The News 24/7

News 24/7, if you haven't noticed, is little more than a bad joke. It ought to be advertised as one news item repeated endlessly 24/7. Remember Anna Nicole Smith (how could anyone not)? MSNBC, as well as the other major channels went on and on and on for days on end about this basically trivial story. Then the pontificated for several days on the Imus story (which granted, was a cut above the Smith fiasco). Now it's the Virginia Tech massacre which is, of course, a major story and well deserving of cover. But all day every day? These news people seem to be totally unable to deal with more than one story at a time. When they find one they just pursue it obsessively to the neglect of everything else. Are we supposed to believe that during these marathon sessions on Smith, Imus, and now Virginia Tech, there are no newsworthy happenings anywhere else on earth (or even here at home, for that matter)? Nothing in Iraq worth mentioning? Africa? Europe? Russia? It is as if they don't want us to get any news (alas, I believe this may be the case). Anything to take our simple minds off the disaster in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the multiple Bush/Cheney scandals here at home.

This would be bad enough but consider how absurd their quest for news becomes. They see a story and begin reporting on it before they have any facts at all. Take this latest case. We were told that the suspect was Chinese, 24 years old, who had arrived in August through San Francisco. Totally wrong. We were told he was not a student at Virginia Tech. Totally wrong. We were told he may have had an accomplice. Wrong. We were told he had a 35mm automatic along with a 22 automatic. Then later, he had two 35mm pistols. Then he had an extra long clip which allowed him to fire many extra rounds. Now we're told he had a 15 bullet clip. Now we know that the suspect was from South Korea, having entered the U.S. in 1992 or thereabouts, was 23 years old, and was, in fact a student at Virginia Tech. As a senior majoring in English he wrote papers and plays that were so violent his teachers and fellow students thought he needed help. And he was a loner. Apparently at one point some of his fellow students even discussed the possibility that he might do something like this. Or so it is now being reported. Should we believe any of this? What might the story be tomorrow? Oh, don't worry, the story will continue tomorrow and probably the tomorrow after that. While this is a terrible trajedy and certainly worthy of extensive coverage, should it completely overshadow the situation in Iraq where more people than 33 die every day? Couldn't there be some mention of some other news event somewhere? Don't look for it, it almost certainly will not be there for a few days (and maybe never if another "big" story about a buxom blond turns up). Thank god for the internet and some foreign news once in a while.

I didn't hear it myself (as I make it a point to never listen to the dimwit if I can help it), but someone said that Bush, who was there ostensibly to help "heal" the people of Virginia Tech, couldn't resist adding, completely inappropriately, that he still supported the 2nd Amendment. Will anything come of gun control after this? Of course not. The gun laws in Virginia are awsome in their simplicity. If you are alive, a citizen of Virginia, and not guilty of a felony, you can buy all the guns you want. By the way, did the young man file those serial numbers off himself or did the weapons come that way? Where was he for the two hours between the shootings? Why, apparently in his dorm room. An unbelievable and horrific event. He wouldn't have been able to do it with a club or a knife. Guns are the thing. According to the NRA everyone should have one.