Media, Hollywood, not to blame for shooting

We are still waiting for answers following yesterday’s shooting of a member of Congress. But some think they already have all the answers they need. It is the media’s fault. That is the feeling of one Wisconsin state lawmaker. Rep. Jesse Kremer, the lawmaker pushing to allow guns on the grounds of our public schools and who wants to allow concealed carry on university campuses, issued a statement on Facebook in the wake of the shooting. His post predictably blame the media, and Hollywood, for the shooting. He even suggested the tragedy could have been predicted, given comedian Kathy Griffin’s holding of a severed head and Madonna’s comments about blowing up the White House. That is quite a reach. We have no idea what may have motivated this shooting, and there is no evidence that the media or Hollywood played any role. The shooting simply provides another opportunity for Kremer and others to bash the media because it fits their narrative. Such comments only serve to distract from the real issue of gun violence. We need to let police do their jobs, and figure out what led to this shooting, while refraining from offering our own theories, especially those which make no sense, from those only seeking to advance their own agenda.