School Shooting Coverage

The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.

- Thomas Jefferson

This quote hails true even today. In the age of mass media it is difficult to filter out useless, false, or misleading information. I found an article on MSNBC.com.

10 Myths About School Shootings: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15111438/

I was a senior in high school when Columbine happened and I remember full well the hysteria surrounding it. Preachers, politicians, parents, school administrators all saying they had answers and solutions. Some may have had their points, but almost all missed the facts. In 1999, the Columbine school shooting took place. That year 12 students were murdered in schools in America, all at Columbine. One teacher was murdered at Columbine also. That same year 12 students died playing high school football. During that year you had about the same chance of being murdered on a school campus in America as being struck by lightning.

Of course most people did not share these statistics, and those that did were condemned for downplaying the tragedy. On a similar note, during the early 1990s the murder rate in America dropped 40% while the reporting of murders rose 600%. All this is outlined in the book “Culture of Fear” by Barry Glasner.

This week another school shooting took place in Finland. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21669167/

Here are the basic myths regarding school shootings.

1. All shooters fit a profile. There are no profiles for school shooters. They range from rich to poor, gifted to remedial, bullied to popular, and the like.

2. They just “snap”. Most shooters show signs well before the shootings take place. They plan their shootings, buy weapons, and tell others about it.

3. No one else knew about it. The shooters almost always tell somebody about their plans. Sometimes those plans don’t make it to adults or law enforcement professionals.

4. He hadn’t threatened anyone before. There are almost always threats to someone. Most threats aren’t acted upon, but all should be taken seriously.

5. He was a loner. Not all school shooters are outcasts. Some are actually quite popular.

6. He was crazy. Only 1/3 of attackers had ever seen a mental health professional, and only 1/5 were actually diagnosed with a mental disorder.

7. If the school had only had more security. SWAT teams, metal detectors, video cameras, and ID badgers don’t deter school shooters. If someone is determined to kill someone they can do it.

8. He never touched a gun. Most school shooters have access to guns, usually from their home. The Columbine shooters bought their guns illegally.

9. The school did everything they could to help them. Some attackers seek out help from administrators and law enforcement, but many feel they are ignored. Many school shooters target principals and teachers.

10. School violence is rampant. School violence is a major problem, but like I said school shootings are very rare. Assaults and other violence in schools have dropped in half in the past decade.

It would do our world good if the media would keep things in perspective, not sensationalize, and tell the truth. There are two constants throughout history; things always get better, and the people living always think things are getting worse. I plan to do a lot of entries about the media. You can look forward to that.

Note: Look how MSNBC titled the piece about the Finland school shooting.

“Nine dead in rare school shooting in Finland”

I doubt they would of titled it that had it of been an American school.