Can we make shopping for Christmas presents any more of a chore? Now it's actually become the latest fad for suicidal maniacs to prey on bystanders at the Mall. My condolences to the families of the innocent shoppers in Omaha, Nebraska.
First, it's winter. That means it's freakin cold out and who wants to go schlepping in and out of stores and the car and icy or slushy parking lots, blah, blah, blah. That's why Malls were invented in the first place. It's no coincidence that the biggest one of 'em all, Mall of America, is right smack dab in the middle of Land of the Very Long Winter, up there in Minnesota.
So, if you can deal with the crowds (which I just can't anymore, not as long as I have other options), the mall is the place to be in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, I guess it goes without saying that if you want to go down in a blaze of glory, the mall is the most natural choice. But in Omaha, Nebraska? It's such a NICE place.
I've said it before, but I think now would be a very good time for mainstream (read corporate) media to STOP making killers famous. Just don't name the names. Maybe say something like "the local idiot, who shall remain nameless, just shot off a shotgun and killed some innocents at the mall." Emphasis on the NAMELESS part. Kinda takes the wind out of their sails, if you take away their final chance to make a name for themselves.
If nobody pays attention, then maybe we can all go back to saving the economy, one Christmas present at a time.
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2 comments:
We just had a debate about this on a journalist list.
I think the problem is not naming names. It's the endless, repetitive discussion. It puts the killer on the same page as Paris Hilton (immediate celebrity) and avoids heading toward a solution to the problem. It's easier to talk about than to solve, and it garners ratings too.
I don't think ignoring such people will make them stop, and in the meantime, will make them - and their problems - seem a little less human to viewers/readers. At that point, who needs to solve their problems? Isn't that the reason why Leeland Eisenberg took hostages in NH - he felt marginalized to such an extent?
Happy New Years!
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