Are we wallowing in our grief?

http://on.cnn.com/17kc0gJ

---Pat Oswalt

We experienced another act of terrorism, yesterday.  Our initial reaction was disbelief.  Things have been quiet since 9/11 and we have grown complacent.  The fear of terrorism has been there, back in the deep recesses of our minds, but we've gone about our lives. We didn't let in control us.  We didn't give into the fear.  Deep down we hoped and prayed that it would go away.  Unfortunately, there are people in this world that want our attention and the way they go about it is obscene.  We will not give in to them.  We will endure. 

Pat Oswalt summed it up better than I ever could: 

"This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness," 

"But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

"So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, 'The good outnumber you, and we always will.' "

Well said, Pat.

I have been watching the news coverage since yesterday afternoon.  It didn't take long for me to feel uncomfortable.  Yes, I wanted as much information the networks could give me, but after seeing the same footage, the same information presented so many times I lost count, I felt something was very wrong.

I have accused the media of exploiting news for ratings before.  Newspapers, networks, cable, online news organizations, etc. are all competing for sound bytes.  You notice it the most on slow news days.  The most innocent of incidents suddenly is being shown on every major news outlet.  It is most horrific when a tragedy is involved.  

By the time the late night news was over, most of the country and the world had been informed as to what happened.  In the hurry to feed the demand for information, the media were not always correct.  The two sources rule was thrown out years ago in the quest for ratings. That always bothers me (prepare for another rant on this subject later.)  What bothered me more was the constant repetition.  Was it necessary to bludgeon us with it?  Are we part of the problem?

After a point, I couldn't bear to watch anymore.  I picked up a book and consulted online sources later for updates.  I am not being insensitive.  I am as shell shocked as anyone by the tragedy.  I want the bastards who did this caught and strung up.  However, is our watching the footage for hours on end, helping anyone?  Are we wallowing in our grief?

I admit that I am no kid.  I remember when networks would break into television programming only in major crises.  They would give you the information they had and say, "more at eleven."  In cases like the Boston Marathon, they would stay on longer, but they wouldn't repeat the same information.  They would get back to you when new information was available.  

So why is this happening?  We need to be informed.  We need to know if this country is under attack, but are we getting off on it?  We must grieve.  We must determine who did this, but do we need to be glued to our televisions, revisiting every word, every sound and every graphic image?

In cases like this, I see the media as partially to blame.  They repeat footage, because they don't have anything new to present and they are unable to meet the demand. If they don't meet the demand, viewers switch channels or go to other outlets.  (See Don Henley's lyrics for "Dirty Laundry," http://www.elyrics.net/read/d/don-henley-lyrics/dirty-laundry-lyrics.html )

I believe it is our fault, as well.  After our initial reaction, we need to take a breath and be patient.  New information will be presented as it becomes available.  It okay to be sad.  It is okay to grieve, but don't allow it to overtake your life.  It is not only unhealthy, but you are giving the bastards what they want.  

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What do you think?