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Nick said:
Although I realize this is way off-topic as it relates to radio, I will offer this opinion in rebuttal.
With stiffer gun control laws enacted, the only people who will be unarmed are law abiding citizens - people who actually obey the law. Criminals, on the other hand, will always find a way to obtain a firearm. Furthermore, there are already laws in place to prevent the sale of any firearm to mentally challenged individuals.
In conclusion, expect a public outcry and public demand to enact new legislation to "prevent" further tragedies as the one that occurred over the past few days. However, any new legislation is redundant since there are already laws that make it illegal to publicly display a firearm and furthermore use it to kill anyone.
jmtillery said:
I agree. One could also say if it was not for the federal Gun Free School Zones Act maybe the shooter could have been taken out and some or all the deaths prevented.
The public out cry is out of misdirected anger, ignorance of the laws we have, the facts of the case, combined with propaganda from the media and politicians. The media and government are going to use this as one stepping stone to further curtail private gun ownership with the ultimate goal over time to completely ban private gun ownership.
TimeIsTight said:
You know, I've been wanting to ask this question but haven't had the opportunity until now: why are all these foreign channels so interested in us? Really, I know we're still somewhat of a global power but we're not all that more important than everyone else. I mean, all these so-called international channels just parrot the "world is better off without America" line. Doesn't matter what channel you look to: CCTV, RT, Al-J, BBC, F24. All say the same thing. Yes, we have Voice of America but I don't think the average American even cares about what they do. I really hate this "global village" thing. It's really a bunch of elitist leftists who found a way to annoy and undermine unity by catering to a bunch of self-hating other elites who have an axe to grind against this country. And they sure must pay well because my cable provider has this garbage on the basic tier. And, no, I'm not one of the Fox News groupies, either. In fact, I don't trust any of the commentary-news channels. The Internet is where I can find more actual news.
I would love it if those governments decided that they're throwing money down the drain and withdraw funding for those channels. ;D
A few days after Hurricane Sandy, some poster from our fine commonwealth bemoaned the coverage provided by PA stations. He claimed that 99% of the coverage was superfluous.
I don't know if the rest of us were being baited -- sometimes that happens. And his protests might have held some merit from a programming perspective, or from a priority viewpoint.
Except that he packaged his critique with an inordinate contempt for 'fogies' who, in his vision, lolled in rocking chairs and yearned for the 'good old days'.
And of course, no credit whatsoever was given to stations that did their job and provided stellar coverage.
In short, I'm in agreement here with everyone who thinks radio should do its job. If possible, you get the call right and answer any questions ex post facto.
It's a shame that radio gets to be a crucial factor and stand out only during disastrous times. Even then, though, any discussion which follows in the aftermath about making conditions safer is one important spinoff worth investigating. That theory is not limited just to shootings. If the superstorm had hit three days later in the colder weather, for example, there likely would've been thousands dead -- including people that many of us would have known.
Put my ballot on the 'Coverage -- yes' stack. It still isn't officially winter yet, the worst power-outage season of them all, and this region has seen blizzards as late as the end of March. *Any* extra means of precaution, awareness or discussion is welcome here, and can only be an improvement. Be it gun-control discussion and whatever political feedback ..... or the coinciding of more precise weather information within a county or a region ..... or the efficiency of the power companies with improved updates : This is radio doing its job. The people who don't like the idea of 'over-saturation' (and particularly the radio people who bemaon it, have the same on-off switch and tuning knob as those average listeners tuning in have.
I don't know if the rest of us were being baited -- sometimes that happens. And his protests might have held some merit from a programming perspective, or from a priority viewpoint.
Except that he packaged his critique with an inordinate contempt for 'fogies' who, in his vision, lolled in rocking chairs and yearned for the 'good old days'.
And of course, no credit whatsoever was given to stations that did their job and provided stellar coverage.
In short, I'm in agreement here with everyone who thinks radio should do its job. If possible, you get the call right and answer any questions ex post facto.
It's a shame that radio gets to be a crucial factor and stand out only during disastrous times. Even then, though, any discussion which follows in the aftermath about making conditions safer is one important spinoff worth investigating. That theory is not limited just to shootings. If the superstorm had hit three days later in the colder weather, for example, there likely would've been thousands dead -- including people that many of us would have known.
Put my ballot on the 'Coverage -- yes' stack. It still isn't officially winter yet, the worst power-outage season of them all, and this region has seen blizzards as late as the end of March. *Any* extra means of precaution, awareness or discussion is welcome here, and can only be an improvement. Be it gun-control discussion and whatever political feedback ..... or the coinciding of more precise weather information within a county or a region ..... or the efficiency of the power companies with improved updates : This is radio doing its job. The people who don't like the idea of 'over-saturation' (and particularly the radio people who bemaon it, have the same on-off switch and tuning knob as those average listeners tuning in have.
We are still the most influential and powerful nation on the planet, but the shooting spree at a children's summer camp in tiny Norway got as much international coverage a year or two ago. It's a sad situation that is newsworthy for any human being who has children.
From a radio perspective, these new international foreign government English language news channels are just the 21st Century version of 1950s and 60s Cold War short-wave radio broadcasts. The idea is really nothing new.
I just wouldn't lump them all together in the "against America" pile. The BBC started its international radio broadcasting as a way of keeping subjects of the worldwide British Empire informed about what was going on in the "Mother Country." It has always adhered to strict journalistic standards, and, as one who has spent hours a week, for decades, listening to or watching its coverage it is definitely not anti-American. The BBC in the UK actually ran the interfaith service from Connecticut live on Sunday night, when many American networks did not. Ditto on no bias, for the stations belonging to our allies including Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany etc.
And, surprisingly, I would include Al Jazerra English on that list. From what I have seen they also adhere to real journalistic standards in their news coverage. Many of the reporters are former BBC or CNN types, and the target audience is truly global.
It should also be remembered that Al Jazeera is based in Qatar. That small Persian Gulf country spent $1-billion building an air base used by US forces (CENTCOM) as a logistics, command, and basing hub for US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The TV network seems to play the news straight, they really do an exceptional journalistic job, and that country is on our side.
These relatively new "international" news channels can provide Americans with coverage, and a world perspective that they can't get just watching channels that treat Lindsay Lohan as important news. As with US TV channels, and radio stations, that fill their air time with partisan propaganda Americans should just be careful about what they believe.
When it comes to radio, the obvious emotional "we're all good, they're all bad" programming on shortwave from Radio Pyongyang in North Korea was always a pathetic and obvious delusional fraud, that all but the most gullible listeners could immediately hear through. It was the perfect example of organized propaganda that you could never believe.
What has been really shocking is how some "freedom loving lockstep programming" US commercial radio stations have slowly evolved into sounding just like Cold War North Korean propaganda radio, it's just that they have a different set of bad guys who are always wrong, and a different set of good guys who are always as pure as fresh snow.
The lesson is, whether it's international or home grown, be skeptical of what you see and hear and the motives behind it. More information choices are better than fewer, as long as you are paying attention.
M
Marckd
Guest
There are arguments on coverage both ways. Some say tons of it - others say little coverage would be better. I do think Nationally it was covered too much. All 3 major Networks covered it, Fox News offered affiliates coverage, and huge independent stations like KTLA Los Angeles and WGN TV Chicago covered it as well (okay they are CW affiliates but I still conside such stations independent still being CW only offers a couple hours of shows a day)..But there is no absoulte right or wrong.
Should gun control laws be tougher??? There are arguments on this too. I am not sure either way on that.
Should gun control laws be tougher??? There are arguments on this too. I am not sure either way on that.
It was a tragedy indeed. Everyone was locked inside too. In China, the same day, a man went through a school stabbing and cutting 22 children. There were a number of similar incidents that all occurred on the same day at the same time of day in respective time zones. More than the excessive coverage, while much else was going on, served as merely a distraction; at the same time it was all entirely coincidental.
There is one person on a small town radio station who uses it for musical remake material.
It is sad and pathetic indeed.
There is one person on a small town radio station who uses it for musical remake material.
It is sad and pathetic indeed.
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