Scapegoats

I really have a problem that I need to talk on...yet another thing that divides us as humans and as citizens of this country. There was a tragic event that happens a week or so ago where a 5 year old child who was white was shot in the head at near point blank range by a neighbor who was black. This story is so unimaginable and so infuriating. What is even more upsetting is that I have seen a lot of people using this event and opportunity to question where the "outpour" for this kid, Connor Hinnant, like there was for others during the BLM protest. Ridiculous!!! People have taken this opportunity to blame the media for being divisive in its coverage of things like this. I want to say first and foremost that the media is not responsible for what we expose ourselves to nor is it responsible for what we tend to believe. The media will only show what gets attention...what gets them views. Very similar to why people post their images on IG or there videos on TikTok or Youtube chasing views and likes, the media will push the stories that will increase their viewership. The only people responsible for our exposure and our guilability is ourselves...specifically people who only HEAR one side of a story and accept it as truth. Different people highlight the same events through different vantage points and will deliver commentary from their perspective. If we learn to keep ourselves well-rounded and educated on all perspectives, we are much less influenced and allowed to be misguided. I also want to say that coverage of recent events are rarely driven by the event itself. Ahmaud Arbrey was shot in February, but it took more than (2) months for the story to really hit. It is not necessarily the event that sparks these stories to go viral, but it is the people who refuse to allow the story to fall to the waistside that drives it. "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" is an old saying that basically states that you have to be the loudest to get the attention. THIS is why the outpour for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and others drew so much attention. It's because every needless death is unjustified. It's because every murderer should be arrested, tried, and held responsible for their crimes. It's because everyone's life should be respected and valued regardless of race, sex, age, or gender identity. My heart hurts for Connor Hinnant, and I sincerely hope his murdered gets the absolute worst judgment imaginable. At the end of the day, let's place the focus where it should be. Let's not make this a reason to add in the divide. Let's not make this a reason to place blame and point fingers. Let's rally around what is right and around those who have had inconceivable loses.