The media's deadly fascination

The darkest aspects of human nature are reflected in the entity of a killer. It is the part of humanity that most of the world is least familiar with, which makes it all the more interesting to learn about. The spectacle of the serial killer brings out a natural curiosity. We live in a culture that glorifies this deadly phenomenon. When these types of inconceivable horrors occur in our reality, our culture is immediately fascinated. It can be seen from the plethora of movies, television shows and books that focus on murders and the chase to discover the culprit. Our lure to these terrors is obvious. It can also be seen in the media’s excessive and in-depth reporting of disastrous events, from murders to mass shootings to trial coverage.

It is somewhat understandable for us to have this attraction to such an unknown and terrifying side of humanity, but it comes with a price. When these events occur, we create celebrities out of these people and their stories.

Whether fictional or not, it can create a troubling perspective. Copycat killers and obsessed followers desire the same type of celebrity status and look up to the killers that plague our society. This has been a dangerous consequence of glorification in the past and still poses a direct danger to our future.

One example of an infamous killer is Jack the Ripper, a serial killer active in London in the late nineteenth century who killed prostitutes in the most gruesome ways possible. Self-proclaimed "armchair detective" Russell Edwards recently published a book claiming to have discovered the identity of the notorious killer using DNA from a shawl discovered at one of the crime scenes. His name is Aaron Kosminski, a Polish immigrant who was actually a suspect in 1888 when the crimes were committed.

Kosminski was considered mentally ill and was put into an asylum later in life, where he died. Many are skeptical of this discovery due to the questionable origin of the shawl. The author claims that the shawl was unwashed for two centuries until it was bought and tested. The DNA was also determined to be “inconclusive,” but the DNA did match that of Aaron Kosminski’s living relatives.

The spectacle remains with the publishing of Edwards’ book and the idea of Jack the Ripper has pervaded society since the horrible actions took place. Jack the Ripper is an attraction in books, movies and television shows as we continue to discuss and debate the mystery two centuries later.

Even the well-known term “copycat killer” is believed to have originated after several imitation killings caused by media coverage of the Jack the Ripper killings.

The obsession with murder is an understandable one. It is the most terrifying aspect of humanity and perplexes us more than anything. Moreover, we are fascinated with it because we do not understand it.

But the extreme consequences of this fascination cannot be taken lightly. If we are not careful of our culture’s portrayal and interest in serial killers, extremists and copycat killers in our society will continue taking the interest in it one step too far.

As gun culture grows, so does its number of casualties

One would think that that any open-minded person would feel sympathy towards innocent people being brutally murdered. When a society reaches the point of viewing regular instances of gun-related deaths as the norm, it is time for that society to change.

Somehow, the United States has failed to come to the same conclusion regarding gun control policies. No matter what argument is put forth to address this controversial issue, it is undeniable that in order for gun-related deaths to decrease, the United States’ gun laws need to be drastically changed. Case in point, a 9-year-old girl handling an Uzi submachine gun at an Arizona gun range on Aug. 25 accidentally shot and killed her instructor.

If gun laws were changed, the incident might have been avoided. Our country's reluctance to place a formal restriction on children operating guns speaks volumes to the toxic gun culture in the U.S. that results in thousands of senseless deaths each year. For example, if an age restriction were put into place, a 9-year-old child would not have caused the death of a 39-year-old man. This is only one type of change that could mitigate the scourge of gun-related deaths, yet people are still somehow opposed.

One major argument used against those who are in favor of stricter gun control involves a major misconception of the constitution. To paraphrase the Second Amendment, it is stated that the people of the U.S. will always have the right to bear arms. Yes, changing the laws in relation to gun control would be a direct infraction to the United States Constitution. If we correctly remember the ideas behind this document, however, this opposing argument would be nullified. Inherent in the Constitution is America’s ability to amend it, allowing the document to change as our society grows. Therefore, the modification of our laws in response to the increasing violence is living proof of the Constitution doing exactly what it was created for.

Other countries around the world have already addressed the problem of gun violence. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, research shows that when the number of people who own firearms decreases, the number of homicides caused by firearms decreases as well. Even with these empirical facts in mind, there is still extreme controversy and opposition around the idea of changing the laws of gun control.

The U.S. needs to move away from the deeply-rooted idea that true freedom coincides with gun rights. There is an obvious issue with gun violence in this country and the only way to begin to solve this problem is to revise the laws. Doing so would not be an infringement upon our freedom, nor would it be a violation of the Constitution. Our laws were created to keep our society safe and structured. Changing the gun laws would simply be an extension of those ideals––a necessary extension to keep this country and its people safe.