Cornell West On Sandy Hook: ‘We Can’t Just Shed Tears For Those On The Vanilla Side Of Town’

[CakeGrrl]

47. The point is that the media and lawmakers apparently DO discern by color

To wit: Recall the Public Enemy song "911 Is A Joke?" It was about the very real problem of people dying in minority neighborhoods because first responders either didn't come or were very slow to do so.

It's an extension of the same long-standing problem: Minorities die, and it's largely ignored. White victims get more attention. That's the theory.

There've been running jokes here about the latest 'missing young white girl' to grab media attention a la Natalee Holloway.

There was the phenomenon of LA gang violence coming to the fore in the 80's, but only when it started to spill over into the LA suburbs and threaten those communities was congressional action taken.

The media, for good or ill, has the power to shape the narrative, which is why it's so dangerous when they lose their objectivity. They can draw national attention to an issue or keep the public mired in ignorance.