The news and the mall shooting in Omaha

#1

It is so sick that the kid in Omaha felt his life was worthless and he thought he had to take some innocent people with him and my heart is with all the families affected.

I am kinda sick of the news on it though. In is sucide note, he says something about him being famous now because he did this. Instead of all the news stations plastering his face everywhere and showing the picture of him with his gun up and shooting people, take the power back and do not make him famous. Show all the people out there the victims and who they are, not the killer. Do not give the people out there who may also be in this mindset something to think about, “Look, that kid in Ohama also felt the same way I do and he shoots all these people and now he is famous. Sounds like a plan to me…” It just does not make sense for this kid to write this, act on his plan and then his plan works?? I would love to hear a newscaster say “We understand that this guy has killed 8 people and out of respect for them and their families, we will not show the killer on this station. He wanted to be famous for this act of killing and we will not be a part of it.”??

Common sense has left the planet…

#2

Yes, I really wish the media would be more responsible and not spend so much time ‘profiling’ these nuts. It only encourages more to do the same.

#3

Ironically… the news stations here, while showing the picture of him and all that, did NOT show the surveillence pictures. They have done a great job showing information on the victims with the families that are interested.

Mall reopened today. Once the store actually reopens I am sure it will be over. Most of it will die down today though since the mall is reopening. Maybe next week after the funerals I suppose. The crazy people from the “church” in Kansas are supposed to be coming up here to picket the mall today. I wasn’t planning on going there to shop until tomorrow but I may actually have to go today if I find out that they actually did show up. :wall:

#4

That whole Westboro bunch are sick.

#5

The News Media should take responsibility for promoting these kinds of actions. It is like they will tell other nuts just how to do it. I just don’t understand, they say it is our right to know. I don’t want to know these things. I have written to stations protesting this kind of coverage but only get the standard reply. UGH!!!

#6

Wasn’t that the same issue with the Virginia Tech murders? He wanted to be famous, too. I don’t remember his name and I doubt that next week, many people will remember this kid’s name either.

Well, maybe he go his fifteen minutes but fifteen minutes is not a long time.

The real tragedy in this whole thing was that this kid had access to an automatic weapon and that he could make his way into a mall without anyone blinking an eye.

As for the “news media” in this country, they are a disgrace. If you want to see news, you should spend some time watching the BBC, which is available on many PBS stations and on BBC America. The interviewers actually ask the hard questions, hold the people they are interviewing accountable for their answers and as far as I can tell, aren’t just hired because they are a pretty face to represent Rupert Murdoch (who doesn’t make his money by presenting the news but by selling sensationalism.)

Ok, they aren’t perfect by any means (too much time yesterday spent on the upcoming boxing match for my taste) but still, lots more real information about world events that we in America don’t even hear about.

Ok, getting off my soapbox now.

#7

a small bit of good news i have heard from the mall this morning is that there were people standing outside the doors this morning waiting for the mall to open. Don’t know if it will get busy or not, but that is encouraging!

:happydance:

#8

IMHO, I think the reason these types of stories are sensationalized as they are, along with the latest on Brittany, Paris & Lindsay, is that the networks (the cable ones too) are so concerned about offending the politicos with real stories about what is going on in the world. It’s easy, cheap and no one is going to keep reporters out of the halls of government for rubbing people the wrong way.

While I truly sympathize with the victims and their families, I gotta say, I feel really bad about a 19 year old kid who has had emotional problems all his life, was kicked out of his home and has spent the last year drifting from one place to another and felt the only solution was to first take out some innocent people and then himself.

Sorry, my heart is bleeding.

#9

That is not entirely accurate. I would like to hope that my mother would have kicked me out of her house too, if I had threatened to kill her and could back that up with substance abuse problems AND mental issues. I have incredible sympathy for him and am very saddened that he got to the point where this was the end result. He was given all sorts of help along the way though. And he had been living in a fairly stable home for the last year with people who appeared, at this point, to have been trying really hard to help him.

#10

Had he only killed himself I would have some sympathy for him. I have nothing but contempt for someone who willingly kills innocent people regardless of their state of mental health.

#11

Exactly.

#12

I totally agree with this statement.:thumbsup: