of over 30 people.
People care more only for their entertainment than their information, and that makes them complacent about the world they live in. Why else has this country gone to hell in a handbasket?