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How The Media Encourages Mass Shootings
“Violence is the quest for identity” — Marshall Mcluhan
(This article was written before the recent New Zealand mass shooting, but I felt it was incredibly relevant now after the idiotic American and Australian media decided to broadcast the shooter’s name and face)
A 29-year-old man walks directly into Pulse nightclub in Orlando carrying an assault rifle and a handgun. He opens fire into an unsuspecting crowd full of unaware 18–40 year olds.
After brutally murdering countless innocent victims, he retreats into the bathroom.
He pulls out his phone and checks Facebook.
He wants to see if he’s made it on the news.
What creates a mass murderer?
It’s a tough question. It doesn’t come down to any one particular thing.
It can be a crazy person, hearing voices and experiencing delusions. It can be a psychopath, killing without any empathy for their victims. It can be an act of revenge on a particular group of people (or simply the world itself). It can be for ideological or religious reasons.
