Overkill in America

Almost three full days have passed since I learned of the horrific news from Newtown, Connecticut. Five days have passed since the Oregon mall shooting. The clock keeps on ticking, but will action be taken?

Media coverage #

Since the news broke, the media coverage has become almost unavoidable. Turning the radio off was the only solution for me. Now I ask: Why must the media cover the story so intently? What is the purpose of interviewing heartbroken families and shocked children? Horror has become an obsession.

Roger Ebert of the Sun-Times calls the killings “just a repeat.” While this is extremely cynical, it is also depressingly accurate. News stations have promised “complete coverage” of the events unfolding. But I do not want 24/7 coverage of murder (I’m sure others can agree).

One story I found particularly horrifying was that of Ryan Lanza, brother of alleged gunman Adam Lanza. After finding out that his mother and brother were dead through news reports, he was identified as a mass murderer for a few hours by the media and FBI. While most outlets had already retracted their statements regarding the identity of the killer, it was already too late. Social media had already exploded with rumors, meanwhile Ryan took to Facebook to try and clear his name.

Social media makes everyone a detective. Before the full story is even out, people are whispering/emailing/tweeting to each other, “I heard this, I heard that”. Just shut up already and wait for the full story to unfold. Mass media should not be making millions off of the deaths of 20 children.

Mental illness #

Today I had the chance to read a powerful blog post by Liza Long, also known as Anarchist Soccer Mom. You can read the full post here. This excerpt I found sums up the thesis of the post:

I am sharing this story because I am Adam Lanza’s mother. I am Dylan Klebold’s and Eric Harris’s mother. I am Jason Holmes’s mother. I am Jared Loughner’s mother. I am Seung-Hui Cho’s mother. And these boys-and their mothers-need help. In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it’s easy to talk about guns. But it’s time to talk about mental illness.

She is absolutely right. Gun control has been talked about time and time again. Yet, what action has been taken? The fiscal cliff has not yet been avoided, and Congress is still waist-deep in partisan politics. I think it is time to talk about the motives behind these massacres, not the tools used to carry them out.

Last year in my Psychology class, I learned about the frightening state of affairs regarding mental illness. While we are constantly learning more about mental health, there is still a lack of a viable solution for families like Long’s. Prisons are not the answer. Mental hospitals are not the answer either. But what is the answer? I do not know, but I want to take the first step.

It’s time for a meaningful, nation-wide conversation about mental health. That’s the only way our nation can ever truly heal.

The time is now. #

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