Dawn Hochsprung
I could actually go on and on about this horrific event in Newtown. I write horror, but nothing is as truly horrific as the human heart. But after seeing post after post about how to do what and sympathy and prayer, it's abundantly clear that going on and on is the only thing any of us seem to be able to do.
Violence is a part of nature, our particular brand of violence has been with us a long time, we will always find brutal or humane and efficient or complicated ways of taking life, and this killer, regardless of disorder, doesn't sound like any measure of gun control or security protocol in the school would have stopped him. But instead of trying to determine who he was or what his motive was if there was one, what made him snap, all things I'm guilty of with my own curiosity, we should ignore the criminal
Now, I know as part of the right to information, his information SHOULD be indeed available on local police databases. I think people have a right to know the details of the crime, but I think the media, all outlets of it, especially American, need to downplay the individual. We don't need to see his face, we need to see every last victim's face. We don't need his name every other sentence on the nightly news, we need to hear the obits of every last person they killed. I wouldn't even have a problem with the news outlets inviting viewers to find their website for pictures and detail, but keep it off the airwaves. Is that even possible?
Tool's "Vicarious" from 10,000 Days is exactly about this:
"Eye on the TV
'cause tragedy thrills me
Whatever flavour
It happens to be like;
Killed by the husband
Drowned by the ocean
Shot by his own son
She used the poison in his tea
And kissed him goodbye
That's my kind of story
It's no fun 'til someone dies
Don't look at me like
I am a monster
Frown out your one face
But with the other
Stare like a junkie
Into the TV
Stare like a zombie
While the mother
Holds her child
Watches him die
Hands to the sky crying
Why, oh why?
'cause I need to watch things die
From a distance
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
You all need it too, don't lie
Why can't we just admit it?
Why can't we just admit it?
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing
Neither the brave nor bold
The writers of stories sold
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing
I need to watch things die
From a good safe distance
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
You all feel the same so
Why can't we just admit it?
Blood like rain come down
Drawn on grave and ground
Part vampire
Part warrior
Carnivore and voyeur
Stare at the transmittal
Sing to the death rattle
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-lie
Credulous at best, your desire to believe in angels in the hearts of men.
Pull your head on out your hippy haze and give a listen.
Shouldn't have to say it all again.
The universe is hostile. so Impersonal. devour to survive.
So it is. So it's always been.
We all feed on tragedy
It's like blood to a vampire
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
Much better you than I"
Gun control wouldn't have saved this situation, because he stole the guns. Medicine is questionable because one, you have to seek help first, and two, you have to stay on treatment. Counseling maybe, but the responsibility is the same as the medicine. We're too diverse of a religious society (a GOOD thing!) to say we need prayer in school, but no law is going to stop anyone from talking to God if they want to, so if you want to pray, pray. But God gave us free will, which means we're responsible for ourselves and each other. We must intervene on ourselves.
I don't think any amount of signatures on a petition would stop any news organization from sensationalizing tragedy with splashy graphics and psychoanalysts telling us what was wrong with the killer. But a lack of viewers might. It'll be a hard habit to break, serial killers and mass murderers are interesting, fascinating even, because we don't think like that, how can someone fathom such depravity? But I don't think that 15 minutes of fame should come for free. We should have to wade through the lives of the innocent before we get to the culprit, understand the devastation first, before you address the cause. Once we take away the killer's fame, and recognize the pain they've caused instead, maybe some of this grotesque behavior can dial itself back.
Please remember at least one victim's name. Dawn Hochsprung.
Violence is a part of nature, our particular brand of violence has been with us a long time, we will always find brutal or humane and efficient or complicated ways of taking life, and this killer, regardless of disorder, doesn't sound like any measure of gun control or security protocol in the school would have stopped him. But instead of trying to determine who he was or what his motive was if there was one, what made him snap, all things I'm guilty of with my own curiosity, we should ignore the criminal
Now, I know as part of the right to information, his information SHOULD be indeed available on local police databases. I think people have a right to know the details of the crime, but I think the media, all outlets of it, especially American, need to downplay the individual. We don't need to see his face, we need to see every last victim's face. We don't need his name every other sentence on the nightly news, we need to hear the obits of every last person they killed. I wouldn't even have a problem with the news outlets inviting viewers to find their website for pictures and detail, but keep it off the airwaves. Is that even possible?
Tool's "Vicarious" from 10,000 Days is exactly about this:
"Eye on the TV
'cause tragedy thrills me
Whatever flavour
It happens to be like;
Killed by the husband
Drowned by the ocean
Shot by his own son
She used the poison in his tea
And kissed him goodbye
That's my kind of story
It's no fun 'til someone dies
Don't look at me like
I am a monster
Frown out your one face
But with the other
Stare like a junkie
Into the TV
Stare like a zombie
While the mother
Holds her child
Watches him die
Hands to the sky crying
Why, oh why?
'cause I need to watch things die
From a distance
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
You all need it too, don't lie
Why can't we just admit it?
Why can't we just admit it?
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing
Neither the brave nor bold
The writers of stories sold
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing
I need to watch things die
From a good safe distance
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
You all feel the same so
Why can't we just admit it?
Blood like rain come down
Drawn on grave and ground
Part vampire
Part warrior
Carnivore and voyeur
Stare at the transmittal
Sing to the death rattle
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-lie
Credulous at best, your desire to believe in angels in the hearts of men.
Pull your head on out your hippy haze and give a listen.
Shouldn't have to say it all again.
The universe is hostile. so Impersonal. devour to survive.
So it is. So it's always been.
We all feed on tragedy
It's like blood to a vampire
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
Much better you than I"
Gun control wouldn't have saved this situation, because he stole the guns. Medicine is questionable because one, you have to seek help first, and two, you have to stay on treatment. Counseling maybe, but the responsibility is the same as the medicine. We're too diverse of a religious society (a GOOD thing!) to say we need prayer in school, but no law is going to stop anyone from talking to God if they want to, so if you want to pray, pray. But God gave us free will, which means we're responsible for ourselves and each other. We must intervene on ourselves.
I don't think any amount of signatures on a petition would stop any news organization from sensationalizing tragedy with splashy graphics and psychoanalysts telling us what was wrong with the killer. But a lack of viewers might. It'll be a hard habit to break, serial killers and mass murderers are interesting, fascinating even, because we don't think like that, how can someone fathom such depravity? But I don't think that 15 minutes of fame should come for free. We should have to wade through the lives of the innocent before we get to the culprit, understand the devastation first, before you address the cause. Once we take away the killer's fame, and recognize the pain they've caused instead, maybe some of this grotesque behavior can dial itself back.
Please remember at least one victim's name. Dawn Hochsprung.
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