Hi Brian,

I actually just found out about this horrible tragedy while sitting in a waiting room this morning. Wasn't able to listen to much but my husband explained it (he'd seen the news earlier). I didn't see any student interviews. But, I did see a few student interviews right after that recent tornado took 8 highschool students lives in Enterprise Alabama. The girls responded with almost no emotional tone and no tears. My thoughts were that perhaps she and her friends were still in shock.

Seems to me that in the past, (many years ago) the media would not have started poking microphones into peoples faces (friends and family especially) right after a tragedy such as this. There was a respect for the grief process which starts with shock and denial. It's the body's defense mechanism that helps to preserve us in times like this.

Perhaps it is like you say---we are all becoming numb to the tragedies around us. But, I would like to believe it has more to do with the media rushing in before the community has even had a chance to get to the next stage where real emotional reactions are evident. Shock and denial are just that----the person hasn't yet taken in the full magnitude of what's happened yet. So, the person acts as if it hasn't really happened.

Still, we probably are all becoming more numb to the increasing numbers of senseless murders in this country and yes, I agree horror flicks and crime on TV (news included) have contributed to that. That is precisely why I won't watch that kind of television or movies. I'm jaded enough as it is.

Vanessa