News of the mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand hit me in a different manner than most other mass shootings have. Part of that is because I’ve been to Christchurch and found it absolutely idyllic. The other part is because one of the first things I saw was that video had been livestreamed by at least one of the shooters.
I was immediately reminded of the murders of Alison Parker and Adam Ward, the two Virginia journalists murdered by a former coworker who streamed his attack on the internet. I didn’t watch that video, I’m not going to watch this video from New Zealand, and I urge you not to watch them either.
The bad guys want, more than anything, for their twisted voice to be heard by society. The more we reward their disgusting actions by giving them a platform, the more they win – and the more other losers are bound to decide that’s the course of action they need to take.
We shouldn’t read their “manifesto” either. Again, they’re desperate for society to hear what they have to say, to have others read their words, and perhaps even influence some weak minds to their side. Let’s not make their task easier.
I truly believe that one of the most effective ways to reduce mass killings – including bombings and vehicle attacks which seem to be on the rise – is to erase the attackers from our collective memory. Don’t read their words. Don’t watch their videos. Don’t seek out stories about their past or how their childhood was or wasn’t perfect. Don’t say their name; even better, start wiping them from public knowledge and deny them the notoriety they seek.
These people are, have been, and always will be pathetic losers who could not succeed or even properly function in society, but were too weak to leave civilization and survive in the woods. Instead, these losers lash out at innocent people, robbing the rest of us of what the fallen might have contributed to society and what happiness they might have found for themselves. We should not reward their deplorable behavior with the exact goal they sought: a bigger microphone.
I haven’t read the manifesto, so cannot confirm the authenticity, but saw a snippet that basically said “were using guns because it will stir up the gun control movement, which will further polarize US politics”.
And that’s just one more way we should not give them what they want.