January 8, 2011
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Congresswoman Shot
A congresswoman was shot. It was reported earlier that she was dead. Then it was reported she is alive. The reports are conflicted but it appears that several people were wounded.
Immediately the news media started reporting about him. They linked his myspace (I know. I didn’t realize myspace was still around). They linked his youtube account. Here is the link: Link
He is a left-wing nut. It appears there is no shortage of those these days.
The media will talk all about him in the coming days. They are essentially making him an immediate celebrity.
The media blocks out information about rape victims. At sporting events, they take the camera off the person and don’t play it when someone runs on to the field.
Do you think the news media should ignore the personal information about crazy shooters?
Comments (71)
Yes.
It’d be interesting to know if there was any correlation between the media not showing certain types of things (e.g. someone running onto the sports field) and the frequency that those events happen. Some people may not care about their own exposure on the media.
about the victims yest, but those who commite the crime i think they forsake a right to privacy when they commit the crime.
My new marketer was telling me about this since I don’t watch the news. This will give the right some FIREPOWER!
The trouble when politics is involved is that angry people of all political stripes try to identify the perpetrator a particular way to score cheap political points. In the absence of information a number of false narratives form that people use to paint very large swaths of voters as dangerous extremists. Before details of the shooter were known accusations were flying about how he was a Tea Partier or an illegal immigrant. But now details are known, both accusations have been diffused.
It’s me Suzanne. I’m too lazy to sign in. Breaking news
I was watching the news and they said the shooter said he in the head and it went through her head and right out the other side. It reminded me of JFK for some reason. But, she is in critical condition. There were 18 others shot. There werefive in surgery who made it out, and they are also in critical condition as well. A little girl who is 6 has died.
I think information about the murderer is going to come out regardless.
I do think it’s quite hypocritical of the media to mess around like that.
Anyways, off topic of your question, I think people our government needs to wake the fuck up and make some changes for the good and actually do things that help the American people. From what I hear, that’s why this guy went crazy and shot them.
I like the idea of a free press being free to publish whatever they like. I on the other hand will use my freedom to avoid certain things. In the end the media caters to whatever makes them money. If we don’t want to be exposed we can use our power and turn it off/ don’t buy it/ don’t support it.
You mean Sarah Palin didn’t do it? Twitter is WRONG?!?! My tiny little 140 character world is turned upside down.
I don’t mind info coming out in the early days. Ten years on, I’d be just as glad to forget this guy’s name.
I agree with @obamawatch .
This is a horrible story. My sister called me today and told me all about this. She seems to have gotten some of the facts wrong though.
i mean, he was basically caught red-handed…plus it’s not like myspace or youtube is private in any way. i could’ve stumbled onto his page myself, if i wanted to, no?
also, i just watched his video…what the hell? he might’ve been a left-wing nut, but he was also just a plain old nut!
How do you know he’s a left-wing wacko?
I watched his video and he definitely shows the same mental illness patterns needed to be leftist (re Democrat). But he’s so far out I think they’re going to have to develop warp drive in order to go get him.
It was leaked by people in the investigation speaking anonymously. That’s how the media gets like 99.99% of their info on crimes.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - well he .had the commmunist manifesto listed as one of his favorite works on his social networking sites. But i do agree that this is a man with serious mental issues, I doubt he knows what side of the fence he is on.
@crazy2love - Being on the ground here in AZ, I find it ironic that Rep. Giffords would have to be the one to take the hit, as she is one of the few lawmakers who actually comes around and LISTENS to what people are thinking. The kid had every opportunity to speak with her, and decided violence was better.
Left-wing, right-wing-makes no difference. Sorry, but defending violence is not going to get our country where it needs to be.
I don’t know if it’s clear yet that this is a politically motivated shooting. Even if it were basically I think this is some nut who got a gun and started shooting. Unfortunately this Congresswoman and 18 innocent people got in the way.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - Well right-wings are also pretty messed up in the head so he could probably go either way.
@cyberbear - @squeakysoul - But Serena just demonstrated over on her Xanga how the leftists ALWAYS blame those rascally Republicans no matter what. One guy even made a bet that the shooter was right-wing NRA nut job. I took his bet because where political violence is concerned odds are the Left is involved.
@BoxesOfRoxes - Which right-wings? There you go trying to tar and feather good people. Most of the political violence that isn’t committed by iSLAM, the religion of peace, is committed by leftists.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - I tar and feather? Are you not the one that just called anyone with a differing opinion than your own mentally ill? If you truly feel that all left-wings are mentally ill, than perhaps you should be trying to fix your own mental health, not theirs.
@BoxesOfRoxes - You be responsible for your words and I’ll be responsible for mine! And no, I didn’t say that anyone who disagrees with me is mentally ill. That’s how YOU redefined the meaning of what I said. Along with tar and feathering, redefining what people say in the worst possible way is what you leftists do all the time. And it’s sickening!
@BoxesOfRoxes - You still haven’t told us which right-wingers are doing all the violence. And you can’t because it’s a lie. Lying is another thing leftists do without conscience or remorse.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - Looks like you cash in this time; but then, there was Timothy McVeigh.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - Clearly you are not quite right in the head. Do you see what you just did? I disagreed with you, and you automatically assumed I am left-wing. This is going to be rather embarrassing for you, but I am not left-wing. Never did I make a claim that left-wings are not violent, or that a right-wing should be to blame. You automatically felt the need to create an argument that wasn’t even there.
As much as I would love to have a deep political discussion, I only wish to discuss with people who have an IQ above 90. I greatly appreciate that you find me so qualifying for your political debates, but clearly my intelligence exceeds yours greatly.
Again, I am so sorry to embarrass you like this, but you brought it upon yourself. I hope you get help, find the error in your ways, and try to make a better name for the republican party, for you are embarrassing them greatly by calling yourself such.
@cyberbear Gee, Timothy McVeigh. Wasn’t that like 20 years ago or something. That fact that you have to go back so far in past and keep bringing up the same names over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again is because right wing violence is so rare.
Also, we on the right ALWAYS condemn violence. You lefties NEVER condemn your own. You just blame everything on some rascally Republican.
Look at what you’re doing to Sarah Palin. Geez! You’ve got your own guy in office continuing all major domestic and foreign policies begun by Bush. Where’s the hate?
The irrationality in these comments is sickening.
@BoxesOfRoxes - What a crock! You get your ass handed to you and then you deny who you are and berate me for being mentally challenged. Is it not indecent to use the unfortunate among us as insults? You are a real creep!
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - I am not a l”eftie”-and have not tied Sarah Palin to any of this. My politics are actually not all that far to the left of yours.
Anyway, as I said, left-wing or right-wing, wing-nuts are all the same.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - I did not deny who I am! I do not agree with many left-wing and right-wing ideas and I agree with many left–wing AND right-wing ideas. Why is it wrong for me to berate for your mental health when you berated half of America’s? YOU called me a “crock” and a “creep” in one post alone. You have no more of a right to call other people names than I do. I am sorry that I embarrassed you so greatly, but you picked the fight, automatically assuming you knew everything about me. YOU were the one who created a devastating event and turned it into a political debate. It does not matter if the killer was right-wing or left-wing, people DIED and that’s what is important. Not the political affiliation of the killer.
@cyberbear - She has been assuming that anyone who does not agree with her is left-wing. It’s best just to ignore her. You are better than her for your open mind and that should be enough. =)
@BoxesOfRoxes - Thanks.
@BoxesOfRoxes - Leftists have a particular personality profile and a VERY particular way of approaching opposition. There is not one thing you’ve written that is not 100% leftist in nature. YOU ARE A LEFTIST. It’s just that simple. Denying, obfuscating and lying (the usual leftist behavior) can’t unsay what you have said clearly with your own words.
I don’t know. I mean, if a killer was still on the loose, it would be important to know about the killer so that someone can report them if they see em.
Don’t you mean right wing nut? It’s crazy here. Turned on the tv to watch football & heard all about it. The new man (name to be determined) asked who she was and I immediately said “she’s a democratic senator from southern AZ. I bet a crazy, conservative person did this.”
It’s funny, when we can’t fight with our words and beliefs and have to use guns. Maybe this is the catalyst needed to have people realize the tea party is out of control. You can’t just act like this.
I don’t care about his politics, I care about what he did with his gun.
I care that it looks like 6 people are dead today because he decided it was time for them to die.
I care that a lawmaker is injured and that it matters that she’s a lawmaker.
I care that instead of rallying around the victims, we as a country are instead circling the media wagons around the killer.
I care that once more, an extreme ideological divide has led to angry vitriolic arguments, demonstrating that the loudest voices either don’t care about violence or care more about taking down others for their politics.
And in answer to your question, I say no, but attention should not work this way. Not this way.
P.S. To those screaming, “He read The Communist Manifesto!”
“Books: I had favorite books: Animal Farm, Brave New World, The Wizard
Of OZ, Aesop Fables, The Odyssey, Alice Adventures Into Wonderland,
Fahrenheit 451, Peter Pan, To Kill A Mockingbird, We The Living,
Phantom Toll Booth, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Pulp,Through The
Looking Glass, The Communist Manifesto, Siddhartha, The Old Man And
The Sea, Gulliver’s Travels, Mein Kampf, The Republic, and Meno.“ (Link)
Sounds like once upon a time, he was quite the reader.
Rape victims and lunatic criminals are hardly comparable. The reasons rape victims are protected is because they are victims. If somebody posts crazy information online and then murders people, including a child as in this case, their privacy is not a concern for me.
I think they should ignore the shooter, by putting him more in the media than the victims its encouraging and supporting the wrong side. Talk to me about the victims – that’s how/why viewers care.
@squeakysoul - Well, clearly, Sarah Palin posted an image on Facebook and this individual shot one of the individuals depicted in that image. Therefore, it must have been politically motivated. QED, motherfuckers! Or is that post hoc, ergo propter hoc? Hmmmm….
It should at least ignore it until all of the facts of the event have been taken into consideration. As you said, no one knows yet what’s really going on.
I think it’s horrible that people are fighting over the politics side over it. It doesn’t matter if he was left wing or right wing. Fact is, this douchewagon shot and killed people. For that, he deserves whatever coverage he gets. And for the love of god, don’t rely on a short xanga post to get all the information on this.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40978517/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/08/arizona-congresswoman-reportedly-shot-public-event/
There’s articles from both sides of the fence, so now let’s just pray (or send your thoughts, whatever you want) for the families of those involved.
@TrueBritt - No it was actually a left-wing!! I think it’s a little strange that people are killing their own party. My first thought was that it was a right-wing too, but only because I just thought that if you’re messed up enough that you’re going to kill someone, you’d kill the opposing party, you know?
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - I think it was easy to make that conclusion based on the fact that Giffords is a Democrat in an extremely conservative area.
A tragedy. Next time, dispense with the “nutjob liberal” crap. Extremists exist on both sides.
ugh – humanity is so very very sad
i feel that describing him as a “left wing nuts” is a little unfair and ridiculous, especially because the woman he shot was a democrat. his being left or right wing is no more relevant than the fact that he’s white and wears glasses, because none of those things caused this, what caused it was mental instability. if it was purely a political motivation why would he shoot someone in his own party?
calling him a left wing nut heavily implies that being liberal compelled him to do this and there is absolutely no reason to believe that
Love this question…Here’s my answer. (sorry so long, I had a lot to say)
Yes & no. They have the right to let the public know about him. He wasn’t a victim of rape or pulled a dumb stunt on a field. He shot someone in office and wounded many others. I’m sure they will see that many people will have questions on who did this. I mean, wouldn’t you feel the media wasn’t doing there job if they didn’t reveal who the shooter was, about his past, and why they think he did it. When something like this happens, it gets many people asking why. Not people like you and me, but others who can’t understand why someone would do something like this.
Now with that said, here is why I said no. Now and days television shows rely on ratings. That doesn’t exclude the news. The more ratings they have, the more money they make and the more successful they become. In a story like this, they like to milk every detail for all it’s got just for those ratings, and that includes non stop media on a crazy shooter. One story about him will go on for a week then another story will begin. Don’t forget about poll questions you can either text, facebook, or call in to answer. I do think there should be a stopping point.
Either way, I think MOST people have become accustomed to the way the media reports now and don’t think twice about what they are doing. (If you are not a person who thinks this way then I am not talking about you).
This was really a great post question!
Unfortunately when a nobody kills a somebody, everybody knows. Should it be so sensational? No, as a person who writes in print media I think we should stick to information and the impact… but hey TV lives on others misery because it sells.
what a nutjob
Oh, so one of the sides is perfect? Wow, I’d better do some researching. Maybe that’ll get me into Heaven…
It is the left, no it is the right, no it is the middle…I think it was a sick kid that has probably listened to too many redundant arguments about everything that doesn’t matter, at least it doesn’t matter to the families that are waiting outside the hospital to find out if their loved ones are going to live, or the 9 year old girl who will never see graduation. As for publicity of his name and his social posts? That too will not change anything that happened today. And anyway, as far as I know in America you are innocent until proven guity.
@BoxesOfRoxes - Hmm. That’s not the story we are getting here in Arizona. But the main point is that he was absolutely crazy. They read his myspace rantings on tv & just- wow. Ugh. Well now he’s where he deserves to be, behind bars. Too bad there’s plenty more crazies out there, on all sides of the political spectrum.
Despite the fact there are clearly too many -wing nuts around, threaded both ways, overly vocal with or without correct information and occasionally exercising violence as a political option (OMG what madness!), the news media should collect and publish all the facts so that thinking people may become well informed and make informed decisions.
I guess that would depend on if the media were wanting to encourage copycats or not. …which, I think leads to a rather interesting school of thought. …I’m not saying they ARE wanting more crazy left-wing shooters, but it still is an interesting thought. (…especially when you consider even FOX News was giving such details out. hehe) Personally, I think all the media should be wiser in the way they report such things as they are aware of the way such things can create a more dangerous situation. I suppose bad news IS good for ratings though.
Look out, Dan; your vitriol is showing.
No. I don’t believe in any form of censorship. People have a right to know.
But I think our first instinct shouldn’t be to try and figure out or declare which Political side the perpetrator is on. Not everything that happens boils down to Left vs Right.
Yes, I do.
actually i’m pretty sure that he was a right-wing nut… no shortage of those.
absolutely … it’s sad that too many times it’s a “slow news day” for most all the media … they make celebrities out of carrion …
i’m not sure i agree with ”left wing nut.” it seems as though the person who shot the congresswoman was mentally unstable.. nothing as of yet points to any political motivations behind the shooting concerning the shooter. however, because the criminal is said to have had an accomplice, perhaps that person might be the one with a poltical motivation.
A left wing nut. Interesting. I’m getting the opposite slant.
http://wrybreadspread.xanga.com/738791625/the-arizona-shooting-the-tea-party-and-immigration/
The guy is wearing a stocking cap and wireframe glasses. We should profile people for that. And cleanshavenness.
I see nothing in the article that suggests he is a “left-wing nut.” I suspect you might meant “right-wing nut.”
Theologian, where did you get he was a left wing nut? Latest news reports indicate otherwise.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1345450/Tucson-shooting-suspect-Jared-Loughner-linked-fanatical-magazine-American-Renaissance.html
P.S.
Sarah Palin’s credibility is over. I am surprised this didn’t happen earlier when all you people do is incite hatred and ignorance. It’s worse that a 9 year old had to die and you are still defending the irrational madness that the right has always preached.
I think the profile of these nut cases should be made public. Learning about the lifestyle of these morons, possibly could help prevent a similar incident in the future.
So let’s get this straight: if I want people to look at my page, then the best way to do it is shoot a bunch of people, and if it’s a high profile person, even better? :S
I heard first that he was a teapartier, he had a website that was pro-DTT, are these views representative of leftists?
Palin mailed out literatures that showed incumbent democrats in the cross hairs of a scope and the victim was in those crosshairs. I don’t know about the others killed, but they, I think, may very well be gagging it for fear that there will be others who identify and want to copy this action.
The website pointed out that the DDT campaign cut down on insect-bourne vectors in the 3rd world. It may also have damaged the immune systems of third world peoples and made them vulnerable to AiDS or similar diseases. If anyoneharassed him at MySpace, well it can’t be thought their fault, but one of the reasons everyone should follow the constitution in such cases is that arguments can switch something on in the heads of these people.
Sarah Palin, to me, has always seemed a cult figure of sorts and capable of drawing this kind of fanatical following.This was literally a hair trigger response to an extremely indiscreet political advertisement. I suppose this was supposedto be pro-NRA. I was pro-NRA as a kid, but I never would have made a poster of the girls I disliked with a target aroundtheir faces and their names beneath. She went too far, and this may not be the actual shooter. We are to presume so.Do you know any leftists that are pro-Palin? i would think that extremely odd.
“The media blocks out information about rape victims.”
Correction: the media is SUPPOSED to block out rape victims’ information, but not all states have extensive enough privacy laws to keep sexual assault victims’ personal information private. And when there’s a political motivation, rape victims’ rights to privacy are often conveniently overlooked. Case in point: the women accusing Julian Assange of sexual assault. And I know that they’re from Sweden where there are different laws, but the fact remains that our American media was all too eager to spread their information without regard to their rights to privacy and even safety (they’re getting lots of death threats, since people now know exactly who they are and where to find them). I don’t believe for a second that American media outlets as a whole care about sexual assault victims’ privacy if they can get a story out of it by revealing their names or other personal information.
I can’t find a state-by-state summary of sexual assault victims’ privacy rights- anyone know where I could find something like this? I’d be very interested to see which states have good privacy laws and which ones don’t.
As far as the shooter goes, I don’t think it would be right to delve into his private records, especially since the police haven’t even confirmed his involvement. But a youtube channel and a myspace page are public, and it sounds as though his goal was to spread a message, so it is deliberately public information. I do think that publicizing his college, police, and mental health records is going too far, especially because, again, nothing has been officially confirmed. However, I’m not surprised- it’s the same thing I said before: the media is fine with invading privacy if it gives them a story, especially if they can sensationalize the information to get people interested.
Left wing?
Pardon me…but most people I know who love their guns are “right wing”.
But this was educational.
I didn’t realize you needed to be a fascist to post here.
Since I am not…bye,