The headlines scream “Another Shooting!!!” and everyone gets that sick feeling in their stomach. What is going on? Is it the moral decay of society? I don’t think so. In fact I think that we have become more conservative in this area compared to say the late 1960’s or 1970’s. Is it a lack of gun laws? Again I don’t think so as we have had more and more new laws passed without effect.
I think that the problem is in our adapting to the new technology – Internet, 24-hour cable news etc.
In the old days there were always shootings. You just didn’t hear about every shooting on national TV. Most shootings were local news. When I was going to high school in the mid-70’s there was a guy who shot a cheerleader in the school hall and then killed himself. It didn’t even make the front page of the main city papers. There was also an incident were a child shot another child. Again it wasn’t national news.
The media has found that whatever shocks people brings in the viewers. The thing is this works for a while until people either become desensitized or they feel overwhelmed and start to tune out. I remember when car chases on TV used to stop everyone in their tracks as they stared at the TV. All of the news channels used to carry them. Now when I see a chase on TV I just switch the channel. I notice that there aren’t as many channels covering the chase either.
My point is, I don’t think that there is an epidemic in this country. I think that what will happen with these national TV shootings is that people will start to tune out after a while. When the media realizes that flogging these stories isn’t bringing in the viewers anymore they will stop carrying them on national TV and they will become local news once again.
This too will pass ….. as gun owners we just have to have the courage to hold on.
I think that the problem is in our adapting to the new technology – Internet, 24-hour cable news etc.
In the old days there were always shootings. You just didn’t hear about every shooting on national TV. Most shootings were local news. When I was going to high school in the mid-70’s there was a guy who shot a cheerleader in the school hall and then killed himself. It didn’t even make the front page of the main city papers. There was also an incident were a child shot another child. Again it wasn’t national news.
The media has found that whatever shocks people brings in the viewers. The thing is this works for a while until people either become desensitized or they feel overwhelmed and start to tune out. I remember when car chases on TV used to stop everyone in their tracks as they stared at the TV. All of the news channels used to carry them. Now when I see a chase on TV I just switch the channel. I notice that there aren’t as many channels covering the chase either.
My point is, I don’t think that there is an epidemic in this country. I think that what will happen with these national TV shootings is that people will start to tune out after a while. When the media realizes that flogging these stories isn’t bringing in the viewers anymore they will stop carrying them on national TV and they will become local news once again.
This too will pass ….. as gun owners we just have to have the courage to hold on.