Sheer lunacy...

Hugh Hewitt, on NBC's decision to publish the pictures and video sent to them by the Virginia Tech killer...

....I would have published --instantly-- the text of the killer's statement's for the public to read, but I would have denied the killer the instant video glorification he so obviously desired, an immortalization which other deranged killers of the future will almost certainly seek to emulate. NBC decided differently...

...Two days ago I shared a stage with NBC News president Steve Capus. Earlier today I commented on what I considered to be his cluelessness about the contempt in which MSM is held as well as my amazement at Capus' pride in MSM's Katrina coverage. Tonight I am dumbfounded by his --and his colleagues'-- decision-making in this matter. Instantly their decision to air the video and publish the pictures revolted vast numbers of ordinary Americans of all political opinions. (My sister-in-law, a very, very liberal individual, just said to me that "I don't recall ever hearing of anything so irresponsible.") I heard an outraged clinical psychiatrist from NYU University denouncing the decision in the harshest terms on Los Angeles radio station KNX.

The airing of the pictures and video is obviously a hurtful and destructive act, one that will prime many killing pumps in the years ahead, and one obviously made on the fly by individuals of almost no experience with or curiosity about the deranged mind. Would it have killed Capus et al to ask around a bit about what to do? Of course not, but their decision could indeed kill others down the road. They acted as their own guides, because that is the way the business works. In their very, very closed world, it made sense. To the vast majority of Americans it was an appalling, horrific decision, far worse than what Don Imus had to say last week...

It's pretty obvious that how people "act out" insanity is partly learned behavior. An Indonesian will likely go "Mataglap" and suddenly run down the street slashing people with a Kris. In other places such a thing never happens. He's learned that from his culture.

Our news media are teaching people that the way to go crazy is to get a gun and shoot a lot of people. (And to send a video to NBC, to give you a moment of crazy glory!!)

I remember when the news of Columbine broke, and I was unfortunately stuck in a place where I had to listen to the radio. And so I spent a couple of miserable hours while news idiots talked to each other, saying over and over and over, "We don't know what happened, but apparently there's been a shooting." It was like some crazy experiment in hypnotic conditioning. If I ever go nuts it is more likely, because of that, that I might shoot something up. (You Lefties can relax, I never watch television, so I'm probably the least likely to ever do such a thing. If I go mad there will barrages of blog-posts.)

Actually, there should by law be a news blackout on coverage of these things. that's so obvious it will never happen..