The Ultimate "If It Bleeds, it Leads".

Yes, it's very sad that two young people, a reporter and a cameraman, were cut down in the prime of life.
I suppose it's even sadder that it happened on live TV.
But really, how much sadder?
It's certainly a lot more interesting, particularly since the video is so graphic.
Although, for the most part, they don't show you the actual shooting.
They stop just short of the trigger being pulled.
But it was shown on AOL, which means that it's pretty easy for it to go viral.
They've since pulled the graphic version, but it's still easily accessible if you want to go to the trouble.
On AOL, you got to see the young girl staring into the camera, much like a deer staring into the headlights.
It's frightening.
So congratulations to those networks that at least showed that much restraint.
But let's face it.
The shooter choreographed this whole thing.
He got exactly what he wanted out of this.
His dying wish, so to speak.
He got the whole world to pay attention to this.
At least for a 24 hour news cycle.
And networks have been eager to accommodate him.
Social media only makes things worse.
But this would have happened if social media didn't even exist.
People are murdered every day.
And they go largely unnoticed.
People no worse or less important than these folks in Virginia.
But for them, there are no outpourings of grief by politicians about them.
This whole thing reminds me of the Challenger disaster in 1986.
The entire country got to witness all those Astronauts get blown up.
But if the Shuttle had gotten far enough out of camera range, without everybody's family in attendance, it wouldn't have had the kind of impact that it did.
Other Astronauts were blown up in space on other Shuttles, but they aren't remembered because we didn't see it happen.
I generally abhor Local News, because the watchword on every broadcast is "If it bleeds, it leads".
Chicago is terrible for this.
Local news is unwatchable.
They always lead with a murder.
And there's a new one every day.
There's a numbing effect to it all.
So when one becomes a national story, it only compounds the felony.
There's no getting away from it.
The only positive outcome that can happen from this is if there is a considerable beefing up of gun control.
And class, what do we think the chances are of that happening?

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My books, "Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download it.
They can be downloaded on IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is that you can't sign one.
But they are available for people without Kindle.
If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

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