Desentizing Another Shooting Another Day In America

I wish to say right upfront I am not in any way shape or form suggesting the censorship of any medium which we avail ourselves in this day and age. However I believe the question needs to be asked have we as a society become desensitized in particular our young people, to violence.

When this 60 year-old was growing up watching TV and movies cowboys and the bad guys when shot grabbed their side and fell over. No blood no gore. In more "violent" movies blood which looked like liquid rouge was about as gory as things got. In war movies men got "blown up" but that was limited to flying up in the air with a lot of dirt.

TV was a safe sanctum for impressionable young people in the 50's and 60's, that is until the Vietnam War was brought into our living rooms along with the assassinations of JFK, MLK and RFK. But even with that we weren't bombarded day after day with scenes of violence as today in movies, video games, the Internet and of course TV both over-the-air and cable.

Today we can see on any given day violence which previously only members of the military and law enforcement would witness. Now it's "prime-time". And with seeing all that violence repeatedly after time, when seeing it for the first time may make one's stomach turn, it no more affects someone as watching a puppy and kitten play. Add to that all the other mediums which offer violence and that once shocking image has been dulled so much it's not given a second thought. Which is fine for adults, at least those with no mental defect, but not for kids.

Today and for several years past for impressionable kids who at one time may have said "ugh" now voice "cool ... that's fucking awesome". Now of course thankfully not all kids nor adults are going  to go out and become mass-murders however for those with in-balance in life and perhaps mind, those adults who subscribe to conspiracy theories, the "them against us" views of government and those who choose to listen and watch the most ultra-conservative and cannot dissect that into conversation but instead into action, throw into the mix desensitization of violence and we as a society have set ourselves up for what we have today and will for the future.

Another shooting ... another day in America.

How The Press Handled Jason Collins Coming Out Day

People coming out to declare their sexuality is becoming old hat these days and actually in this day and age that is a good thing.

However when NBA player Jason Collins announced via an essay at Sports Illustrated it was news, very big news.

It has long been debated when, not if, a male active professional player in the NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB would take that giant and often lonely step out of the closet.

Much to the relief I would imagine of Jason Collins, he found himself not standing there alone as accolades from colleagues and others started appearing on social media and mainstream media in general.

From what I watched Monday afternoon it was the number one story of course in the sports media with a three or four spot in Monday's news cycle and all, again from my POV, well handled.

Except for one incident at ESPN when commentator Chris Broussard felt it was his duty to criticize Collins and his being Christian and homosexual. I couldn't believe what I was listening to, but then again in another segment earlier in the afternoon Broussard was expounding his homophobic view of LGB players both pro and otherwise through the veiled use of other people's words.

LZ Granderson who was also on at the time didn't let Broussard get away with his Holier Than Thou opinion of who makes a good Christian. Kudos to LZ for that.

All in all it was a good day of reporting this history making event in US pro sports.

This is just the beginning as others will now come out.

It just takes the first with the courage to do it so others can follow through that closet door.

For my commentary at my LGBT blog Focus On The Rainbow click HERE.