Middle of the country - silent regarding the NAVY Yard Shooting

[Anonymous]

I am in the middle of the country, and my heart goes out to all of you affected by the shooting. I love DC, mostly for its diverse population. When I am in DC, I have the constant urge to ask the person next to me about their story. Because everyone has one. I can't say that for the area I am in or most of the other places I've visited. So when the people of DC were hurt, I took it personally.

But around here, nobody seemed to acknowledge the shooting, and that's incredibly sad. there is usually a very somber mood following these events, and people talk about it. my FB feed is full of "thoughts and prayers" comments from some and "if there had been more guns on site, this wouldn't have happened" from others. But this time, there was nothing. I had one FB friend acknowledge it. Are we just becoming numb to these killings? Our feelings were maxed out after Sandy Hook?

Even the right wingers didn't have anything to say. Even after sandy Hook, I heard from a lot of right wingers making excuses - don't blame the guns, this was carried out by the gov't to distract from Benghazi, if only the teachers had been armed. The list goes on.

So, why do you think this is? Wondering if people have noticed the same in other parts of the country.

[Anonymous]

Sadly, the murder of a dozen people in their workplace is not juicy news for the news media industry. No dead kids, no dead young parents leaving orphaned infants behind, no Muslim/evangelical Christian killer, no illegally bought weapon. Basically, nothing to keep the news cycle churning.

Make no mistake, the cable news channels have second by second data for when people click off their channel (Syria) and they know when channel surfers stop on their channel (Casey Anthony).

There is not much about this story that carries the conversation beyond the first 24 hours. It's awful and very sad to read in the paper (yes, that thing on my doorstep) the stories of each of the dead, including the murderer.

[Anonymous]

Yeah I wondered the same thing. But I actually think it's a good thing. I think a lot of these mass murderers want notoriety and we're giving it to them with the news.

But yeah the Boston bombing had a lot more notoriety where only 3 died (although many many injuries) vs the 12 that died at the Navy yard.

[Anonymous]

It's been nonstop coverage on WTOP (radio) and NPR, both of which I listen to (I'm in the DC area).

[Anonymous]

Talked to a cousin in the southeast US that day. She was VERY aware and concerned--and she is NOT a news junkie.

[Anonymous]

It's Washington. The rest of the country hates it. They never talk about the attack on the pentagon. It's always NY and the field in Pa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's Washington. The rest of the country hates it. They never talk about the attack on the pentagon. It's always NY and the field in Pa.

This is SO true. I feel like the rest of the US assumes that, on the basis of Harrison Ford movies, DC is supposed to receive carnage on a regular basis. So when it happens, the US shrugs. That somehow the secretary who lost a leg at the finish line at the Boston marathon is somehow more tragic because she's in Boston, and the secretary who lost an eye in Navy Yard is less tragic -- she should have excreted such things, being in DC and all

[Anonymous]

ExPECTed, not excreted.

[Anonymous]

They hate the idea of DC but love the goodies DC provides.

[Anonymous]

You are kidding, right? It is all over the local news in my small Midwest town. That and the 13 people shot in a Chicago park last night, including a 3 year old boy. You like to pretend the Midwest in insular, but I haven't seen any outrage about that shooting on DCUM. Maybe we are the progressive ones.

[Anonymous]

Where does somebody get this stuff that others don't care? Everyone I talk to outside of Washington is well aware of it.

[Anonymous]

what we've learned in the last year or two, I think, is that mass killings are local news unless there is something photogenic like kids/teenagers or nationally relevant like a Congresswoman.

[Anonymous]

Your facebook friends may not be indicative of the entire middle of the country. Pretty small sample size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am in the middle of the country, and my heart goes out to all of you affected by the shooting. I love DC, mostly for its diverse population. When I am in DC, I have the constant urge to ask the person next to me about their story. Because everyone has one. I can't say that for the area I am in or most of the other places I've visited. So when the people of DC were hurt, I took it personally.

But around here, nobody seemed to acknowledge the shooting, and that's incredibly sad. there is usually a very somber mood following these events, and people talk about it. my FB feed is full of "thoughts and prayers" comments from some and "if there had been more guns on site, this wouldn't have happened" from others. But this time, there was nothing. I had one FB friend acknowledge it. Are we just becoming numb to these killings? Our feelings were maxed out after Sandy Hook?

Even the right wingers didn't have anything to say. Even after sandy Hook, I heard from a lot of right wingers making excuses - don't blame the guns, this was carried out by the gov't to distract from Benghazi, if only the teachers had been armed. The list goes on.

So, why do you think this is? Wondering if people have noticed the same in other parts of the country.

I don't have an answer at this point.
I'm still shocked that this happened, but with a husband at Navy Yard, I want to thank you, OP, for thinking of us!

[Anonymous]

I watched the Daily Show to see how they would cover it and they did a very humorous bit about all of CNN's hurried, false statements. I had mixed feelings about it. Yes, they were right about cable news coverage and it was very funny but it seemed like there should have been some acknowledgement of what a dark deed this was. I think maybe people are just getting tired of massacres and don't know how to react.

On the other hand, I wouldn't blame the Midwest. We didn't hear much about the school killings in Chardon, Ohio out here either. In the gun control march following the Newtown massacre, I marched next to parents who had lost their son in that shooting. I don't have any point to make with that - just that I became more aware of the Chardon shootings after talking to someone who had been personally affected by it. No one should have to lose a family member that way.