Day 336 Question 336:
What is a message you would like to pass on to society?
You must go on with your life even through the most tragic and hard-wrenching events. You may want to just crawl onto the floor and never get up again but unfortunately you can’t because there are too many people out in the world that need you (whether you realize it or not). These last few days have been kind of cloudy because I can’t get Friday’s events out of my head. The taking of innocent children’s lives should never be a headline that we have to read but unfortunately it happens every day all over the world. In other parts of the world children are trained to be soldiers and they are never taught the value of their own lives….they are unaware that childhood should be made up of innocence and wonder. Today is the day we need to stop sensationalizing murder and violence and senseless acts of terror. We are growing into a society where almost everyone is experiencing some sort of mental health issue. We need to turn off our televisions and turn off the computers and turn off the video games and every other piece of technology we can and we need to rebuild relationships….we need to start the learning process all over again. We need to open our ears to the people that need to be heard….to the people that are suffering on the inside. We need to not only teach what compassion is but be examples of it.
TURN OFF THE NEWS…….
Morgan Freeman’s brilliant take on what happened yesterday :
“You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here’s why.
It’s because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed
people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he’ll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.
CNN’s article says that if the body count “holds up”, this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer’s face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer’s identity? None that I’ve seen yet. Because they don’t sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you’ve just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.
You can help by forgetting you ever read this man’s name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news.”
It's a New Day... 
http://www.inquisitr.com/440462/morgan-freemans-newtown-statement-almost-definitely-a-hoax/
I still agree with the message though.
Excellent post. In addition the media needs to back off the victims’ families and the rest of the town – give them some space and leave them alone. No one needs to see any more of the weeping parents or stunned children…(oh, it does sell, but is it right?). Give them some peace and pull the camera trucks out.
Love the last paragraph.
Diane, For the most part I agree with your sentiments, but let me say this. I was part of that media. I spent 15 years working for newspapers and wire services at the beginning of my career. I covered The White House, two Olympics and on and on. Eventually, I worked my way up into management where I learned what a strain it was to fill news pages with news people wanted to read. That was years ago. It’s only gotten worse today with such a fracturing of delivery methods. Everybody wants the latest news. Now. But, remember what I said, “news people wanted to read.” CNN, NBC and all the rest give US what we want. As the late great Walt Kelly once said in his cartoon, “Pogo,” “we met the enemy and he is us.” Change us and you’ll change the body count mentality. I’ll close as I have been since Friday. Peace. Ray
Oh yeah. I don’t make new pictures anymore. I haven’t for years. Although a lot of work on my blog is experimental, it’s more or less what I do today to earn a living.
the message would be too simple. “do unto others…”
This is very good Diane. I reblogged it on facebook. I’m grateful you wrote this.
hahahaha… Awesome pictures….. Memories me some one…. Nice……thanks for sharing…
Pictures are always play the role of silent … So many pictures are speak in silent mode. Very few people can understand….. Nice pictures i must say…. Keep going Thanks for sharing…….
nice explanation… true things…. thanks for sharing……
Well said…….
I have not watched the news in a while- well, not deliberately. Even when this tragedy happened- I happened to be in a hotel visiting Lusaka. I was disgusted by CNN interviewing this child, so I switched off the Television. In my house the television no longer works. so I have not called anyone to come and fix it- and I have now remembered my music, I write more, when there’s work to do, I have more time to do it.
….And I wake up in the morning feeling much better, focused on making the world better, as opposed to complaining or trying to solve problems…what I hear you suggesting is a slight but important shift in mindset: Stop solving a problem, and just do your bit to make the world better!
Thanks for sharing…
Happy new Year…. TC…
Hi,
Thank you for the past year with your wonderful blog. I may not have always left a comment, but I enjoyed reading every article. I wish you all the best for 2013. I wish you success in all that you undertake in this year.
Ciao,
Patricia