Advertisers are increasingly using various cartoonish characters who are sometimes almost indistinguishable from real actors or models to hawk their products. Computer simulations are used for all sorts of imaging. This is a way to avoid having a specific parent make a sacrifice and a specific real victim’s body being depicted in a published photo. The visual imagery can be as graphic and horrifying as the photo editor or graphic artist chooses to make it, and the message would be just as powerful and searing. Once it is in circulation, it will be difficult to ignore and more likely to make an impression on people who haven’t become aware of the stark reality of this insane violence.

While we are on the topic of school shootings, I would be remiss if I did not talk about the one thing that is totally glossed over in this discussion EVERY SINGLE time. Schools have been targeted in every single case that I know of because of bitterness, rancor, and rage by students or former students because the way they were treated in those specific places. Most were rejected by others and many were bullied. Much of the frustration, humiliation, anger, and anxiety that these tortured souls experienced came from the clear failures of authorities, officials, and bureaucrats who knew certain of their students had major issues and problems but who chose to do nothing or felt powerless to do what should have been done to deal with alienation and marginalization. WHY DON’T WE TALK ABOUT THAT ON THIS SHOW SOMETIME???? Is talking about school failure too much of a sensitive topic even though it leads to mass murder and myriad other social conflicts and dislocations? Is neglecting that very real aspect any different than the Republicans blowing off the idea of gun proliferation as a root cause?