The shooting in Tucson has been weighing heavily on my mind, and hopefully yours, for quite some time now. But what I have found more disturbing is the media coverage and blog commentaries that have surrounded the story. What was the motivation for the shooter? Is anyone to blame for inciting him? Could it have been prevented? All of these questions have been speculated upon ad nauseum.
But in my opinion, the most horrifying discourses have been those that attempt to justify the use of violent rhetoric used by politicians and media personalities in the last few years. Did Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh cause the shooting in Tuscon? OF COURSE NOT. But does the fact that they were not the cause, in any way, justify their use of violent and hateful speech aimed at "motivating" the public? OF COURSE NOT. Their comments, and the comments of so many others on both sides of the aisle, are disgusting... and it is a shame that it's taken a tragedy of this magnitude for most of us to stand up and say so.
The closest parallel that I can make to this phenomenon is the shooting at Columbine High School. In the aftermath of the tragedy many people wondered: Were violent movies and video games to blame for this? Were the young people brainwashed by violent lyrics in their music? Looking back, we now know that the Columbine shootings were not caused by a violent pop culture. But many parents still, prudently, limited their children's' exposure to violent media images regardless. Nobody ever stood up and said, "It's okay, keep exposing your kids to violence! The shootings at Columbine were simply acts of senseless violence!" Again, it took a tragedy for people to realize-- and become horrified by-- the amount of violence surrounding them.
Should politicians and media personalities be held accountable for the hateful and inflammatory remarks they make? ABSOLUTELY. Does it matter if this current tragedy is the motivation for the public finally standing up and saying, "ENOUGH." I don't think it matters at all. I doubt that the victims of the shooting would mind either, especially if we used their suffering to go out transform the world into a more peaceful place. In fact, is there anything more fitting that we could do to honor their sacrifices?
There is only one thing that this tragedy has taught us for sure... we are surrounded by too much violence. Some of it is senseless, as perhaps this shooting was, but most of it is under our direct control. The young man responsible for the shooting may have been mentally unstable and out of control... but most other's don't have that same excuse. Some violence can be controlled, and when it is not, I have no problem holding people responsible. Peace turtles!
One reason for such shooting is also despair. The Columbine Massacre was very much a shooting by forsaken, lonesome, desperate and bullied people. The "losers" of society, rejected by their classmates, college students etc. have nothing to lose and mixed with aggression and consiprancy, there is no limit anymore. The shooting is the counterstrike, no victim anymore for at least one time.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYcohBsz_98
I think what is happening in our society today is a lack of respect for each other. The disgusting rhetoric in politics, which I think has no bearing on the current shooting, is a manifestation of our lack of ability to allow another to have an opinion. Just as you should be allowed to voice any opinion in this blog, I should be able to agree or disagree with you without either of us abusing one another verbally or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteChris, in my ongoing determination to create a Blog I am responding to yours. In a very recent issue of America magazine there is a wonderful response from Bishop Kicanas about the shootings. He was in Rome when he heard about it and took the next plane home. I wrote condolences to a friend in Tuscon and turns out that she was on chaplain duty when the victims were brought to the hospital, so she was with Gifford family during the crisis. Peace, Judy
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