Double Standard

A lot has been said in the wake of the Connecticut tragedy. Indeed a lot of people are trying to make sense of what has happened. What has been in the forefront of the debate is whether or not the gun culture in the United States is to blame. One group calling for stricter if not total ban on ownership of firearms, while another group calling for lesser gun restrictions on responsible gun owners. In the middle of all this stands the media who is supposed to present an unbiased reporting of issues. But looking at the news everyday this does not seem to be the case. In light of this tragedy, the media instead is showing its liberal leanings and its double standards in reporting the news. Days following the Connecticut tragedy, news media were reporting not only on the casualties but on shooter as well. Questions about the shooters includes who he was, what type of weapon he used, what was the make of the gun, who was its manufacturer, and even what type of ammunition he used. And what followed where a barrage of interviews of victim’s families as well as public opinion on the issue of gun control. At a glance everything seems kosher. But if we take a moment to ponder and look deeper into the context of similar senseless tragedies happening around us, we might see a trend happening that no one seems to have notices. In 2010, there were a total of 11,078 gun-related murders in the United States. See here In the same year, there were a total of 10,228 alcohol-impaired related deaths in the United States. And 17% of these deaths where children under the age of 17. See here And when media reports on these alcohol-related deaths, they do not seem to go into the same detailed investigation and detailed coverage they give on gun-related crimes. They do not ask similar questions such as “what kind of alcohol was consumed? Was it beer, vodka or whiskey? What was the brand of the whiskey? What was the brand of the beer?” The media also does not offer the same barrage of interviews of cause-oriented groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). If the Liberals and Liberal media that support them are truly and sincerely against senseless deaths, then they should equally focus on causes (not just one) of these senseless deaths. Looking at the statistics, it is clear that Alcohol is just as deadly as guns in causing death. But why hasn’t anyone or any group call for the stricter sales of alcohol or even ban it totally? Why the double standards?