Time to move on...

[Dejajeva]

Is anyone else ready to put this behind them? I know that this nation is grieving...and only time will make it better, but sometimes I feel like we are only focusing on the negitive aspects of this terrible tragedy. We need to come together, stop debating this or that, and begin to work torwards a new future. I'm sick of hearing it everywhere I go. I'm trying to maintain a postive outlook for America's future and I think we should all do the same. I read through these threads and watch us pull eachother apart because some of us have different idea's than others of us. Let's focus on School, and America, and using our greek life to better ourselves, our schools, our states, and our nation through sisterhood or brotherhood and move on with our lives. Repeating what we've heard time after time after time after time doesn't do anything for the healing process.

-steps off the soapbox-

Always,
Jessica

[curiouss]

I second that.

My deepest condolences go out to the people who were involved in the tragedy and their family and friends. However, for us who have not been involved this incident directly or indirectly needs to rejoice in life and be thankful that we are safe (so far!). I have the feeling that we have been spared and should take advantage. Because we don't know what's in for us tommorow and we need to seize TODAY.

BTW I am very outraged about how the media is handling this. I am very sure that people are unhappy to turn on their tv to see people jumping from skyscrapers and other horrific images. That what's CNN and HNN are for. Most of the coverage on main networks like CBS are not exactly PG ratings and are very inappropiate. Not to mention
the media showing every move the president makes and where he goes. Security, hello!

[Dejajeva]

The first couple days I can understand the 24 hr coverage of the tragedies. But, six day's later and no SOAPS!
lol
Kidding, I don't even watch soaps. I stopped when Marlena was possessed. Anyways, I digress.

I do admit though I find myself sitting down to watch the news. I'm sill scared of what might happen, and I want to know what the president is doing as far as war goes. BUT-I'm ready to move on! I'm emotionally drained and I think everyone else is too, I can't take much more pain and suffering every single day.

Just to play devil's advocate, the news people ARE just doing their job, what they are paid to do. I think it's more societys' fault than it is their fault. We want to see it...for some reason, people like to see stories like this, upclose and personal...

My 2c!

I'm glad you guys agree with me!!!

Jessica

[AlphaChiGirl]

I'm feeling the same way. Personally, it's been hard for me to get on--it's upset me and shaken me deeply, the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed. I am really trying though.

I considered going home (to Florida) this weekend, but I realized that if I continue to let my life be disrupted, those madmen will have had at least one more small victory. Terrorism is not only designed to inflict violence, it's designed to disrupt lives. I'm enjoying going through with my day on a normal basis--as normal as can be expected.

The news stuff, etc., can stop. Are there any new breaking stories?

[AOPiLaLa]

I am glad I am not the only one who feels the media, while doing their job, is going overboard. I am begginning to feel they are dramatizing death. I went through a public tradgedy(my grandparents were killed on a commercial airline crash 2 years ago) and I, personally, would have not wanted to "share my story" of the first days after the crash. I know for some people it may be closure and I FULLY SUPPORT anything people need to do to heal, but when CNN and MSNBC are running numbers at the bottom with a "call us with your stories", I start to feel a little like I am watching a tabloid show. And is anyone else upset by the questions they are asking? Matt Lauer on the TODAY show this morning is asking a firefighter who has lost 2 brothers in the attack "Are you sad about the events of last week". I mean, COME ON--do you think he is happy??? If you don't have decent questions to ask, do not ask them!!
But I also agree that we need to celebrate life, each other, and our loved ones in these coming days, as well. Sitting in front of the TV(which I am so guilty of!) and watching the umpteenth hour of CNN coverage does not let people know you love them, nor does it do anything for your emotional well being. I think Carpe Diem should be a lesson through all of this--seize every chance to tell someone you love them.
I am now off my soap box, but I am so glad I am not the only one out there that has felt this way!
Lesley

[DGPhoney]

I agree with you all. It such a sad and tradgic event in US history, but I can't watch it any more on TV. It makes me feel guilty that I should be doing more, but really we can only do what we all have been trying to do,give blood,donate etc.. The only things left for us to do is wait for the President Bush to decide an act. It's so nerve racking to see detail for detail of all this .
My prayers and thoughts are with everyone to hope and sturggle to get through these times,to hope that one day things will be back to normal.
One and Much Love
DGPhoney

[valkyrie]

I have to say that I am thankful for all the news coverage, and I mean network coverage, because I don't have cable. I am glad that I can turn on my tv almost any time (although not so much anymore) and find out what is going on with all this tragedy. I'm not saying that I want to hear hype and trash journalism, but I want to hear updates. Perhaps I am more interested in these things because (1) I work for the federal government in a federal government building and (2) that building is somewhat tall, in downtown Chicago, and just blocks away from the Sears Tower. Because of this, I worry that I may be at or near future targets. If anything is developing, I want to know. Even if nothing is developing, I want to know that too, because then I feel a little better. (I do, however, think that they shouldn't be telling everyone where the president is, for example.)

Here's another important point that I think everyone is forgetting -- if you don't want to see the news, TURN OFF YOUR TV!!! I'm glad the coverage is there for those of us who want it. If you don't, go do something else. There will be a lot of news to come, and things probably won't be back to normal for many, many years, if ever.

[SparkliiQTMTSU]

I have enjoyed some of the news coverage, but only to a certain extent. I mean it got to te pint where everytime I would turn on the TV that's all that was on. It did get a bit tiring. The only thing that reallt bothered me was that everything they were saying ALL DAY was the same. Im just glad that they have gotten back to the regular TV programming! YAY Passions came on today! I do watch alot of the news reports on it still but I am glad theyve finally gotten back to the reguar TV programs. Them dwelling on what had allready happened as tragic as they are didn't help anything. Thats just my thoughts though.

Nichole

[James]

The media seems to be creating a new phenomena, overexposure and desensitization.

Its almost like therapy: We go from horror/denial to finally a dull acceptance.

When PRincess Dianna Died it was so over exposed that after the massive out pouring of Grief and millions in flowers a mere year later barely anyone came out for a memorial. Their grieving was done, and past done by TV. The media took it all from them.

So in some ways having to see it all the time lessens the impact as time goes on, like constantly being forced to confront fears and phobias.

[Salience]

I do think the networks, especially NBC, have gone on long enough. I don't think I'm becoming desensitized, I think news outlets are trying to keep us angry and hyped up so we want to get into the war that's looming. Why do we keep getting views of celebrations in certain countries? WHat good is that doing? It's making idiots like those who are attacking US mosques even angrier.

I mean, attacking the NOI mosque in Austin, TX? Come ON!

[33girl]

James is right, we get pummelled with so much media coverage after a while no matter how horrid the incident it's like "thank you, drive through."

It is very different now than when President Kennedy was assassinated (the last event of this magnitude, IMO) - I remember hearing about a local station owner who couldn't take any more coverage of the funeral and went to a movie or something. He took a LOT of flack for that, but back then, his might have been the only station some people could get on TV. That's definitely not the case now. I can think of 4 all news channels off the top of my head, and many people get a lot more. Even if you don't have cable, there are constant news bulletins on radio stations when there are new developments (at least there have been here). The information is there if you need it.

I know the day or 2 after it happened I got on the bus with a magazine to read and felt guilty - like how can I look at clothes after this tragedy? But if we stop our lives, not only do the terrorists win, it dishonors the memory of the deceased. We should all live our lives TWICE as much, that's the best way to remember someone who has passed away.

[cash78mere]

I have to disagree.

I live 20 or so miles from NYC and an living and literally breathing this tragedy. We smelled and saw smoke for days after the disaster. There are 5 people missing from my small town alone and 40 missing parents from the school district I worked in last year. We are seeing, hearing and living this every minute of every day.

Honestly, I believe that most of us who are directly affected by this tragedy want to be kept updated. I don't care if my favorite shows aren't on right now. I know PEOPLE who are missing and probably dead. I know fathers, mothers and children who I will probably never see again. They are more important than anything.

This tragedy affected everything. It cannot be compared to Princess Diana's death or any other news story.

I want to hear and see everything I can until the last body is found. My life will go on, and it has been, but it won't recover for a long time.

People who aren't here just can't understand.

[gphi2k]

As Brooklineu pointed out, being a Canadian forces you to have a little bit of a different perpspective simply for the reason that we're not in the country that was directly hit by this tragedy. HOWEVER. My whole family is American, and many of my cousins work in Manhattan. This tragedy has traumatized my parents who were born and raised in New York, before the towers were even built.

The fact is, and I know there are studies that can back me up (can't think of them now), that prolonged exposure to anything will desensatize you after a while. The first time we saw the footage, (many of us saw it live) of the planes hitting the towers, we gasped with disblief. It was horrifiying and hard to injest. I don't get that feeling when I see the footage anymore. It's a scene out of a movie that I've seen a million times. I feel horrible that I don't feel what I think I should feel when I see those planes slice through the buildings as if they were constructed out of paper rather than Steel. But instead of waiting for the week for the shock of the terrible tragedy to set in, I had 7 days of what would have been filled with denial (that's the first stage isn't it?) filled with the same terrible images over and over again, to the point where they no longer have the meaning they should.

The media is notorious for overreporting events. If you can tell me honestly that you get the same horrible pit in your stomach seeing that footage as the first, second and third and hundredth time you saw it, then I will revise my comment. You should NEVER see something as horrifying as that and not feel the full horror of it. But how many times can you see those news clips and still maintain the same level of pain?

I understand that there is a need to report the news and update people on what is going on, and how things are progressing. But as someone suggested, ticker tape would be suffient for updates, and CNN is there for the diehards. It's not about my shows being pre-empted or post-poned. I'm not quite that shallow. But at some point, browka, rather and kopel need some sleep!!!!!!!!!

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by gphi2k


If you can tell me honestly that you get the same horrible pit in your stomach seeing that footage as the first, second and third time you saw it, then I will revise my comment.

I get the same horrible pit in my stomach seeing that footage, every time I see it. Every time.

Cash78mere, I am sorry that you are so close to NYC and have felt the horrible effects more than the rest of us. I can only imagine what that is like.

As a side note, not everyone has CNN. I don't, because I have always been sort of "morally" opposed to paying for television. However, there are also many, many people in our country who can't afford luxuries like cable, and they shouldn't have to miss out on news coverage if they want it.

This IS a huge, traumatic event that has changed our world. I personally want to know as much about the events, the "people" behind them and the results. I feel that is my duty as a citizen of this country -- to be informed and compassionate.

[Dejajeva]

I started the post to STOP the bitching, to put it BEHIND us, and to move past what's done and gone. You guys just took a particular comment about news and have gone on to rant about who's doing it right, who's doing it wrong, and who's doing it too much. I still get sick every time I see the plane crash into the WTC. I don't know anyone who doesn't, but I'm ready to move forward. I keep myself infront of the TV but I'm not there all the time. I think it's BAD for us to have so much coverage..I even think it's bad to talk about it as much as everyone does. I can't heal because nobody's letting me.

my 2 c.
Jess