[billethkid]

I found the media coverage yesterday by CNN and Fox to be very different from other incidents where a gun was involved. During the gun incidents they would stay on the story all day long mindlessly repeating the little they knew until there was a new hint of something different to report.

Yesterday it was more a breaking news report then back to regular programming until there was more to report.

I was just wondering why.....just an academic question and do not expect an answer. Opinions welcome.

Secondly I do firmly believe (always have) that television, movies and video games are the instructors for methods.

Maybe it is just a coincidence but there is a television series called "The Following" where the weapon and method of choice for individual and mass attacks is the knife. We have stopped watching as the incidences of purposeful random killing on this program is just too much to be remotely considered entertainment.

Our youth has been exposed to methods and levels of violence on a regular and ongoing basis for at least two generations now. The acceptance of violence labeled as entertainment is very much a contributor to how people think about and accept violence. The education of methods is and should be of concern.

However it has gone on for so long now and accepted by the public that I know I am part of the minority that would happily contribute to what ever it takes to "go back" to the more implied violence than the technology, special effects sensationalizing of violence used today.

[Golfingnut]

Simple, gun control is enflaming, other weapons like knives is not. Maybe guns don't kill people, rather people with weapons kill people.

[Jaggy]

Se
Yes, Yes, Yes.
First thing I thought of when I heard of this stabbing.. The Following.. I quit watching it , disturbing theme of knife attacks on that show.

[Bay Kid]

So true. Life used to be so simple when the evening news was on only once a day and Petticoat Junction and Gunsmoke were the hard core tv shows.

[Taltarzac725]

Doubt if watching The Following prompted this boy to go on a stabbing spree. We really all have to do more about stopping bullying and the like. Not sure what we could do from here in the Villages. http://www.stopbullying.gov/ http://stopbullyingnow.com/

My mother was sick when I was in her womb and I had a lot of developmental problems like speech and coordination problems. So, I was quite bullied all through elementary and some of junior high school. I have always been good at finding someone to counter the bully in my life. Mrs. Barbara Mitchell at Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada and her infusion of a love of books was probably my best resource for that. Another period of my life with various bullies involved was while I was in Law School. I had had a good friend-- but did not really acknowledge her enough in law school in Julie Rose- the Student Body President at the University of Minnesota Law School. Maybe, if more people reach out to others to see what they could do to help others out?

If that boy had someone like Mrs. Mitchell or Julie Rose in his life, maybe he never would have picked up those knives?

I am sure the books some of us read in Mrs. Mitchell's English class were very violent. I believe I read Crime and Punishment, The Lord of the Flies and Anna Karenina around then. Not to mention how very violent much of the Bible is.

[Golfingnut]

We can help by forwarded the link you provided to our children and grandchildren. Thanks for that.

[billethkid]

the books of old no matter how violent they may be will never equate to the mass media of today and the detailed methods and glorification of killing individuals or mass murder.

These very graphic teachings are allowed and are a part of our lives. A continuous exposure to varying graphic methods and means and ease of availability in far too many aspects of what is loosely called entertainment.

Brain washing is a method based on continual repeating and exposure.....which is what our loosely termed entertainment does.

Violence in the books of old and entertainment of days gone by was implied and much was left to one's imagination. This has been replaced with very detailed, graphic, technically enhanced animation, up close and personal. Nothing is left to the imagination.

The age that this new accepted level of violence is allowed to view has deteriorated

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by billethkid

the books of old no matter how violent they may be will never equate to the mass media of today and the detailed methods and glorification of killing individuals or mass murder.

These very graphic teachings are allowed and are a part of our lives. A continuous exposure to varying graphic methods and means and ease of availability in far too many aspects of what is loosely called entertainment.

Brain washing is a method based on continual repeating and exposure.....which is what our loosely termed entertainment does.

Violence in the books of old and entertainment of days gone by was implied and much was left to one's imagination. This has been replaced with very detailed, graphic, technically enhanced animation, up close and personal. Nothing is left to the imagination.

The age that this new accepted level of violence is allowed to view has deteriorated

Maybe, we will learn about the viewing habits of this kid? It would be interesting and possibly instructive?

I know a lot of domestic violence and bullying occurred while we had shows like Gunsmoke and I Love Lucy and other quite mild in terms of sex and violent shows.

[PennBF]

Does anyone really wonder "why" our youth are violent today? All we have to do is look at the murders that are shown on TV, the violent games that are produced, the media highlighting violence, etc.etc. We have made them insensitive to killing, to death, to pain of others, etc. We are now suprised that they are not sensitive to killing and the pain of others. The real concern is can we turn this around? There are no more restrictions on the terrible killings that are produced in the movies, TV, newspapers, injured in wars, etc.etc. There is no more fear of the police and authority of teachers have been restricted. We cannot act surprised as our silence has produced these results.

[ilovetv]

The smaller amount of media coverage on the school stabbing spree was probably due to the events covered in TX yesterday that included a speech for Ft. Hood....

Bush greets Obama at Houston airport - Houston Chronicle

[billethkid]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

The smaller amount of media coverage on the school stabbing spree was probably due to the events covered in TX yesterday that included a speech for Ft. Hood....

Bush greets Obama at Houston airport - Houston Chronicle

That could be it....that would just mean they have their priorities wrong....we see Obama 20 times a day.

[Carl in Tampa]

The original post opens two avenues of discussion regarding the knife attack:
1. Why wasn't there more extensive news coverage of the event, and
2. What was the possible reason that the boy struck out in this manner.

I think Golfingnut is correct on the first question. If the boy had used a gun it would have been an opportunity for the anti-gun lobby to flood the airways with anti-gun rhetoric, which would have been answered by pro-gun advocates, using up a lot of air time. No one can reasonably propose the banning of kitchen knives, the reported weapons in this case, so there was no resulting debate.

We don't really have much to go on regarding the second question except for one brief statement the boy is reported to have uttered, "I want to die."

In my training to be a Hostage Negotiator I was taught that most suicidal people arrive at the point of acting out their wish when they reach the point of feeling hopeless and helpless. This feeling can come to a person from a variety of circumstances, and the initial report in this case is that the boy was bullied. We must wait for more information before assigning a motive for this attack.

.

[Cathy H]

Guns kill people, knives kill people, clubs kill people, car wrecks kill people, overdosing drugs kills people. its people vs. people, nothing new since Bible times.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Cathy H

Guns kill people, knives kill people, clubs kill people, car wrecks kill people, overdosing drugs kills people. its people vs. people, nothing new since Bible times.

Unless you see movies like Noah and Dogma. These certainly put a whole new spin on the Bible and how people were killed during that time period.

David and Goliath--- A slingshot is very dangerous weapon but it would seem to take great skill in working with one.

This Pittsburgh kid seemed to go for the easiest to use weapons. It will be interesting to see why he did this if there even is a real reason other than rage directed at his high school.

[Steve9930]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

The original post opens two avenues of discussion regarding the knife attack:
1. Why wasn't there more extensive news coverage of the event, and
2. What was the possible reason that the boy struck out in this manner.

I think Golfingnut is correct on the first question. If the boy had used a gun it would have been an opportunity for the anti-gun lobby to flood the airways with anti-gun rhetoric, which would have been answered by pro-gun advocates, using up a lot of air time. No one can reasonably propose the banning of kitchen knives, the reported weapons in this case, so there was no resulting debate.

We don't really have much to go on regarding the second question except for one brief statement the boy is reported to have uttered, "I want to die."

In my training to be a Hostage Negotiator I was taught that most suicidal people arrive at the point of acting out their wish when they reach the point of feeling hopeless and helpless. This feeling can come to a person from a variety of circumstances, and the initial report in this case is that the boy was bullied. We must wait for more information before assigning a motive for this attack.

.

Carl I see your right on target with this post. I felt that if they gave the same coverage as a shooting might actually start to point to the real problem. Mental instability versus blaming the evil gun. Also not enough controversy so less profit.