VT lessons learned

Rated R: for Reporter
In light of the horrific events at the University of Virginia Tech, you are probably expecting me to write you an essay expressing some sort of passionate feeling towards the matter. I'm quite sure that there have been a tremendous amount of poems, short stories, letters, and internet blogs composed in the last week expressing condolence and sorrow for the victims and their families. However heartfelt these works of literature may be, I have confidence that they will soon be utilized for another, less heartfelt motive. I know this for a fact, because, as I sit here composing my own essay about the matter, I cannot help but speculate as to why my mind has already considered the idea of gun control in college areas. Have we all not had the idea cross our mind? Whether we agree with it or not, something in our world has already taken a step to connect the mass homicide to the political issue of gun control. A line has been drawn between tragedy and politics, but such a line did not draw itself. As such thoughts begin to bubble in my mind, it seems necessary to investigate the origin of such a connection.
I first learned of the tragedy at Virginia tech from a classmate as we were proceeding to our next class. I recall the emotions of disbelief, worry, and sympathy, but no political ideology had yet come to cross my mind. Upon returning home I turned on the television set to receive further information on the incident and was once again stuck by shock. The news channel had already lined up interviews of students, faculty, and other various references. I listened as a parent of a former columbine student ranted endlessly about some sort of government conspiracy. Press conferences, one after another, most simply to repeat what had already been stated. Reporters were scrambling to interrogate every authority at the school in order to squeeze every possible piece of information out of them. What chaos!
For the rest of that day the nation was allowed to mourn. We were free from ideologies, together, united as one body of people in sympathy for these victims. It took only to the next day, however, for the ever so evident political line to re-emerge once again. The first, to my own knowledge, instance, occurred at about during midday during a white house press conference. A reporter, of what network I don't know, questioned a White House spokesperson on what more the president thinks should be done about gun issues with regards to the Virginia tech incident. The spokesperson calmly responded to the question by restating that the president's policy has not changed due to the tragedy.
At this point I have come to the realization that the answer has been right in front of us this entire time. Everyday we live out our lives and return home to view the daily report on a wide variety of news channels based on our own political views. Such networks then inform us of whatever violent and obscene instances have occurred, and what political issues are related. What we do not take into account, however, is that we are getting our information from a private corporation which relies on such issues to promote itself. Without school shootings, wars, murders, rapes, drugs, blood and gore, there would not be a CNN, a FOX, NBC, CBS, or MSNBC. Network news feeds upon tragedies in order to spark the political firestorm that keeps them in business.
The result is our society slowly becoming desensitized through a daily dose of violent and obscene news reports. The worst part is that we have had the "Free speech" commandment pounded into out minds for so long, that we never question the so-called unbiased and fair reporting we force feed ourselves every day. Although many would support a ban on violent video games, few would ask Matt Lauer to re-consider how his reports might affect the American people. But do they not have equal audiences? Network news reports everyday tell us how people across the U.S. are shooting, stabbing, raping, lying, cheating, and lighting things on fire. Why then are we surprised when an American raised Korean student shoots 32 people dead along with himself? After all, wasn't he acting according to his political beliefs? Was he not perpetuating a political debate that the media so lovingly covets?
In return for the PR, the Virginia Tech Shooter repaid NBC (who were kind enough to share it with every other news network) with a videotape explanation for what he had done. NBC ignorantly pushed the tape right onto national television for every other maniac to record. I don't know if anyone else felt as I did, but when I saw portions of that tape, I could not help but to allude to the classic comic book scene when the "Bad guy" gets control of the TV station and threatens to blow up the town. The only difference is that our friends at NBC have been gracious enough to do the dirty work for him. Dozens of copy-cat shooters have, and will continue to emerge across America, claiming the same confused and morbid philosophy that the first videotaped, thanks to our faithful curiosity in violence. What were they thinking? –It doesn't matter. No matter how curious we may be about why this man decided to shoot 32 people to death, whatever political ideology he associated to is already proven to be a failure because it killed 32 people! However difficult it may be, we must decide that there are some things that we do not need to know.
In order to view the world as it really is, we must look at our news companies as we would every other corporation. Imagine CNN as coca-cola and FOX as Pepsi. They each sell you the same thing, but in their own particular flavor and appeal. Most importantly, we must remember that if CBS decides that the sky is going to fall tomorrow, we will all bring out our umbrellas.
As for me, I have decided that I do not need to know how many stabbings there were in DC today, or who burned down three buildings before overdosing of illegal drugs. Yes, until the news can take a form which does not enforce itself upon the political world, I will just have to find out when the sky falls for myself.