LETTER: Media attention shares blame in mass shootings

To the Telegram:

After the recent shooting at the elementary school in Connecticut, the anti-gun folks are going to be seeking and looking for stricter gun control.

That is not going to help.

Connecticut has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country, yet they did little to deter this horrific crime.

Guns are a tool and not the issue. This is a social issue, a failure of society.

An FBI profile expert noted on the news that China has had mass killings in schools there using knives with more than 21 killed and 90 injured in several incidences. So stricter gun control is not the solution as a killer will find alternate methods to commit their crimes.

How we weed out these mentally ill people is the real issue. It is a tough issue, and there are no easy answers. I do not think we can ever weed out every mentally ill person who decides to commit such horrific crimes. But a major problem is allowing the media to create a circus every time there is one of these shootings.

Allowing the media to immortalize the killers by giving them their 15 minutes of fame gives the killers a platform; the media offers to bring them the attention they crave, even from the grave.

Of course, the media will say it is our 1st Amendment right.

Well, you can report the news without the sensationalism that gives these killers the attention they crave.

The media should make a short news statement after all the facts are in and go on to other news without all the sensationalism.

Too often we see the media speculate on what happened getting facts incorrect or not all the facts straight.

They should wait until all the facts have been verified, then report the news.

Eliminating these media circuses when these tragic school and public shootings are reported will go a long way in taking away the attention these sick people seek.

Will it stop these shootings? I do not know but at least it will take away the attention these sick individuals so crave.

Jim Harter,

Superior

Tags: opinion, letters