In lieu of the mall shooting yesterday in Omaha, NE, I can’t help but wonder why. Reports claim that the shooter was depressed and that he had some problems. A quote from the family that had taken him in stated that nobody wanted him. In a note he left, he stated that he wouldn’t have to be a burden to his family anymore. In the second part of the note it stated ‘now I’ll be famous.’
This second part of the note is what is most striking to me. The shooter wanted to be famous – to be important. There are a lot of theories that come to mind when I see this depression and fame combination. What kind of fame? Did he just want to be loved? Did he want to be loved by the people that were around him? The Times article states that he had just recently broken up with his girlfriend. He had also just lost his job and was estranged from his family. In the States there is so much emphasis on the rich and famous. There are hundreds of tabloids, websites, and television shows devoted to the junk in Hollywood. No one wants to be a doctor anymore. It is too much work. No one wants to be a factory worker anymore. It is too much work- and no pay. No one wants to be a teacher anymore- it’s just not important enough. On my way home from work yesterday I heard a commercial on the radio that wanted all the parents to call them if their kids were good at acting. “You can be famous in ONE phone call.” They could be in such garbage shows as Hannah Montana, and other not-so-important manifestations of life. The only thing people want to be today are rock stars, movie stars, or just stars that sit around and be famous just because. It’s a sad day when no one wants to save lives or teach the next generation. It isn’t enough to be important to family, friends, and a surrounding community. Today, those things are not important. They are not relevant enough. Everything has to be about the ‘i’ the ‘my’ and ‘you’.
When did shooting people with intent to kill become something to be famous for? Is this world so desperate to be noticed that death is the only way? Obviously, not everyone thinks like this kid. But these random shooting have gotten more “popular” over the years. And though none of the shooters are put in a good light, the shooters do seem to become famous in the world – even if it is for fifteen minutes. In reality it is probably the only way they were ever going to make the news. Only a small percentage of people can be famous. And a famous quote: ‘if it bleeds it reads’ has become the way to fame.
For me I would gladly like to forget all the stars in Hollywood. (And you can claim that some of them are ‘doing good’. Which is true.) I would like to put the fame into people who really deserve it. Ordinary people with ordinary lives. People who love and care for the people and the world around them. It’s kind of cheesy, yes. But in reality these are the people that are important to me- and will be forever. My family and friends are the famous people to me.
This second part of the note is what is most striking to me. The shooter wanted to be famous – to be important. There are a lot of theories that come to mind when I see this depression and fame combination. What kind of fame? Did he just want to be loved? Did he want to be loved by the people that were around him? The Times article states that he had just recently broken up with his girlfriend. He had also just lost his job and was estranged from his family. In the States there is so much emphasis on the rich and famous. There are hundreds of tabloids, websites, and television shows devoted to the junk in Hollywood. No one wants to be a doctor anymore. It is too much work. No one wants to be a factory worker anymore. It is too much work- and no pay. No one wants to be a teacher anymore- it’s just not important enough. On my way home from work yesterday I heard a commercial on the radio that wanted all the parents to call them if their kids were good at acting. “You can be famous in ONE phone call.” They could be in such garbage shows as Hannah Montana, and other not-so-important manifestations of life. The only thing people want to be today are rock stars, movie stars, or just stars that sit around and be famous just because. It’s a sad day when no one wants to save lives or teach the next generation. It isn’t enough to be important to family, friends, and a surrounding community. Today, those things are not important. They are not relevant enough. Everything has to be about the ‘i’ the ‘my’ and ‘you’.
When did shooting people with intent to kill become something to be famous for? Is this world so desperate to be noticed that death is the only way? Obviously, not everyone thinks like this kid. But these random shooting have gotten more “popular” over the years. And though none of the shooters are put in a good light, the shooters do seem to become famous in the world – even if it is for fifteen minutes. In reality it is probably the only way they were ever going to make the news. Only a small percentage of people can be famous. And a famous quote: ‘if it bleeds it reads’ has become the way to fame.
For me I would gladly like to forget all the stars in Hollywood. (And you can claim that some of them are ‘doing good’. Which is true.) I would like to put the fame into people who really deserve it. Ordinary people with ordinary lives. People who love and care for the people and the world around them. It’s kind of cheesy, yes. But in reality these are the people that are important to me- and will be forever. My family and friends are the famous people to me.
3 comments:
Who knows why this kid did it? But, we do know why 8 lives were snuffed out in moments... because he had a gun.
I'm not an advocate for guns, but gun control does not end death. There are many reasons why people kill each other. Today the common use is guns and bommbs, before guns there were other methods.
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