Here’s a plan to reduce mass shootings. Congress should pass a bill banning all media coverage of mass shootings for the next 24 months to reduce the number of copycat shooters. The federal government will report to the American public every six months with data about shootings to see if the plan is working. Furthermore, the FBI and FEMA will be dispatched to every mass shooting event in the country to assist local law enforcement and impacted families. In addition, Congress will allocate substantial funding to federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify potential mass shooters before they act and to enhance security at all potential mass shooting locations (schools, public facilities, etc.).
Reduce Mass Shootings by Executive Order
If Congress cannot pass this bill to reduce mass shootings, the President should create the equivalent through executive order. This action should be taken within the next two months and implemented immediately. Mass shootings in America are the equivalent of being at war and therefore require bold, urgent action and public funding. Currently, the occurrence of mass shootings is accelerating, with no practical plan for reducing them. While restricting First Amendment rights is not ideal, it’s not the first time the Federal government has imposed restrictions on freedom of the press. Specifically, times of war require such actions. After two years, the plan can be assessed for effectiveness and either continued, adjusted, or terminated.
The media currently broadcasts every mass shooting event to the public in graphic detail. For example, they provide information about the shooter – his life, web posts, history, ideology, and beliefs – as if he were running for political office. In addition, the media delivers particulars of each shooting – the number of people murdered, the method of attack, photos and videos of the scene, and interviews with families and community members. The more the media covers an event, the sooner another one occurs. This media coverage may be feeding the madness by provoking copycat killers.
Next Shooting Event Will Be Different
The idea to reduce mass shootings by banning all media coverage would dramatically change the next shooting event. Specifically, there will be no news of the next shooting, no biographical information about the shooter, no photos or videos describing the scene, and no stories about the victims. In other words, there will be no fuel to cast on the fire of the next shooter’s mind.
Sometimes the best way to stop a cancer is to shut off its blood supply. That’s the goal of a media ban. We’ve got nothing to lose by trying. No one will miss reading about mass shootings for the next two years. However, if this plan to reduce mass shootings does not work, the media can go back to reporting as they have in the past. But what if it helps? What if it lowers the number of shootings by 10%, 20%, or even 40%? That will be a vast improvement over our current situation. Every single life saved is a victory for our country.
Focus Keyphrase: Reduce Mass Shootings
List of mass shootings in the United States (Wikipedia)
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