PREFACE:
Due to the tragic nature of recent events, I felt compelled to share my thoughts on how we can prevent events similar to that which we have witnessed over the past few months from occurring in the future. I will return next week with my usual tips for life and motivation, but desired to get this thought out there as a way to, hopefully, spark a change that will save lives in the future.
BLOG:
I don't often like to get involved in political debates, and the one that is coming in relation to gun laws is as clear as the sky is blue. With so many dying yesterday in Connecticut, inevitably, there will be the typical outcry from anti-gun groups for tougher gun laws and the just-as-typical response from gun owners to protect their 2nd amendment rights. Some will argue that if Adam Lanza never had access to a gun those who died yesterday would have possibly been spared. Others will argue that if not for the allowance of guns, more tragedies similar to this could have ended worse. While I still will not get into this debate, as I think (as with most things) the true answer lies somewhere in the middle of the two arguments, I do think that as a society we are unknowingly encouraging these heinous acts of violence by doing something that is as natural to our human instincts as a baby's response to cry when they are born: WE WATCH. The problem with the great news coverage that is given to these incidents, and our subsequent engrossment with them, is two fold: 1. It is exactly what the killer often desires and 2. It actually incites similar acts by others in the future rather than prevent it.
JUST WHAT THE KILLER DESIRES
The desire to watch tragic stories is something that we naturally desire to do because we feel the need to understand why these things happen. What we (and the dozens of news shows and newspapers that stop everything to report these incidences) don't understand is that we are doing exactly what the killer of these innocent victims desires us to do. I cannot begin to understand the psychology of what goes into a plan such a this, but often with serial killers, one of the great desires of the killer is the sensationalism that their acts create. They often love to watch the news clips of their deeds as authorities are baffled at how to catch them. While this is clearly not the case in relation to many of the recent events, as many of the killers did not survive their attacks, there is a clear indication that this person desired to make some type of statement. And what more sure fire way to make a statement for all to hear then to commit an act so violent, grotesque and unbelievable that you will get air time on every major cable channel that exist? It is known that James Holmes (Colorado Batman Movie killer, a.k.a. The Joker) and Anders Behring Breivrik (2011 Norwegian Massacre killer) both had written manifestos on their thoughts and beliefs. Their hope was that someone would finally listen to them due to new found "fame" from their actions and their message would be heard. In fact, Breivrik is currently serving a 21 year prison sentence in Norway and working on several books in which he plans to publish. How many people do you think would purchase these? Way more than I bet we would care to admit.
COPYCAT KILLERS
Outside of feeding the desires of the killers with our following of such acts, the second effect is even more dangerous and terrifying. Police are often on high alert for copy cat killers when something like this happens, but the problem with the incessant news coverage of such a horrible event is that it only serves to inspire others who may have similar psychological issues. They often adopt such ideas from such an event and create their own plan of mass murder and destruction. For others, it serves as the catalyst or trigger that sets off their own predetermined thoughts. Copycat killers have been around since Jack the Ripper, and there is a clear connection between highly publicized acts of violence and similar incidents occurring later as a result of direct inspiration from these incidences. In Malcom Gladwell's "Tipping Point," he refers to the great increase in suicides in various communities based on the suicide of a public and somewhat sensational character. There is a chance that we are, in a sense, creating this very possibility when we give such high volume news coverage to murder/suicides, as their numbers have risen dramatically over the past three years.
The deaths of those in Connecticut were as tragic as any in the history of the United States. The desire to watch the different layers as they unfold is understandable and a natural part of our desire to see sensational things. However, as sporting events learned to not show the acts of streakers on television to not encourage this act from others to gain their "fifteen minutes of fame," we must also refuse to cover and watch all tragic events of a killer desiring to be heard. I'm not claiming to have the answer to prevent another tragic event from happening, but if we refuse to consistently watch the results of such actions and new channels refuse to reward the killer with continuous coverage, we will defuse the results of the effort and decrease the chances of such a tragedy happening again.
If not, we are only asking others to do the same, so we will watch and listen to what they have to say too.
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