In just over a month this great nation has experienced incredible back-to-back-to-back tragedies with both man-made and natural disasters: starting on April 15, 2013 at the Boston Marathon, the explosion in West, TX, and yesterday with the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma. With all the technology today we are virtually experiencing those tragedies right along with those directly affected. Almost immediately pictures and videos are uploaded to the web for thousands, if not millions to see, social media posts start instantaneously, (please don't think I'm griping - these tools are great for letting family, friends, and even foes - all at the very same second - know that one is OK or in need of aid. etc.) and AP alerts are flashed everywhere from your smart phones to more traditional forms such as television and radio.
My problem with the media is that they focus on the dead, those poor individuals that didn't make it out alive...why? While it may sound completely heartless and callous to wonder why the media focus on those that have perished, I find it completely heartless and callous that they don't focus on those that have survived, those that are LIVING it, and will continue to LIVE it for the days, weeks, months, and years to come. I sit here in my living room as I'm typing this and watching the utter devastation in the aftermath of the two-mile wide tornado that ravished Oklahoma for 40 minutes yesterday and they keep flashing "Death toll at 51, expected to rise." Shame on them! Why are you focusing on that? Do you honestly think the family and friends of those 51 want to hear that over and over again? Why focus on the most devastating part of a disaster? Why? Why not focus on the good? How about you shift your focus and say 1000s, if not 10,000s survived, more survivors expected to be found/rescued?! There is absolutely nothing more that we can do for those unfortunate 51, except remember them - given the constant flashing and updating with the exact death toll we dang sure won't forget that number anytime soon - well, until tragedy strikes again and there's another number to report.
The media sensationalizes evil, devastation, and tragedy - and that in itself is a real tragedy. Why not sensationalize good, miracles, and victories? One of the most memorable (for me, at least) aspects of the news coverage following the Boston Marathon Bombings were ALL the stories about ALL of the selfless acts of the first responders (both professional and amateur) and how many lives were saved thanks to them, the medical staff that were running the race and kept on running to the hospitals to donate their time or their blood (even now as I'm typing this, tears are a formin'), etc.! Those stories were so
So, my plea to those in the media is to shift your focus...PLEASE! Stop focusing on the dead, and go with the LIVING! Stop making celebrities out of deviants and devils such as Casey Anthony, Jodi Arias, and the Tsarnaev Brothers; instead, shine the spotlight on the honorable and the heroes like Dakota Meyer, Leroy Petry, and Clinton Romesha. Let me guess, the last three names aren't familiar to you. They're the most recent three LIVING recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Point made, that is all!
