Actually, this doesn't make me frustrated. This is a welcome bit of reality to me.
Forgive me that I'm posting with about 3 sips of coffee in me and with a sleep-hazed mind. We just got awakened by a tornado coming over.
But anyway...
It's about time that society realizes that the government and/or the authorities cannot do anything to protect you. Did the government miraculously prevent Katrina? It seems that a lot of people really believe that they should have been able to. Has an armed LEO force ever prevented a mass-shooting? No. They manage the aftermath.
The fact is that no amount of government intervention will have a significant impact on something bad happening to you. No amount of preperation of those NOT in that situation at that very time will do anything to stop a tragedy.
Tragedies such as this one can ONLY be prevented by people in that place at that time. And there is no guarentee that they'll be sucessful.
Where I get frustrated is how the media and "experts" repeatedly parrot the same words and sentiment that "ordinary" people could never stop something like this.
I hope you realize that this is a carefully crafted message that HAS an intended purpose.
The "experts" are terrified that there will be a type of "vigilante" movement of empowered and active "ordinary" people. It is their belief that this would cause errors and mistakes. Moreover, they are afraid that this will complicate their job where they may go after the wrong person. Instead they'd rather keep things simplified by making efforts to prevent "ordinary" people from taking actions. If that means that a few more people get killed, well it would be a tradegy, but the lawsuit would likely not come from that-- unlike shooting an "ordinary" person. And after all, things like this will have casualties. No one would blame them for that.
I want to repeat this....
I hope you realize that this is a carefully crafted message that HAS an intended purpose.
I've got a master's in Public Relations w/ emphasis in Crisis and Issues Management. This may be the thing that has jaded me more than anything else.
Before, I would listen to the news and if I disagreed with the editoralizing, I'd just say "What an idiot." Now I realize something:
The statements made are often not by accident. Do you think that the "experts" they put on to discuss events are not coached? Who do you think coaches them? That's right... the PR guy.
Messages can be crafted. Particular words are used with the right inflections as to portray "understood" and "undeniable" truth-- even when it isn't the truth. When a message comes from the PR guy, there are NO candid statements. The playing field has been surveyed and the pieces lined up for one goal:
To tell you exactly what you are supposed to think and believe.
After all... The man known as the "Father of Public Relations," Edward Bernays, himself gave this definition to the art of Public Relations:
"Public Relations is the Art of Engineering Consent."
and that my friends, is a polite way of saying to tell you what to think.
Sadly, it seems a HUGE part of our population fall for this every day from various sources.
-- John
