I am lost. I am heartbroken because almost every day I read the news emanating from the United States about senseless shootings, mass murder and rampant violence at what appears to be every turn in the road.
As a knee jerk reaction I think about access to guns of war and their proliferation within society that has a lot to do with it. However, as the supporters say, it is undeniable that guns do not fire themselves: People do it!
But then it becomes how is it possible a youngster of 16 years morphs into a knife wielding killer in a school? And on Sunday a Utah mother allegedly murdered her six children and stuffed them into cardboard boxes last weekend? Oh! And, apparently one of many white supremacists “had enough” and went on a rampage and killed Jews?
Apparently, for no other reason than their faith in God?
Last weekend started with the news from Miami of a man who mowed down a childcare center killing two, then we heard from California where a Fed Ex truck went on fire and killed 19 or so teenagers on a Humboldt College tour. Only because the viewers support it, CNN has made an entire garden industry out of the lost Malaysian airliner #370, broadcasting day and night with experts ranging from retired flight captains to pilots of single engine Cessnas what possibly happened to that flight and the location of the almost 300 dead. A profit motive, for sure.
I am at a loss to comprehend and less able to accept the violence that permeates the United States. Not Russia, not Germany, not even Venezuela but rather the United States of America who seemingly reports killings and attempted multiple killings on a weekly basis.
Is it something culturally that is semi-addicting to the disenchanted? Or is it socially alluring since the popularity of killing automatically grabs national and international headlines? But never the less, something is dreadfully wrong!
Sure, other countries have their issues and senseless killings, but the U.S. leads the pack by far. There must be reasons but my lot is management sciences and I am simply dumb founded, super sad when it comes to all these killings and wanna-be killings.
Costa Rica has yet to feel the wrath of senseless crime. However, we are a crime filled nation. Thank God, nobody has yet gone into a school nor a playground and literally slaughtered 20 or so children. Nobody has yet bombed a cross country bike race nor an innocent marathon run. Yet, Central America, including Costa Rica, is imaged as a violent region, a violent country while the State of Kansas is not.
Think of it, Newton Elementary School, not the Bronx, not South East L.A. but rather a typically white, upper middle class area lost 20 of its youngest in a senseless killing spree and we will never answer the question, “Why.”
Certainly in Central America we have the most murders per 100,000 population in the world. But, they are not random and not senseless. These horrible crimes are planned and the objective is always to rob, steal, eliminate political foes who are rioting and a good part of killing is to profit from the business of drugs by protecting “turf.”
Nobody has gone into a school and randomly killed kids, nobody has tried to wipe out the national assembly, nobody has stood in the center of San Jose with an AK-47 and blasted away on a self inflicted suicide mission….so I ask what and the hell is the underlying culture as well as the epidemic killing in the United States?
Media is the enemy – they perpetuate it by advertising the killers – they make them infamous by delving and reporting about their family’s and motives and where they live and how they were raised – they make them famous! And if you have not noticed many reality TV shows glamorize fame – even fame that has no talent like the Kardashians – other than the talent for being famous! The news glorifies killers so they get more of it, The media is the enemy Juanito – now you know – and guess what – by writing about it as you did you become part of it – so Juany – you are your own enemy… you have found the enemy and discovered it is you… You are now gringo because you do as the gringos do – report about murders and focus on them – look in the mirror – tell me who is not the enemy in your reflection.
I remember many years ago an esoteric question at the “U”, “Does art reflect society’s values or does it create it?” I agree with B.D. except my article is not like CNN which has made a garden industry about Flight 37) Do we just hide from reality, or should the media report it. The media has practiced plenty of self censorship to spare the public “truth”. But, I think the public can handle it. The Korean and Vietnam wars would be my classic examples.
Should the media publish, even today, that JFK had an affair
with Marilyn Monroe, or how much Kate looks like Diane? I’m not sure.
What I write are opinion pieces and they are intended to be on
the edge and not tout Costa Rica for the sake of touting the country. For once, I slipped into the U.S. as an editorial writer and I still remain at a loss why there seems to be so much sad, senseless violence in that country?
We are what we eat – physically and metaphorically. If we eat crap all the time we are crap. Now my question is who is dishing out the food and what food are they dishing out? A little bit of unhealthy food will not damage us but is we live on the crap the media dishes out we would continue with the indoctrination. What is the medias objectives – to report or to influence? The problem is when rather than reflecting what is happening the media opines and call it news. Don’t tell me its hot today, rather tell me its 8o degrees and I will make my own mind up about weather its hot or not. Get it? Words are powerful and too many take their use lightly. It called integrity commonly known as “personal honesty.” How many are careful enough to be honest with their words? Very few. Why – because sensationalism sells and its all about money right. Just as pura vida turned into what we have now – pura greeda. And Ticos of a certain generation and younger are now a hybrid of Costa Rican charm (the youngest generation seems to have lost its charm) and materialistic gringos… sad. This to me it is all a result of media. Media is the enemy – Juany you have seen the enemy and it is you! Tout everything and tout nothing – but offer some sense of solution rather than wallow in the hopelessness.. If not you are just writing to read your own words – that is what I call lazy writing, All quantity and no quality – little research and no redeeming value.