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Do you know when the school shootings are going to stop? Only when there is no entertainment value in them. Currently, when word of a school shooting arises, the mass media mobilizes so that within minutes there are flurries of details about the shooter. Oh, excuse me, the “Alleged But Obviously Guilty” (ABOG) shooter. In a matter of hours, there is a Movie-Of-The-Month in production detailing the life and times of this ABOG shooter. Within a week, a “Tell All” biography is on sale. The ABOG shooter’s name is on everyone’s lips. Everyone who knows or might have talked to the ABOG shooter at one time or another has a network interview. “Yes, he was just a normal kid. I remember well the day he ate pizza right over here in booth 24 by the window. He had iced tea to drink and a brownie for dessert.” The media does intensive 24-hour coverage. “Yes, we have a major change in this story. The sun has just risen over the school where the ABOG shooter went on his alleged but obviously guilty shooting spree yesterday. More details at the top of the hour.” Psychologists are interviewed. “Yes, children with freckles are more at risk of just losing it because of the effect of their freckle disability.” Support groups and counselors are provided to help all of the children who didn’t see anything. “I can’t stand it,” one sobs. “This is the biggest thing to ever happen and I was home with the darn Chicken Pox. I’m so depressed.” Then the authorities get into the act. “The alleged perpetrator is being charged with 127 crimes including unbecoming misdemeanors and violations of the sensibilities. These crimes carry a penalty of 500 years to life in prison. But with plea bargains, the alleged but obviously guilty shooter will serve 14 months in a juvenile facility on the grounds of Disney World.” The tent over this circus is the entertainment value. We know what the dynamic is. These kids don’t go to the local burger shop and pot away at the patrons. The alleged but obviously guilty shooters wait until the schools are open and then do what it takes to get their media attention. Any institutional solution imposed on this scene would most certainly violate the Constitution. Still, we can act. It is time to take the pledge: individually, we will place no more entertainment value in school shootings. We can acknowledge that there was a school shooting but not participate in the details. Having been around enough shootings to personally satisfy my interest, I am happy to ignore the media circus. Some people may have only seen shootings on television drama programs and so think of them as entertaining. “Oh, look, blood came out his nose when he was shot.” I know it is not easy to shun news stories about school shootings. We have had years of indulgence in live news. Fires, car crashes and scenes of uncontrolled waters have flooded our living rooms. We, as a nation, are breaking-news junkies. But do you know what real junkies have to do to get off the hard stuff? They have to quit cold turkey and never go back. That is the only thing that will take the entertainment value out of school shootings. |
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