- Feb 4, 2013
- 28,175
The actual number of people slain by the violent insane is a miniscule percentage of deaths, even preventable accidental deaths, in this country. It attracts attention because of the nature of our mass media. It is generally considered likely that minimising media coverage would reduce the number of attacks even further.
Beyond that, the trend toward this sort of homicide is no greater, and perhaps less, than in previous generations. We have much more media coverage, in real time, than was previously the case, which gives these incidents considerably more impact on the public consciousness.
If it bleeds, it leads. People seem to like that sort of news. It takes a lot to make an impression on today's jaded audiences. Just think of these as opportunities for politicians to get face time, as they propose "solutions."
Meanwhile, the villagers arm themselves with torches and pitchforks, and go after the monsters, or whoever they're told are the monsters. Nothing like fear-mongering to bring out the best in the mob.
EXACTLY.
10 people killed in a shooting incident is front page for DAYS. 100 people killed in motor vehicle accidents is just another day in the US. 100 EVERY DAY, and many of those are preventable, if we actually taught people how to drive.