We without a doubt have a major issue facing our country. Mass shootings have become common-place; something that we can expect to see on any given weekly news cycle. While there are numerous and hotly debated causes of this disease afflicting our nation, I believe there is one we can combat together.

Yesterday in Lafayette, another person, another shooting, and another mass casualty event. During the same week, the Aurora gunman was sentenced amid mass media coverage. Also during the same week, a man who saw it as his mission to kill as many police officers as he could in Seattle was sentenced to life in prison. As they wheeled the Seattle shooter out of the court room, ten to fifteen camera men/women and news reporters swarmed him and ran to keep up as he was wheeled out of the court. It looked like a shark feeding frenzy as every reporter attempted to get the best shot of a murderous psychopath. He looked like a celebrity, being chased by paparazzi, while the family, friends and fellow officers of the man he gunned down and their reaction was a mere side note. And this morning, as I expected, the man who murdered 3 in the Lafayette movie theater was plastered all over the screen as news anchors attempted to dive into this man's life.

Its important to understand motive, to try and understand why someone would kill so many innocent people. But the fact that the media elevates these gunmen is sickening, especially when victims become a number, a side-note, an object that was killed by the shooter who is personified by the media.

I'm not sure where this will go, I'm hoping far, but I know these shootings are something that people are beginning to get used to and in turn, are becoming indifferent to. But the petition is simple: talk about motive, talk about why something like this would happen, honor and elevate the victims, but keep this shooter and the next shooter's name and face out of the news.

My prayers are going out to everyone affected in Lafayette