Blog Post 2: California School Hosts Mock Massacre

A recent article published on DailyMail.com caught my attention as it presented that a California school hosted a federal funded mock massacre to try to teach students and staff what to do in the case of a school shooting.

The article, titled "Terror stalks America's Schools" includes video footage of the mock massacre, during which students run and scream from two actors posing as gunmen, who shoot at students during their lunchtime break.

The mock massacre aims to inform students and staff how to react in the case of a mass shooting in the school environment, but the film has created a lot of controversy as the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting still remains a painfully fresh memory for many American's. Of course it is only right to be prepared for these kinds of events from now on. Sure, drills should be revised and practiced within schools, but creating a dramatically truthful mock massacre film to practice these measures seems to be a bit too much.

Students in the video are seen being shot to the ground and covered in painted-on blood as police and swat-team actors flood the scene. The film will soon be distributed to schools and law agencies nationwide.

The article interviews some people who contributed to the video as stand-in victims or student posers, and some their reactions were just as strong as if the situation were real. Those involved in the mock massacre tape described their experience as "heart racing"and said they "felt helpless."
I think this story sheds light to the measures we as a community need to take after the recent Sandy Hook shootings, but there is also a much larger problem here that the article does point out. Does creating a mock massacre film serve as a possible imitation stunt that can actually encourage such crimes, much like violent video games and cinema movies are accused of doing?

The controversial debates following the Sandy Hook shootings blamed gun control and children's exposure to violent video games and television. Many are questioning the good and bad of exposing students and staff to a mock massacre, and whether or not the footage will really make a difference during a time of such fearful panic.

My beliefs are that the media is responsible for most of what is going on in today's society. Television programs, video games, and even some journalism articles (like my last blog post about ethics in the media) have incorporated too much violence. Massacre trials for school shootings seems to me to be too disturbing for children and adults. If anything I think the footage serves as a stepping stone for bringing the fake film to life.

My question for these mock massacre movie makers and to you viewers is this: does video footage of a fake school shooting serve as prevention for future incidents, or does it serve more dangerously as a catalyst for violence in schools across the nation? Leave your comments on what you think.