The Current Events Thread

[Dire]

I did see a thing about one of the victims (saw it on facebook though so it could be made up) Teacher by the name of Victoria, heard the gun shots and hid her kiddies in the closets. when the gunman came she told him they were in gym, he shot her dead but the kids were safe.

Here's the post:

[Kalekemo]

That woman is hero of the year

[Wry Bread]

I also read that the principal apparently tried to use her last moments to send out a warning over the intercom when he entered her office, but he shot her before she could do more than transmit the sound of their struggle, which warned a few people anyway.

When things like this happen even stories "focusing" on victims tend to be sensationalistic tragedy porn. Within like an hour of the incident they were already getting up in the faces of kids who for one reason or another managed not to be killed, asking invasive questions and basically trying to get them to panic and cry reliving it for the camera because that shit sells. Tragedy porn really is the word for it; our society gets off on extremes. People aren't interested in an earnest examination of the situation and honoring loss and heroism in a mature way. They want sensationalism.

[TheStranger]

Morgan Freeman said a thing

“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.”

He makes a good point, but good luck getting the media to stop acting like it does.

[Kalekemo]

Considering the Catholic church's stance on homosexuality, I'm not all that surprised.

[Lambeth]

Not to defend the pope, but they kinda bless everyone they can. It's sorta their thing.

[TheStranger]

You mean the traditionally homophobic catholic church being homophobic? Shock!

[Syobon]

Benedictus is a massive asshole.

[Lotharu]

As you've all probably seen recently, "Anonymous" did an attack on Westboro for intending to picket the Connecticut stuff.
"They" also prevented an imminent suicide on Twitter, along with Rustle League?

[Kalekemo]

That second link brought tears to my eyes.

Hopefully this anti-cyber bullying trend is something that will continue from them for a long time.

Follow this link and you can sign a petition to help legally recognize WBC as a hate group

[D-vid]

I like how it got twice the needed amount of votes in 3 days.

[Syobon]

As you've all probably seen recently, "Anonymous" did an attack on Westboro for intending to picket the Connecticut stuff.
"They" also prevented an imminent suicide on Twitter, along with Rustle League?

A bunch of hard to trace people did something on the internet. It must have been Anonymouse1!1!1!1

Jesus Christ, how can't the media realise their own idiocy. You'd think that people with a degree that closely related to language would know what the word anonymouse means.

[Turbro]

At this point I think people would just operate under the name Anonymous so that nobody actually gives a shit about who it was and assumes "20 something nerd in their basement"

[wordNumber]

The group which by definition has no goals organization or identity strikes again!

[SaintCrazy]

I thought that was Anonymous's whole thing, was that anyone can call themselves Anonymous?