Myra_Sanchick's Blog

I had to kick my son out of the living room this morning because it came on. I don't think it is healthy for everyone to keep watching.

It's so difficult to say what's right or wrong - definitely inappropriate for children to watch, that's for sure. My husband and I watched NBC last night while it aired. It was really creepy and sad at the same time. This kid was so messed up and tortured within his own mind. And because of that, all of these lives are lost... it's so so so incredibly wrong. I agree, it's not good to keep watching it over and over again - it's really sick. Re your statement about it giving him the opportunity for the last word on the networks? Well, I think it gives a greater understanding of exactly how screwed up he really was. I think it's a tough decision to air or not to air...

If live in open society we have stong enough to look at every part information we can get.
However, if some on tv you do not want to see change the channel. The TV world driven by ratings. Do not watch it.

Don't you find it interesting how the media decides to show this terrorist's video but never showed us BinLaden's videos? Why does this guy get to tell us why he did it and Bin Laden doesn't get to say anything? Is there something to hide? Cuz it sure seems effective to rally support against a madman to watch and listen... why would our leaders not want to rally support at a time when they desparately needed it? Cuz what he said wasn't as crazy as they needed??? Cuz not letting it out allowed them to fabricate anything they wanted?

Indeed it is interesting which crazies are allowed to stir the public into a frenzy... and which are not!

32 great lifes were lost, beacause of a f-ing Korean terrorist. If the little BLEEP hadn't taken his own life, I would be more than happy to kill him myself.

he's just sayin what many here are thinkin... at least hes truthful... be honest now.

But watch how hot the gun debate and armed militia, and immigration debate gets... just in time for the May Day Protests with tens of thousands of latino americans on our streets... lets practice what we preach and be as fair and kind as we claim here on the blog.

Wow, I'm hoping by the time I get to work this morning, Ffife's post is gone. That sentiment - particularly the language - is frightening.

But I really want to respond to this line from Belial811:
"I think the heads at NBC news were doing cartwheels in their offices."

I completely disagree. Consider these points:
1) NBC did not rush to air the video. They did, in fact, wait for the FBI to review the contents.
2) NBC had network screeners watch every frame of video before making difficult determinations about how and when to air the video, stills, etc.
3) NBC shared the contents of the mailed package with everyone else. If they were doing "cartwheels" over the receipt of this package, why would they share it? Because they recognized it wasn't a ratings score - it was something of historical, global importance.
4) Discussions have been taking place at NBC and here at FOX 6 and other news outlets around the world about the appropriate use of the video, still photos, and the written manifesto. Our news director has sent a trail of internal emails laying out his thinking. We have used the materials sparingly. And (check out Cuprisin's TV/radio column in today's JS) our news director has now made the decision that it is no longer necessary to keep showing it.

The negative reaction to seeing these images is understandable. The debate about if or to what degree they ever should have aired is a legitimate one. But, these are incredibly complicated decisions and ratings simply do not apply.

This is a really hard subject, and it's easier for everyone who didn't lose anyone close to them in this horrible incident to say their opinion. But I think it was good to see the video because why shelter what happend? This world is getting more and more messed up and we can't hide from it. Everyone needs to learn from it and try to help in any way we can. Maybe it could help some one who would think about doing something crazy like this and realize how wrong and sick it is. If you don't like something on TV you change it, same thing with them showing the video. If you don't want to watch it, you change the channel. There are worse things shown on TV that children watch than this. If everyone is going to make an issue about this, they need to not show many,many other things on tv. I also think NBC did everything any other channel would do. They did the right steps and it wasn't blowen out of portion.
My heart goes out to all the friends and families who have lost anyone in this horrible incident.

They were right to run it. But then again I am old enough to remember the days when news was not immediate. It took days, sometimes weeks before important stories were broadcast across the nation. In today’s world it only takes minutes. This was the worst mass killing spree in our history. The person behind these killings will now forever be in our nation’s psyche and history books. So on a deeper level, who he is and what made him tick matters. Trust me, if the news outlets were provided a homemade video of Hinckley or Lee Harvey Oswald rating as to why they did what they did, wouldn’t you think it would be of interest to us?

So although I believe it was good that they ran it, as others have commented, I am most concerned by video that isn’t being shown. There are countless images associated with Iraq (forgive me but I can’t bring myself to say war, because I don’t see that we are at war with anyone) that are not being shown by orders of our current administration. Why aren’t the masses speaking out against that? That’s the bigger question.

Belial811,

The masses are indeed speaking out against our occupation of Iraq (war). They ARE NOT however speaking out against the administration’s ruling and gag order on the media as it relates to showing our soldiers returning from Iraq (either alive or dead).

People who speak against the viewing of the VT shooter’s ranting video, stymies me. By seeing him rant and rave, waving guns around, that is going to influence someone to copy him? No matter what is seen on TV can lead someone who is wrapped to tight to snap, and copy something they have seen. From starting a fire, mass killings, kidnapping kids, burning puppies, robbing grocers, you name it. People who are emotional unstable do not need a visual stimulate from television to do unsavory deeds. If you’re worried about your kids seeing it, I would argue, why are you allowing your children to view it? If you as an adult don’t want to see it, I would argue, does your remote control work so you can change the channel? As harsh as this may sound, we must all take responsibility for our own actions.