The last few days have once again shown how utterly ridiculous parts of our society are. In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, we saw news outlets fumble over themselves, eager to announce the next terror, while feigning disgust. Another device found! A controlled detonation! No, a fire! CNN led the way in pathetic reporting. A timeline of CNN’s inept coverage is as amusing as it is disgusting. A Fox news affiliate is a definite runner up, naming one suspect Zooey Deschanel instead of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. No wonder hundreds of thousands listened to the Boston Police radio live feed and took to Twitter for faster, and more reliable updates.
Of course, pundits, armchair experts, and every dimwit around lent their own conspiracy theories, further blurring facts and needlessly enraging sheeple that want to believe.
While the police response to this tragedy was certainly swift, I can’t help but think how premature everyone involved seems to be. The Boston Police tweeted that the terror is over after taking a second suspect alive:
CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody.
President Obama went on national television to remind us that such statements are premature, saying that “a chapter” in this tragedy was closed, but the investigation is ongoing. How can the Boston Police, who were unable to question one suspect, and have not had a chance to question the second, know that they were the only two involved? What if the two suspects are part of a larger group, with active members still out there ready to do harm?
How far does this have to go before society collectively realizes the madness we’ve descended into? At what point does the rational side kick in and make the masses aware of how pointless and counterproductive the response has been? Unfortunately, I know the answer to these questions, as the response from society to any and every tragedy has steadily gotten worse. With that follows knee-jerk responses from all walks of life, especially lawmakers.
The frustration of seeing society spiral downward, while being powerless to effect change, is maddening.