It is with great sadness today that we again as a nation are faced with a situation we all have to look at and assess.
Yesterday, in a small town called NewTown, Connecticut, residents faced the worst horror they could imagine and are trying desperately to find a way to make sense of it and heal. With Christmas knocking on our door, presents sit under these families trees that await children they have now lost. This story in its self has rocked our nation and the world. We all try to find a way to make sense of something that we will never understand. We as a nation need stories focusing on hope. Stories of restoration.
Instead of being able to find some solace in turning on the radio or television to fill the airspace with music or background noise,or visit the internet to visit a social site...these families and this nation's ears and eyes are filled with repetitive stories detailing every possible horriffic spec and detail that can be found about this incident. Glory is being given to a man who was mentally ill and did a horrendous deed. A man who should never be spoken of, identified in any way, not motives, not life history, not premurder details for the world to see or know. He deserves no air time other than he died in the shooting and no man hunt is needed. This man should remain nameless and faceless to anyone but authorities and those who lost their loved ones. But he is given unprecedented air time and focus. Why? In addition, the stories are being shown repetitively, filled with fear, hammering in to our nation grief beyond words when we need words of hope. Who cares about this man now...he is gone. We have to focus on the families and the loved ones who are left behind sowing love, prayer, respect for privacy and hope in their direction. How can we help them? What are their needs? They need healing. Some may need financial help for funeral costs. Meals so they dont have to cook. Maybe some have lost the only person in their life they were close to. They dont need to hear again and again and again about a story that has ruined their lives. We need to heal as a nation. No amount of interviews with "specialists, or experts" can bring back or change what happened. All the media is doing is filling others who are ill with ideas on how to leave the world with a terrible imprint and their name becoming famous in the process. No fame should ever be given to someone who does these atrocious things. They dont deserve it. Our nation does not deserve it.
One of the saddest things we saw yesterday was children from the elementary school, who had just endured the worst experience in American Schools and in their own little lives, being violated by interviews from news stations when respect and comfort should have been given instead. Truly, who would interview a small child who had just witnessed multiple deaths. Don't courts protect children from being interviewed by attorneys? Many times children are not allowed in court to protect their hearts. Why is television interviewing allowed after a shooting of this kind of horriffic nature? And to a small child? It is only by grace that the names of the families have not been divulged because these families will begin to be hounded by media wanting a story to further their career, children will be hounded, and we have to ask ourselves...why do we let this happen?
My biggest prayer is that the news media, with a position to bring such an impact of hope instead of fear, will begin to look at how trauma brings depression, how repetetive fear based reporting brings trauma and deepens trauma, and how hammering people with all the statistics and details does not help a nation to heal, but makes things worse for everyone. It definately does not help those who are suffering horribly who lost so much.
While this really isnt a news report...it is a plea to America to protect it's citizens. Its a call to news reporters to regain the heart they once had and begin to think like the nation..like the family who needs love..to begin to think how to bring emotional health back in to our nation. Fear based reporting beats emotional health down. We have a voice to set a standard that will help our nation heal after tragedy.What does that look like and how can our reporters and news stations rise to a new standard that looks different...news that brings hope. Today, we have a nation that is mourning and crying. We need stories of hope. My prayers are going out to this community, this school, and especially these families who need so much love. I pray you receive the privacy you deserve to heal. I pray people donate funds to help you pay for memorials and funerals, I pray you find comfort in your tears, and I pray you receive genuine friendship and love from all you meet each day. Protect your hearts from repetitive story telling. Take time to rest, and eat, and be with loved ones. I am so sorry for your losses. We as a nation are praying for you and we mourn with you as we pray for better days ahead. God Bless you.
Yesterday, in a small town called NewTown, Connecticut, residents faced the worst horror they could imagine and are trying desperately to find a way to make sense of it and heal. With Christmas knocking on our door, presents sit under these families trees that await children they have now lost. This story in its self has rocked our nation and the world. We all try to find a way to make sense of something that we will never understand. We as a nation need stories focusing on hope. Stories of restoration.
Instead of being able to find some solace in turning on the radio or television to fill the airspace with music or background noise,or visit the internet to visit a social site...these families and this nation's ears and eyes are filled with repetitive stories detailing every possible horriffic spec and detail that can be found about this incident. Glory is being given to a man who was mentally ill and did a horrendous deed. A man who should never be spoken of, identified in any way, not motives, not life history, not premurder details for the world to see or know. He deserves no air time other than he died in the shooting and no man hunt is needed. This man should remain nameless and faceless to anyone but authorities and those who lost their loved ones. But he is given unprecedented air time and focus. Why? In addition, the stories are being shown repetitively, filled with fear, hammering in to our nation grief beyond words when we need words of hope. Who cares about this man now...he is gone. We have to focus on the families and the loved ones who are left behind sowing love, prayer, respect for privacy and hope in their direction. How can we help them? What are their needs? They need healing. Some may need financial help for funeral costs. Meals so they dont have to cook. Maybe some have lost the only person in their life they were close to. They dont need to hear again and again and again about a story that has ruined their lives. We need to heal as a nation. No amount of interviews with "specialists, or experts" can bring back or change what happened. All the media is doing is filling others who are ill with ideas on how to leave the world with a terrible imprint and their name becoming famous in the process. No fame should ever be given to someone who does these atrocious things. They dont deserve it. Our nation does not deserve it.
One of the saddest things we saw yesterday was children from the elementary school, who had just endured the worst experience in American Schools and in their own little lives, being violated by interviews from news stations when respect and comfort should have been given instead. Truly, who would interview a small child who had just witnessed multiple deaths. Don't courts protect children from being interviewed by attorneys? Many times children are not allowed in court to protect their hearts. Why is television interviewing allowed after a shooting of this kind of horriffic nature? And to a small child? It is only by grace that the names of the families have not been divulged because these families will begin to be hounded by media wanting a story to further their career, children will be hounded, and we have to ask ourselves...why do we let this happen?
My biggest prayer is that the news media, with a position to bring such an impact of hope instead of fear, will begin to look at how trauma brings depression, how repetetive fear based reporting brings trauma and deepens trauma, and how hammering people with all the statistics and details does not help a nation to heal, but makes things worse for everyone. It definately does not help those who are suffering horribly who lost so much.
While this really isnt a news report...it is a plea to America to protect it's citizens. Its a call to news reporters to regain the heart they once had and begin to think like the nation..like the family who needs love..to begin to think how to bring emotional health back in to our nation. Fear based reporting beats emotional health down. We have a voice to set a standard that will help our nation heal after tragedy.What does that look like and how can our reporters and news stations rise to a new standard that looks different...news that brings hope. Today, we have a nation that is mourning and crying. We need stories of hope. My prayers are going out to this community, this school, and especially these families who need so much love. I pray you receive the privacy you deserve to heal. I pray people donate funds to help you pay for memorials and funerals, I pray you find comfort in your tears, and I pray you receive genuine friendship and love from all you meet each day. Protect your hearts from repetitive story telling. Take time to rest, and eat, and be with loved ones. I am so sorry for your losses. We as a nation are praying for you and we mourn with you as we pray for better days ahead. God Bless you.