Do you thinik that we could have prevented Virginia Tech by not giving Columbine the media coverage it got?

and do you think that the coverage being given to Virginia Tech right now could inspire another shooting?


Do you think it is just a coinicidence that Columbine resulted in 16 deaths and Virginia tech included 32? What is the next guy going to do? 64? Can we prevent this? How?

Do you thinik that we could have prevented Virginia Tech by not giving Columbine the media coverage it got?
I think that we could reduce this kind of incident by giving it less media attention, and spending more time condemning the actions of the killer, rather than glorifying the blood.





It is clear that this guy had a media package prepared, and sent it to NBC expressly for the purpose of creating something of a legacy for himself of infamy.





If all it takes in this world to be remembered is to kill innocent people than the war of death against the innocent will never stop. Society must not only not condone this man's actions, but must give him the lack of attention that he deserves, for that is the only thing he would really care about, or motivate him to do something else since he took his own life before we could take it for him.
Reply:great question, as much as a person wants to think "no", you have to think its a valid possibility
Reply:The media should not publicize the portraits or the profiles of the killers, because then they become heroes and role models for copycats and other psychos out there.
Reply:You sort of answered your own question. No I don't. Because if what you say was true,then why did Columbine happen?
Reply:No, the two are not related.





No, a psycho nut job does not need any more inspiration to kill than that which is already eating a hole in his brain.





Yes, the 16/32 is a coincidence. That's why we have such a word in the English language.





If the next guy does 64, then we never had this discussion, okay?





How can we prevent this? We can't. No so long as guns are so readily available. I don't know if you remember the 101 California Street, San Francisco shooting. This guy starts gunning people down in a high rise building with Tech-9 automatic weapons before finally blowing his own brains out. The gun manufacturer of the Tech-9 was sued for making such a weapon in the first place. The lawsuit failed. If we can't hold the gun manufacturers liable, if we permit the saturation of killing tools into American society, this is what we get. Nothing we can do can prevent this, ever. Watch your back and carry a concealed weapon is about the best strategy I can advise. The odds of it happening to you though are so small that it seems ridiculous to have such paranoia force you to go through life with a heavy piece of cold steel under your armpit.
Reply:no ; look at all the killings everywhere; a man doesn't want to live without his wife, boom he kills her and their children; a married man is having an affair and kills his pregnant wife; someone has a dispute with a coworker and boom another tragedy; this is not coverage based but sickness base; how people can become so detached from feeling that it is not okay to kill someone; before there was coverage there were these killings, you just heard about them locally not as much nationally; look at Jim Jones (think that was his name) who had his whole following killed themselves, including children; since the beginning of time this has occurred and not showing footage isn't going to stop the craziness in someones head.
Reply:No. And in a case like this, the media is simply the messenger. Who is getting the message? Maybe some more sick people. But also a lot of responsible people in police departments, colleges and universities, etc., who are reassessing whether their methods of dealing with these issues are adequate and up-to-date. This sort of thing doesn't make the news, but I can tell you that on my small college campus thousands of miles away we are doing a serious security re-evaluation. And everyone on campus received a detailed set of instructions of what to do in such a situation. The media coverage brings home horrible truths that we would rather ignore.
Reply:How about END THE MK ULTRA PROGRAM? ALOT OF DOSES OF DRUGS AND TOTURE WILL MAKE YOU ANGRY, PARANOID AND SUIDCIDAL.
Reply:Yes the coverage just puts ideas into the minds of these sickos.
Reply:No - the guy who did it was seriously mentally ill. I don't think the two events are related at all.
Reply:I think excess coverage of some items like the VT shooters video was HUGE mistake. That was what he wanted and will cause some other sick person to think " That could be me, I could be famous" It's just plain sick.





Sadly, its a given. There will be more shooters and more victims.





My prayers are with them all.
Reply:No. Have laws that prevent people with psychiatric issues from buying guns would.
Reply:I think the death toll is a coincidence. After all, the dufus didn't mention Columbine in his videos.





I do think the coverage made the possibility of a shooting rampage seem more doable to many, and probably to this guy as well.





But I think the best way to prevent this kind of thing is to invest more in mental healthcare. Restricting media won't help - Charles Witman managed to kill people at the University of Texas without citing any sources. As for other violent media like movies, TV or videogames, that would still make me wonder what game system Hitler played as a kid.





Even if we managed to get rid of all the guns in this country, we'd still have wack-a-loons like this wanting to kill people. Without treatment, they'd just do it with anything from sharp sticks to homemade explosives.
Reply:I did notice that after the tragety at V.T. there were several schools that received bomb threats, and one where a note was found stating 'You think V.T. was bad, you haven't seen anything yet', alluding to plans to do the same thing at that school. There were other shootings as well, one at some business. Makes me feel that whoever that was had seen the coverage on V.T. and figured 'that guy got his revenge, I can do the same.'





I don't know.





Sometimes the media coverage gives too much info on how things were done and you get copy cat psychotics who go out there and try to get a little of the 'fame' as well.





There are too many ill people out there who need help.
Reply:I don't think that they were at all related. These kind of things, as tragic as they are, are near impossible to prevent. People are just sometimes depressed, and in their suicide, feel they want to go out in a way that they are really noticed. Its a horrible thing, but I just don't think these things are preventable.
Reply:I think the media is what's destoying us but anyways.... yes, I think it's just a coincidence he killed twice as many people as Columbine. If it were up to him he probably would have killed as many as possible. He was a nut.
Reply:I sure do, in this country we glorify killing. I would keep all killing off TV news, out of the newspapers. I think we all saw the results around the country. I feel sorry for his parents.


They have been shamed and lost a son, and yet no mention was made of them. It wasn't their fault, I just hope they can make a living now. Those that knew should have saw to it that he had help immediately for him. All turned their backs. Educators knew, but it cost the state a lot of money for these facilities.


I lived with a sick cousin, and for years the family tried to help him he knew that he was sick. He tried suicide 5 times before they sent him to a locked down hospital to care for him, he tried to attack his nurses. I would not want him out to harm others. He knew was sick and tried to get help by lashing out. No ones wanted to talk about it and admit something is wrong. This brain disease starts in the early college years. Norma