Ab Uno Disce Omnes

I think.

I don't know, but I think.

I think our national news is too person-oriented.

Sixteen thousand murdered in a year, and we hear about (maybe) five cases.  Is it because they were famous? Or because they were in Florida, where you can get cameras in the courtroom?  Or because they were young?  Perhaps it makes good television, but...

Our reaction to the death of Trayvon should be different if he is one of a thousand 'self-defense-gone-wrong white kills black' vs if he is the only one.  But I'm not the one to say who the greatest threat to the American black male.
* Although Moynihan was right.

The President keeps using Aurora, Sandy Hook, etc. to argue for gun control.  Why?  Because they made the news?  Because it got the news for weeks?  What about the other homicides on those days?  What about the other folks shot dead on a busy news day?  And what about the inconvenient fact that for every two homicides, we have five suicides? 

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At time of writing, we're hearing of a celebrity's bizarre behavior.  (By now, we're probably on to another celebrity.)  What makes it so newsworthy?  Is it because we're such a quiet world that we need five minutes per hour in a 24 hour news cycle to discuss it?  Like the media, news makes news.

I risk the danger of the three types of lies, but I don't believe in the anecdotal as much as I believe in the statistic.  And, although "When one man dies it is a tragedy, when thousands die it's statistics." ... National news, and world news should be about the bigger picture.


Another thing...forgetting for a minute the bold headlines.  And, going against everything Han Solo said...
for my sister, how dangerous would (a trip to India) / (service in US military) / (time in college) / boring life in suburbia ?

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Ab Uno Disce Omnes, from one learn all.  Specific incident, general truth.

I dissent.