"If it bleeds, it leads."
So says the old Journalism chestnut.
That said, what happens if your chosen artery stops spurting?
Do you go find another bleeder? Or do you arrange matters so that one will come along soon enough?
Personally, I'm not gauche enough to think that our independent press and 24/7 media machine is instigating race riots for the sake of ratings and click counts.
Then again, looking at the timeline, I wouldn't be fucking surprised if that turned out to be the case anyway...
2003
- first year with 10 or more active shooter incidents (FBI definition)
- US invades Iraq in March. 486 American fatalities in Iraq by the end of the year.
2005
- second year with 10 or more active shooter incidents
2007
- third year with 10 or more active shooter incidents
- US fatalities in Iraq peak at 904/yr
- Iraq troop surge begins
2008
- US fatalities in Iraq drop sharply to 314/yr
- NIU shooting on February 14th
2009
- Ft. Hood shooting November 5th
2010
- first year with 20 or active shooter incidents
- US fatalities in Afghanistan peak at 499/yr
- Last American combat brigade leaves Iraq in August
2011
- Tuscon shooting on January 8th. U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords is among the wounded.
- Osama Bin Laden killed in May
- Mark Duggan killed by police in England on August 4th. Riots ensue in multiple British cities from August 6th-11th.
2012
- second year with 20 or more active shooter incidents, including the Aurora Theater (July 20), the Sikh temple in Wisconsin (August 5th), and Sandy Hook (December 14).
- Trayvon Martin killed February 26th
2013
- Boston Marathon hit with Terrorist bombs on April 15.
One bomber is killed and the other captured on April 19th.
- George Zimmerman acquitted in July
- Washington Navy Yard shooting on September 16.
2014
- American combat forces "officially" leave Afghanistan in October.
- John Crawford III shot and killed in a Walmart August 5th
- Mike Brown shot and killed August 9, riots ensue.
- Eric Gardner dies July 17, Grand jury declines to indict an officer in his death on December 3rd.
- Tamir Rice shot and killed November 23rd.
2015
- Surviving Boston marathon bomber convicted April 8th, sentenced to death May 15th.
- Freddie Gray dies in police custody April 29
- Mass shootings include Charleston Church (June 17), San Bernadino (December 2), and Co. Springs Planned Parenthood (November 27)
2016
- Wildlife refuge in east nowhere, Oregon occupied by armed militants. One is killed in a confrontation with police January 26th, the rest surrender by the end of the month.
- Orlando Pulse shooting June 12.
- July alone has the shootings of Philandro Castile and Alton Sterling, and the murder of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rogue
- Milwaukee riots in August
- Bombings in NY and NJ in September.
- Scott shooting and subsequent riots in Charlotte.
So says the old Journalism chestnut.
That said, what happens if your chosen artery stops spurting?
Do you go find another bleeder? Or do you arrange matters so that one will come along soon enough?
Personally, I'm not gauche enough to think that our independent press and 24/7 media machine is instigating race riots for the sake of ratings and click counts.
Then again, looking at the timeline, I wouldn't be fucking surprised if that turned out to be the case anyway...
2003
- first year with 10 or more active shooter incidents (FBI definition)
- US invades Iraq in March. 486 American fatalities in Iraq by the end of the year.
2005
- second year with 10 or more active shooter incidents
2007
- third year with 10 or more active shooter incidents
- US fatalities in Iraq peak at 904/yr
- Iraq troop surge begins
2008
- US fatalities in Iraq drop sharply to 314/yr
- NIU shooting on February 14th
2009
- Ft. Hood shooting November 5th
2010
- first year with 20 or active shooter incidents
- US fatalities in Afghanistan peak at 499/yr
- Last American combat brigade leaves Iraq in August
2011
- Tuscon shooting on January 8th. U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords is among the wounded.
- Osama Bin Laden killed in May
- Mark Duggan killed by police in England on August 4th. Riots ensue in multiple British cities from August 6th-11th.
2012
- second year with 20 or more active shooter incidents, including the Aurora Theater (July 20), the Sikh temple in Wisconsin (August 5th), and Sandy Hook (December 14).
- Trayvon Martin killed February 26th
2013
- Boston Marathon hit with Terrorist bombs on April 15.
One bomber is killed and the other captured on April 19th.
- George Zimmerman acquitted in July
- Washington Navy Yard shooting on September 16.
2014
- American combat forces "officially" leave Afghanistan in October.
- John Crawford III shot and killed in a Walmart August 5th
- Mike Brown shot and killed August 9, riots ensue.
- Eric Gardner dies July 17, Grand jury declines to indict an officer in his death on December 3rd.
- Tamir Rice shot and killed November 23rd.
2015
- Surviving Boston marathon bomber convicted April 8th, sentenced to death May 15th.
- Freddie Gray dies in police custody April 29
- Mass shootings include Charleston Church (June 17), San Bernadino (December 2), and Co. Springs Planned Parenthood (November 27)
2016
- Wildlife refuge in east nowhere, Oregon occupied by armed militants. One is killed in a confrontation with police January 26th, the rest surrender by the end of the month.
- Orlando Pulse shooting June 12.
- July alone has the shootings of Philandro Castile and Alton Sterling, and the murder of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rogue
- Milwaukee riots in August
- Bombings in NY and NJ in September.
- Scott shooting and subsequent riots in Charlotte.
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