I know there is discussion elsewhere, but regarding Las Vegas...
27To let you know a bit about me, I live about 5 hours from Vegas, so trips to Vegas for everyone around here is quite common. At this moment, 5 members of my county have died in this senseless act. Three died that night, and two have died in the hospital in the last 24 hours.
To say that everyone in my area has been touched by this is an understatement. On the campus I work at, we have brought in crisis counselors, and at the school I attend, three people were not able to make to their midterm last night because they were directly touched by this tragedy. I know many people that went to the event and left early, or had tickets and ended up not going due to other obligations. These were the lucky ones.
This post is truly just to mourn those we lost, I have no other agenda. I mean it only to remember those we lost, and perhaps raise funds for the victims.
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One of my colleagues lost her daughter in law. So senseless.
And the worst thing (although some may disagree) is that the continued media playing of both the attack and the carnage that followed is causing true trauma to people who were not there, some to the point that they are having to totally block out the sympathy and compassion they would normally have for all those touched by the senseless violence.
I was lamenting the after-effects, the PTSD that over 40k people will be suffering with because of this heinous incident. I now worry that it will be millions instead.
@Cerridwyn honestly you are so right… my wife is definitely shaken by this severely.
It’s hitting me pretty hard too.
That being said, we were there just 2 weeks ago, so it is kinda crazy to think… we were just there.
@Cerridwyn I completely understand and agree with your comments about the trauma caused by the media. My hatred of CNN due to their coverage of 9/11 has softened to mere dislike, but I doubt it will improve any more.
@Cerridwyn when the Challenger exploded I remember watch a news program (back before most “24 Hour News”) and they had on a psychologist to talk about the effects on the public (since many watched due to the school teacher, including my school had put TVs out in the halls and cafeteria so we could watch all day - so they sat dark once it happened, which was eerie itself) and some coping strategies/resources. While she was in the progress of saying something to the effect of “the worst thing we can do is have it keep playing on the news, tramatizing more people and desensitizing those who see it too much” they literally cut to (so she was no longer visable but you could hear her talking) a 5 second clip showing the explosion. I yelled at the TV "are you not even listening to the expert YOU brought on?!?!"
It can only be worse with the 24 hour news. They’ll never listen/learn. They want viewers more than public good.
@mollama well said
they should pay the psych bills
@ConAndLibrarian
Thank you.
I’m going to an indoor concert tomorrow night. If there is a line to get in, I just might wait until it thins out. I’m not too worried about it, but it will be on my mind.
It is unfortunate that there are probably others out there that may attempt to copycat and attempt to beat the record of the senseless killings in Las Vegas. It is also unfortunate and unconscionable that media will continue to promote the videos of the shooting with the headlines attached promoting the “most casualties in US history” aimed at creating and maintaining viral levels of viewers. To the nutcase out there this is a call to try and beat the new record and become famous. When James Holmes shot up the theater in Aurora CO. I thought, after seeing all of the media hype and the celebrity status of James Holmes, that this will happen again and again in America. And, unfortunately it has, and will continue.
@accelerator
I’m so sorry for the losses many experienced. @cerridwyn and @conandlibrarian, i’m adding prayers. But, for the one nutcase, there are so many more awesome people whose stories are coming out of what they did that day. Evil many know no limits, but good people are limitless in number and heart.
@mollama I don’t mind those., I don’t even mind them talking about the investigation.
What I mind is the constant replying of the sounds and sites of what happened. I mind them calling the victims and making them recount publicly their trauma for all the world to hear. So many of them weep and don’t have the strength to say no.
I think the stories of heroism and people working together could be handled with much more sensitivity to those who were there and those who have had losses and even those who just have so much empathy that they hurt right along with them.
Not to sound callous but I will. Does anyone feel saddened when these extreme tragedies happen but no with the usual accompaniment of outrage anymore?
@elimanningface Yes. It’s called ‘normalization’, and apologists keep citing false ‘similar’ occurrences. I get a lot less tolerant as I age.