One of the flaws in human nature that keeps us from seeing true causes is that we often react emotionally and unconsciously to events that upset us. If we are unable to see true causes because we are distracted and trapped by illusions or false perceptions of reality, how can we resolve the issues that confound us? I believe the mainstream media is caught in one of these perceptive illusions in that by blaming gun violence and mass shootings on guns they distract themselves from their own contributions to this violence.
I see this same thing playing out where the US Forest Service blames drought, global warming, lightning, arson etc. for catastrophic fire when in fact it has been their own misguided policies the past decades of fire exclusion that is mainly responsible for the problem. Fire is a part of nature and when you exclude the light fire to which light fire ecosystems are adapted you build up fuel loads to catastrophic levels. This sets the stage for catastrophic fire under drought conditions when the forest is ignited by lighting or arson.
I see the exact same evolutionary problem acting out between the media and mass school shootings. In this case lonely mentally ill individuals desperate for attention decide to commit suicide in a dramatic as possible way to gain mass public attention. The media seem unaware that they are contributing to the problem and are a player in the drama. Instead of blaming themselves for this violence they shift the blame away from themselves and on to guns. This is the same as the Forest Service blaming ignition sources and drought for catastrophic fire.
In both of these cases the fact that these land management agencies and the press agencies are able to keep control of the narrative makes it hard for dissenting voices to be heard. Anybody that expresses views contrary to the official narrative is either excluded from the conversation or marginalized. Its only when dissidents are able to be heard that it becomes possible to see the true causes and the situation eventually remedied.
In the case of catastrophic wildfire the remedy is good light fire management through prescribed fires that periodically remove debris buildup in the forest before they can reach catastrophic levels. In the case of the press the remedy may be periodic press blackouts of specific violent events when it is ascertained that the coverage itself is fueling future mass shootings.
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