Housekeeping: Should We Have Posted The Roanoke GoPro Video?

By Robert Farago

Out and about today, I followed the WBDJ shooting story on MSNBC’s satellite radio channel. The anchor announced that Twitter and Facebook had deleted the accounts showing the killer’s instantly infamous GoPro video of the murder. The news org’s anchor said the network wasn’t going to run it, or the live footage taken by the now-dead cameraman. Thomas Roberts did, however, describe the shooter’s video, moment-by-moment. What was the point of that? Now I realize . . .

that there are excellent arguments for not showing the video. Running it gives satisfaction to its heinous creator, who deserves none. It could inspire copycat killers. It’s an affront to the sole survivor of the attack, and the victims’ colleagues, friends and family. These are all compelling reasons. But they must be balanced against other important factors.

For one thing, if we are to confront violence, we must confront violence. The best way to acknowledge its existence – and decide how to deal with it both as individuals and as a society – we must see it. It’s one thing to talk about defensive gun uses, or the lack of defensive gun uses, or the need to be ready to perform a defensive …read more

Source:: Truth About Guns