I wrote this as a comment on one of my other blog posts, but decided it needed a post of its own.
From a news report on recent shooting in Texas (8/31/19) —
“Details on the victims have yet to be released. The wounded include three law enforcement officers.”
“The gunman was identified as Seth Ator”.
I understand “privacy” as related to friends and relatives of the victims, but IMO, knowing who these human beings were and the roles they played while alive is FAR more important than knowing who killed them. To this end, I don’t think the shooter’s name should be released until AFTER the victims are identified.
You make a very good point.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Couldn’t agree more Nan.
High publicity and exposure of radical, horrific, useless slaughtering of innocent bystanders that now is increasingly including babies, toddlers, elementary and middle school-aged kids as well as many elderly victims (as was the case in El Paso) has typically been the mass shooter(s) M.O. and propaganda. That is exactly what Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda wanted when attacking the World Trade Center towers, Pentagon, Capital Building, and perhaps other Washington D.C. targets — GO FOR biggest impact and waste of MANY human (collateral) lives. That is what the Christchurch, NZ shooter did as well by broadcasting LIVE on Facebook, Twitter, etc, etc, the mowing down of even 3-yr to 12-yr old children!!!!
Yes! Why can’t there be much more focus for the victims, their families, and those permanently maimed for life and the many years/decades THEY are faced with in physical, emotional, and mental rehab therapy!!!??? WHY CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THE INSANE, NON-HUMAN KILLERS!!!??? 🤬🤬🤬
And why does Mark Zuck-it-berg and Facebook (and all social-media platforms that deny accountability of THEIR owned platforms they run) CONTINUE getting away with the criminal activity of Accessory to elicit mass murders or crimes against humanity? That type of apathy and sick denial is NO DIFFERENT than a Nazi SS book-clerk passively watching other SS guards, he supports as a member, slaughter babies, toddlers, children, adults, and the elderly! NO DIFFERENT!
Who in their right mind would just stand there, watch, and allow psychotic white-men to just mow down little kids and obscene graphic carnage of body-parts and human matter spraying everywhere!!!? Seriously!? Because that’s what Mark Zuck-it-berg and his Facebook empire have been allowed to do for way too many years!
What is MORE disturbing to me is that MILLIONS/BILLIONS of naive people/members continue using their Facebook profiles today, essentially giving Zuck-it-berg and social-media empires Carte Blanche for elicit Accessory to massacres and crimes against humanity.
Can we please focus on the what the victims’ families and survivors must endure every 2-4 weeks when another mass shooting kills even 3-4 people, let alone 15, 51, or 251!!!
Thank you Nan for letting me vent/rant. Apologies if I’m a hyper-sensitive Texan fed-up about something that isn’t changing, only increasing and Goodness forbid becomes “normal” and expected in our society like auto fender-benders. 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why can’t we have MORE of those unbelievably BRAVE people on United Airlines Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001 who refused to let those terrorists in the cockpit take their jet airliner to kill MORE innocent lives!??? THOSE passengers are true human beings, true heroes along with all those Police Officers, Firefighters, and Port Authority officers who instead of running down and out of the Twin Towers…
ran UP!!! They had to know they were in the last hours/minutes of their lives on Earth.
LikeLiked by 3 people
They deserve to be remembered as heroes. They knew they had little chance of survival if they attacked the terrorists, and zero chance if they did not (and the plane was crashed into its target). They made their last minutes count for something.
Largely thanks to them, it’s unlikely that terrorists will try the same tactic again.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Good final point Infidel. When psychotic non-human killers SEE that most all of the world and their immediate environment are against them and their useless (lethal) violence, most all killers think twice and are deterred.
LikeLike
And of course your state just loosened gun restrictions …
You have a bunch of loonies running that state!! They must have all been dropped on their heads when they were babies. Surely they can’t be THAT dumb!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nan, you’d SERIOUSLY be shocked out of your skin if you were down here, toured the State Congress here (when in session), toured all the RURAL counties (some 244 out of 254) and specific wealthy, Conservative, religious neighborhoods of our most populated 10 counties in the state, and if you REALLY wanted to get a fuller picture of our intelligence, knowledge, and education levels attained… you’d find of the entire population here that only:
• 18.5% earned a Bachelor’s degree
• 6.8% earned an Associate’s degree
• 22.4% have some college
• 25.1% earned a H.S. diploma
• 17.7% have less than H.S. diploma or no education
Source: https://statisticalatlas.com/state/Texas/Educational-Attainment#figure/detailed-educational-attainment
And to make this state-wide ignorance worse still, Texas has a TON of private and charter schools as well as private Universities — most all of which are religious or hyper-religious. So in a way, it really ISN’T too surprising that we Texans and our GOP leaders reason that the best way to combat our many psychotic mass murders running around carrying multiple weapons and assault rifles is to put MORE weapons into EVERYONE’S hands from age 10 to 85-yrs old — which makes gun manufacturers and enthusiasts euphoric and less money or investment in public programs like mental-health/illness!!! HAH!!! 😵🥴
Yes, Everything in Texas is indeed Bigger, including our self-imposed lobotomies, mortuary capacities, prisons, and private religious-education institutions K thru 16 and eight churches on every street corner!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does noone any good to know the identity of a shooter, except the media who use any information to make money off it. Unless the family of the shooter knew what he/she wasgoing to do all it does us shame them. How it helps the families of the victims, I don’t know, unless they need to sue someone. Suing can not bring their loved ones back.
As for the rest of us, as Shakespeare asks, What is in a name?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Agreed. And my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims.
LikeLike
Umm, Jeff… is that really YOU? Or was this comment by a generic cookie-cutter religious Conservative robot that rattles off the exact same sentiment repeatedly… “our thoughts and prayers” every 2-4 weeks now when this happens? “Our thoughts and prayers” … “our thoughts and prayers” … “our thoughts and prayers.” Meanwhile, no significant action or change happens as more and more unnecessary body-bags get filled. And how long has “thoughts and prayers” been overused and liberally given… as more body bags are filled?
I think this was NOT Jeff, but a cold-hearted machine with a pull-string and 1 phrase. Give Jeff back to us you imposter!!!! 😉 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. OUR Jeff wouldn’t add that sort of comment to a post supporting the victims. Either that or –*gasp* — he’s been converted!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My thoughts and prayers are with you, too, Nan. See, don’t cha feel all better now? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
er. am I sensing satire here? Just a trace?
LikeLike
Jeff? Satire? Surely you jest! 🤣
LikeLike
Just a smidgen. 🙂
LikeLike
LOL… NO! Say it isn’t SO NANNIE!!! 😉
LikeLike
My thoughts and prayers are also with you, Prof for missing the sarcasm in my comment. 🙂 You gettin’ senile, my man? 🙂 If so, my thoughts and prayers are with you because they’ve been shown to do SO MUCH GOOD!!!!! Right?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes.
That is… yes, I am getting senile because my neighborhood, county, and state are encroaching on my personal space with more and more body-bags from mass shootings. 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Texas is like the rest of the country’s nuttiness about guns on steroids.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Jeff, remember that invitation I extended to you to come visit me down here?
Umm, you might want to reconsider it, rethink it. LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Unless you have a full-body suit of body-armour… sorta like the Medieval Age knights use to wear and put on their Clydesdale horses! Do you have a knight’s suit and a Clydesdale horse up there with you? 😉
LikeLike
I peed in my last one and rusted it out. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ahhh, so you WERE down here already and got caught in one of our Walmarts, huh? 🤣:P
Then be sure to bring your adult diapers with your Clydesdale and body armor suit! hehehe
LikeLike
The Christchurch shooter’s name is almost never mentioned here. He simply doesn’t deserve the honour of being named.
Usually, in this country the name of an accused is not published until after their first court appearance in case an application for name suppression is made. Likewise what can be discussed in the media about an accused is limited between when a person is charged and the commencement of a trial to ensure a fair trail and not one by public opinion.
Where the perpetratora are also a fatality then perhaps information about them should be kept to a bare minimum until after the grieving/burying/hospitalisation stages.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You Kiwis Barry got your act together! I was thoroughly impressed by how FAST you and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took action. Very well done! Maybe some of us dumber nations and dumber-dumber Leaders of dumb people can learn from you guys? Maybe?
LikeLike
It would be nice to think so but as the Texas legislature acted just as fast in response to the latest shooting there, but in the opposite direction, I’m not holding out much hope. What’s next – the mandatory arming of everyone?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, we are on the brink of doing exactly that Barry. It is utter insanity here. You know… I am SO grateful (in a selfish way, yes) that currently I have no immediate or extended family, or close dear friends in law-enforcement right now. Why?
Because HOW can any highly trained police officer, SWAT team, or even the Reserves/National Guard quickly ascertain in the Fog of War domestically, Friend or Foe while bullets are flying everywhere and UN-UNIFORMED citizens in every direction have their weapons pulled and firing… they too not absolutely 100% sure who the killer(s) are… and all of that weaponized chaos must be correctly determined in MILLI-SECONDS!!! 😮
Then, as EMT’s/paramedics arrive on the scene, they can’t do anything for those wounded dying victims (that MIGHT can be saved within seconds/minutes!) while EVERYONE around with weapons firing makes it impossible to save more lives! And you know what else Barry?
Real quickly the shooter(s) will figure out that if THEY pretend they are good, un-uniformed citizens carrying weapons firing at the bad guy… THAT will be a viable exit strategy and getaway! Duh!!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Wild West with high powered military style automatic weaponry. The mind boggles
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yep. No different than what it is in Afghan or Iraqi towns/villages where there are NO uniforms. And they let their children carry around rocket-launchers and AKA’s. Several African nations do the same with their kids.
LikeLike
I don’t want to say that’s what you can look forward to, but if you folk don’t have a significant collective “Aha” moment soon, that is what you can look forward to.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are spot on Barry. And sadly, we’re pretty much already there. Texans have been supremely PROUD of all our personal arsenals for many decades. Many of us Conservative (religious?) Texans have always felt we were better than our Federal government and other states and humans. I kid you not. Case and point…
You may not know this, but we are the ONLY state out of 50 that have the Federal approval (during our 1845 annexation process) to fly our state flag at the same height or above the national flag. That sort of rebellious Confederate mentality/attitude toward peace and order and regulation, runs deep from 6-7 generations back. Most GOP Texans would much rather have the Wild Wild West than public safety for all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I must add … there are those who (not making any particular reference) believe because they were in the military that they have “special skills” in handling such stressful situations and would be able to “take out” the shooter.
Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, you are right Nan. However, when combat deployed as a uniformed military soldier, you AT LEAST know/recognize who NOT to shoot at!!! Your buddies in identical uniforms as yourself. Hahaha! That will never be the case in Texas or the U.S. when all shooters/killers look the same as innocent bystanders. Those combat “special skills” do not apply domestically where everyone dresses differently and their is NO COMBAT organization or reliable intel being given and received during the Fog of War.
LikeLike
Why can’t the U.S. have sensible folks running the country like you do???
Instead, we have a bunch of old fogies that are more focused on their bank accounts, stocks and bonds, and off-shore accounts than they are the people they (supposedly) serve.
Another shooting? Oh gee. I hope that doesn’t affect the stock market. Change the gun laws? Oh gee. My constituents support the Second Amendment. They might not keep me in office and I’d lose $$$$$.
LikeLiked by 2 people
But NAN!!!! According to the White House and our GOP Leaders the nation’s economy is doing remarkably well, supposedly better than it EVER HAS since 1776!!!! Hahahahahaha!
So I guess that means what(?), that the weapons manufacturing sector is booming? Body-bags manufacturing is booming in the USA? And all of those public stocks of those companies are going through the roof? Huh? 🤔
LikeLike
Gruesome as it sounds, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if a number of them held stock in these companies …
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, if those political leaders and lawmakers from top to bottom, federal to state to municipality were truly SERVING the American people, and had NOTHING suspicious or criminal to hide, even their income tax returns for the last 10-30 years… THEN they’d truly be “Public Servants” who knew going into office that as such, there is no such thing as a private life when you are in public office! Duh, right? I mean, am I missing anything here?????
LikeLike
Kiwis don’t need guns to feel safe. After the Christchurch shooting perfectly legal guns were handed in and gun sales dropped, whereas in the US, gun sales rise after each shooting. I can’t offer a solution to that dilemma.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Dilemma”? Wow, you put that extraordinarily mild and too sweet Barry. 😉 Like SO sweet it gives us multiple tooth-aches. LOL
LikeLike
I’m a Kiwi. It comes with the territory. Perhaps that’s why we don’t have your dilemma 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha!
LikeLike
“I don’t think the shooter’s name should be released until AFTER the victims are identified.”
It’s a good point, and I agree. Surely, the name (of the shooter) isn’t important anyway — certainly not in the first couple of days. Age, ethnicity, gender, hometown — these are what most of us are truly interested in, regarding the shooter. I didn’t know him personally, so knowing his *name* doesn’t affect me in any way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think most people are naturally interested in the whys and wherefores that prompted a person to carry out such actions, but beyond that? Like you said, most of us don’t know the person. What possible difference could it make to share his name? Besides, friends and family would be notified so they would already know what happened.
BTW, as I wrote “his name” above, it reminded me of how rarely a woman commits these atrocities. Hmmm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“rarely a woman”
Very noticeable. While daily crimes seems to ooze across demographic lines easily, these mass shootings almost entirely are committed by men. Most of those men are white. Most of those white men are between the ages of X and Y. Almost all those young white men had known issues dealing with women (often domestic violence).
LikeLiked by 1 person