Virginia Tech

I'm sure you've heard the terrible news about the shootings at VA tech; I'm sure you feel the story has been beaten to death. It is a terrible tragedy what has happened; I can't even imagine the pain and fear the parents and family members and friends are feeling, worrying about their loved ones or worse, knowing that their loved one is part of the over-3o killed or near-30 injured. But I have a different purpose for this post. I am appalled at the coverage on the story. Specifically, I am disgusted by some of the things that are being reported or shown. What good can possibly come of showing us videos where you can actually hear the gun shots as they occurred? What good can arise from showing us images of bloody and near-death victims being carried to ambulances? What possible benefit can we derive from hearing how the shooter lined up his victims and killed them, execution style? The terrible nature, the utter blackness, the base lack of humanity that precipitated these terrible shootings does not need further illustration by the media. People who are waiting to know if their loved ones are safe or even alive do not need to be further terrified and horrified by the media. People who are unfortunate enough to know that their loved one was injured or killed do not need the grief that would come of knowing how coldly, with what depravity and inhumanity their loved ones were hurt or killed. This is a terrible thing that has happened; I think the news is making it worse.

Furthermore, what good can come of showing us how the U.S. House of Representatives held a moment of silence in recognition of this tragedy? Do people who are waiting to find out if their friends have been killed really care if Representative so-and-so from Delaware observed a moment of silence? In the same venue, are the Reporters actually shocked, as they seemed to be when they interviewed one girl, that the students at Virginia Tech are worried sick about their friends that are in the hospital? This one reporter kept saying that the people there were concerned about their friends and professors like it was a surprise; as if it was actually something to be marveled at that people would be concerned about other people.

The one good thing I have to say about the media is that they are reporting the numerous ways students have come together to account for each other, to verify that students are OK. That's the type of news we need to hear in the midst of such a dark tragedy; news of how people are picking up the pieces and working together.