Guns And The Media Made Mass Murderer Elliott Rodger A God
On Friday evening, a 22 year-old named Elliott Rodger became the latest in a too-long string of mass shooters to shatter lives when he killed six and injured thirteen in a rampage that ended in Isla Vista, California. Thanks to his YouTube account, the world knows that Elliott Rodger wanted to be a God exacting mortal retribution, and thanks to the easily-available guns he purchased legally, he was able to become one.
On Friday evening, Elliott Rodger made good on the threats he had been making on YouTube, first by stabbing his three roommates in his apartment, then driving to the Alpha Phi sorority house on the University of California Santa Barbara campus, where he reportedly knocked on the door for several minutes, then opened fire on women outside the house when no one answered. Two women were killed, and one was critically wounded. He then shot and killed his sixth victim outside a deli, running over bicyclists and pedestrians as he fled. After two shootouts with police, he crashed his car, and apparently shot himself in the head.
In his final YouTube video, the only one that’s no longer available on his channel, Rodger laid out the twisted motivations for his pending actions, and warned the world that displeased him that “I will be a God compared to you, you will be like animals, you are animals, and I will slaughter you like animals.”
It was the three semiautomatic handguns and 41 ten-round magazines he purchased legally which allowed this shooter to make good on one aspect of his claim to godhood, the ability to decide who lives and who dies.
It is the ravenous 24-hour news media, however, which will make this shooter immortal. The reason we already know so much about why this guy did what he did is because he left a toxic waste dump of his own narcissism, in the form of those YouTube videos and a lengthy manifesto. More will surely follow.
I’m not one of those people who objects to news coverage of these murderers on principle, because I believe strongly that knowledge is power, that the mission of journalism is to harness information for the public good, not to hide from it. What I object to is the way in which it is done. For example, the video in which Rodger aspires to godhood is no longer available on his YouTube account, so of course, it is being ripped and uploaded by others. If people want to see it, that’s one thing, but the claim to serving the public interest is undermined by the studious watermarking and unnecessary duplication. This is click-and-credit-whoring, plain and simple, and it permeates the early coverage of this incident, and incidents like it.
In the age of social media, it’s no longer even possible to question whether airing a video like this is the responsible thing to do. What was once accomplished by sending hand-scrawled notes to police or newspapers is now instantly available for the entire world to see. While this would logically indicate handling such things with extra care, our modern media creates incentives that do the opposite. If you don’t play it, someone else will, and they’ll get the eyeballs. Never mind that some of those eyeballs might be other impressionable loners, internalizing the living image of this guy, instead of his lifeless body, and those of his victims.
You can go read about Elliott Rodger’s twisted, self-told backstory, of which there is, and will be, plentiful coverage. I prefer to give voice to those whose lives were shattered by this horror…READ MORE
Click here for reuse options!Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Tommy Christopher
Tommy Christopher is The Daily Banter's White House Correspondent and Political Analyst. He's been a political reporter and liberal commentator since 2007, and has covered the White House since the beginning of the Obama administration, first for PoliticsDaily, and then for Mediaite. Christopher is a frequent guest on a variety of television, radio, and online programs, and was the villain in the documentaries The Audacity of Democracy and Hating Breitbart. He's also That Guy Who Live-Tweeted His Own Heart Attack, and the only person to have ever received public apologies from both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.
50 responses to Guns And The Media Made Mass Murderer Elliott Rodger A God
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A J Jackson Gum May 26th, 2014 at 08:57
The first three victims were STABBED – where is the outrage over knife control?
Where is the outrage over car control? He did use one to injure people, did he not?
How hypocritical to only display outrage at his use of guns. You place him in the category with other mass shooters, but all others of recent memory have been Democrat voters, atheists or Leftists. Riddle me this, batshit for brains.
Gayle Schermerhorn May 26th, 2014 at 09:41
They also fail to mention the medications that all these mass murders have been taking. Why isn’t the media going after the Pharmaceutical companies due to the side effects of these dangerous drugs AND that they don’t work for some people?
JEButler May 28th, 2014 at 08:16
Sorry, that doesn’t count and they feel those dead bodies are wasted because it does not fall under their agenda at this time. However, it will be archieved so it can be used once the guns are confiscated. Just like they are now doing in Britian
A J Jackson Gum May 26th, 2014 at 08:57
The first three victims were STABBED – where is the outrage over knife control?
Where is the outrage over car control? He did use one to injure people, did he not?
How hypocritical to only display outrage at his use of guns. You place him in the category with other mass shooters, but all others of recent memory have been Democrat voters, atheists or Leftists. Riddle me this, batshit for brains.
Gayle Schermerhorn May 26th, 2014 at 09:41
They also fail to mention the medications that all these mass murders have been taking. Why isn’t the media going after the Pharmaceutical companies due to the side effects of these dangerous drugs AND that they don’t work for some people?
JEButler May 28th, 2014 at 08:16
Sorry, that doesn’t count and they feel those dead bodies are wasted because it does not fall under their agenda at this time. However, it will be archieved so it can be used once the guns are confiscated. Just like they are now doing in Britian
EyeWonderY May 26th, 2014 at 23:30
The reason the libtards to after guns and not knives, cars, or hammers, rocks, baseball bats, harpoons, bow and arrows or anything else that can be used as a killing devise is simply because the little green men from Mars who program all liberals to think exactly alike with identically scripted opinions have not come back to Earth in a while to re-boot the tards.
Give ’em time.
mea_mark May 27th, 2014 at 10:21
You should pat your self on the back for such a well thought out, highly reasoned, intellectual comment. Good job!
EyeWonderY May 27th, 2014 at 22:53
That’s because the only logical explanation for you and your liberal whacked-out ideologies can only be explained by space aliens.
mea_mark May 28th, 2014 at 08:37
What an astute conclusion. You get that from Infowars?
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 09:04
What is that?
Budda May 28th, 2014 at 08:48
You’ve got a lot of hatred bouncing around in your head.
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 09:03
When did I ever say I hated anybody or anything? Is that what it is when you don’t agree with the liberal? Hatred, bigotry, racism? You folks have this all brain-wrapped up pretty tight, huh?
EyeWonderY May 26th, 2014 at 23:30
The reason the libtards to after guns and not knives, cars, or hammers, rocks, baseball bats, harpoons, bow and arrows or anything else that can be used as a killing devise is simply because the little green men from Mars who program all liberals to think exactly alike with identically scripted opinions have not come back to Earth in a while to re-boot the tards.
Give ’em time.
mea_mark May 27th, 2014 at 10:21
You should pat your self on the back for such a well thought out, highly reasoned, intellectual comment. Good job!
EyeWonderY May 27th, 2014 at 22:53
That’s because the only logical explanation for you and your liberal whacked-out ideologies can only be explained by space aliens.
mea_mark May 28th, 2014 at 08:37
What an astute conclusion. You get that from Infowars?
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 09:04
What is that?
Budda May 28th, 2014 at 08:48
You’ve got a lot of hatred bouncing around in your head.
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 09:03
When did I ever say I hated anybody or anything? Is that what it is when you don’t agree with the liberal? Hatred, bigotry, racism? You folks have this all brain-wrapped up pretty tight, huh?
JEButler May 27th, 2014 at 10:09
I can not see how any father could climb on his sons dead body and promote a personal agenda against anything including the NRA and call a PRESS CONFERENCE before his sons body is cold. His total disregard for the 3 victims who were stabbed is unimaginable to put a murder by bullet above a murder by knife that was perpetrated not only by the same person, but within a hour of each other! I would dare say he RACED to be the first for his 15 minutes of fame and promote his selfish ambition. I can not imagine anyone being so cold and callous but a liberal. I have seen more sorrow, more frustration from the pro gun people then I saw from him. I can only assume he was shedding tears of joy that the media responded so quickly to his and their agenda!
I assume they had background checks yet he bought the guns legally while under treatment and his family knew he had problems. Gets pretty interesting unless the liberal movie crowd is exempt from current gun laws in California??? Was his father waiting in the wings for the kid to snap so he could call the News Conference??? Since he had “semi-automatic” handguns did he have a hunting knife, kitchen knife or just a pocket knife to kill the first 3 victims, I do wonder, after all it is what we want to know isn’t it?
Since not a single mass murderer was an NRA member or belonged to any Gun or Sportsman’s Club, I have come to the conclusion that we would all be safer arming conservatives and banning all and any guns from liberals! Guns as politics are just too much for them and the power is all consuming to them to the point they think they are Gods with the power to control our lives and put us to death if we don’t adhere to there morbid thoughts!! In my opinion the left wing has just went way too far and is now deciding who will die for the anti-gun “cause”.
Time we took them to task and began protecting ourselves, BAN ALL LIBERALS!!!
This list is just a small but most recent sample of the liberal murderers we have had to deal with. No wonder they want gun control so bad, to protect themselves so they can kill more
Ft Hood Shooter: Registered Democrat and Muslim.
Columbine Shooters: Both families were Registered Democrats & progressive liberals.
Virginia Tech shooter: Wrote hate mail to President Bush and to his staff. Registered Democrat.
Colorado theater shooter: Registered Democrat, staff worker on the Obama campaign, occupy wall street participant, & progressive liberal.
Connecticut school shooter: Registered Democrat. Hated Christians.
Santana Barbara Killer: Registered Democrat professed liberal, horny virgin
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 01:29
Liberals are militant about their agendas. Anything and everything comes second place to their wacky ideals. Even their children. Look at all the drugs they push down their children’s throats. Liberals are some scary people. Almost deranged.
arc99 May 28th, 2014 at 01:32
not nearly as deranged as people like you who wander internet forums lying about people simply because they dare to have a different opinion.
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 02:46
Liberals don’t have differing opinions on anything. Every one I’ve ever known or heard or read all have the exact same thoughts and opinions on every topic. I’ve never met any other group of people that do that. Even Repubs disagree with each other on topics.
Obewon May 28th, 2014 at 02:53
“EyeWonderY” like all low & no information voters projects your own ‘shortcomings’ onto others. Another teeny weenie paranoid gun nut fails, but fell into Gun nut lobbyist NRA’s sales scam ‘Buy all the guns & ammo Now!’ And then kill your friends & family 22-43 times more often than any intruder. Boom!
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 03:30
My point proven once again… All liberals have the exact same opinion on every issue. That’s why you are libtarded.
Obewon May 28th, 2014 at 04:02
Thanks again for proving why all the smarter sex laugh at gun nuts with a disgusted look exclaiming: ‘breed with a gun nut? OMFG! Never & only over my dead body.’ Necrophilia isn’t your only option as GA’s GOP Guber & Anti-abortion fanatic proves:
Neal Horsley, The Mule-loving Republican Candidate, Said He Would Kill His Own Son For Liberty And To Secede From The Union http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/neal-horsley-mule-loving-republican-can GOP & TP HQ where the sheep run and the Mules cryout in disgust of Tea Party Animal Husbandry issues.
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 04:09
There’s a smarter sex? Oh, why bother. You can’t even form a sentence much less an original thought. Have fun.
JEButler May 28th, 2014 at 08:13
Smarter sex can’t even get laid!!! And you have ugly women too
Budda May 28th, 2014 at 08:54
“ugly women”…physical ‘beauty’ is how you judge women? No wonder you can’t get any.
JEButler May 28th, 2014 at 09:49
It helps and to tell the truth I have yet to see a bunch of guys hanging around fat ugly wome unless they had drugs for them. I have 7 kids and yes, their mother is petite and pretty ;-). I actually judge female candidates by asking myself; “Will I let her eat crackers in bed?”. So far I would only be voting for Wendy Davis on the left side. The right I’ll need more crackers and a bigger bed.
JEButler May 28th, 2014 at 08:12
Has the left wing EVER come up with anything original? The “low information voters” came from Limbaugh, come on shurly you can find your own tags!!!!
Budda May 28th, 2014 at 08:52
…”anything original?” How about Social Security, women’s rights ( opps, bet that honks you off) 40 hour work week just list a few.
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 09:21
Yeah, they come up with Social Security then steal every penny from it. Your lord and savior in the White House and his wife live like kings (traversing the world) and concerned about typical libtard stuff like what some old basketball geezer says, meanwhile they steal tax money and the country is falling apart. 40 hour work weeks? Ha. In most cities people can’t find work for a one hour work week. Yet your lord and savior in the White House lives like royalty. Talk about being fooled. You nut jobs just voted your kids’s futures right into the toilet. But I suppose your “liberal higher understanding” makes you feel better. Because that’s all liberalism is, to make it seem or “feel” better. When truth is, it’s not.
JEButler May 28th, 2014 at 09:39
SS was passed by a majority of Republicans, not dems. Let me say, the right actually supports the program. What we don’t support was what you left winghuts added to it like Carters giving people from other countries SS when they come here and never paying a dime in!! You people screwed it up!! Check it out!! Womens rights, better do some research, once again passed by a majority of right wingers while the left opposed the bill. 40 hour work week, once again supported by the right. Get real. Hey check these out too before you claim victory.
mea_mark May 28th, 2014 at 09:47
You do realize that before LBJ the Republicans were the liberal progressive party. You know, the ones that passed those amendments there, that you are pointing out. Or is history lost to you and all you can can come up with are charts that sound good to the uneducated. I gotta say though thanks for pointing out what good work the progressives do though. We don’t get that very often coming from right-wing political hacks.
JEButler May 27th, 2014 at 10:09
I can not see how any father could climb on his sons dead body and promote a personal agenda against anything including the NRA and call a PRESS CONFERENCE before his sons body is cold. His total disregard for the 3 victims who were stabbed is unimaginable to put a murder by bullet above a murder by knife that was perpetrated not only by the same person, but within a hour of each other! I would dare say he RACED to be the first for his 15 minutes of fame and promote his selfish ambition. I can not imagine anyone being so cold and callous but a liberal. I have seen more sorrow, more frustration from the pro gun people then I saw from him. I can only assume he was shedding tears of joy that the media responded so quickly to his and their agenda!
I assume they had background checks yet he bought the guns legally while under treatment and his family knew he had problems. Gets pretty interesting unless the liberal movie crowd is exempt from current gun laws in California??? Was his father waiting in the wings for the kid to snap so he could call the News Conference??? Since he had “semi-automatic” handguns did he have a hunting knife, kitchen knife or just a pocket knife to kill the first 3 victims, I do wonder, after all it is what we want to know isn’t it?
Since not a single mass murderer was an NRA member or belonged to any Gun or Sportsman’s Club, I have come to the conclusion that we would all be safer arming conservatives and banning all and any guns from liberals! Guns as politics are just too much for them and the power is all consuming to them to the point they think they are Gods with the power to control our lives and put us to death if we don’t adhere to there morbid thoughts!! In my opinion the left wing has just went way too far and is now deciding who will die for the anti-gun “cause”.
Time we took them to task and began protecting ourselves, BAN ALL LIBERALS!!!
This list is just a small but most recent sample of the liberal murderers we have had to deal with. No wonder they want gun control so bad, to protect themselves so they can kill more
Ft Hood Shooter: Registered Democrat and Muslim.
Columbine Shooters: Both families were Registered Democrats & progressive liberals.
Virginia Tech shooter: Wrote hate mail to President Bush and to his staff. Registered Democrat.
Colorado theater shooter: Registered Democrat, staff worker on the Obama campaign, occupy wall street participant, & progressive liberal.
Connecticut school shooter: Registered Democrat. Hated Christians.
Santana Barbara Killer: Registered Democrat professed liberal, horny virgin
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 01:29
Liberals are militant about their agendas. Anything and everything comes second place to their wacky ideals. Even their children. Look at all the drugs they push down their children’s throats. Liberals are some scary people. Almost deranged.
arc99 May 28th, 2014 at 01:32
not nearly as deranged as people like you who wander internet forums lying about people simply because they dare to have a different opinion.
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 02:46
Liberals don’t have differing opinions on anything. Every one I’ve ever known or heard or read all have the exact same thoughts and opinions on every topic. I’ve never met any other group of people that do that. Even Repubs disagree with each other on topics.
Obewon May 28th, 2014 at 02:53
“EyeWonderY” just like most low & no information voters, you falsely project your own ‘shortcomings’ onto others. Another teeny weenie paranoid gun nut fails, but fell into Gun nut lobbyist NRA’s sales scam ‘Buy all the guns & ammo Now!’ And then kill your friends & family 22-43 times more often than any intruder. Boom!
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 03:30
My point proven once again… All liberals have the exact same opinion on every issue. That’s why you are libtarded.
Obewon May 28th, 2014 at 04:02
Thanks again for proving why the smarter sex laughs at gun nuts with a disgusted look exclaiming: ‘breed with a gun nut? OMFG! Never & only over my dead body.’ Necrophilia isn’t your only option as GA’s GOP Guber & Anti-abortion fanatic proves:
Neal Horsley, The Mule-loving Republican Candidate, Said He Would Kill His Own Son For Liberty And To Secede From The Union http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/neal-horsley-mule-loving-republican-can GOP & TP HQ where the sheep run and the mules cryout in disgust of Tea Party animal husbandry issues.
EyeWonderY May 28th, 2014 at 04:09
There’s a smarter sex? Oh, why bother. You can’t even form a sentence much less an original thought. Have fun.
JEButler May 28th, 2014 at 08:13
Smarter sex can’t even get laid!!! And you have ugly women too
Budda May 28th, 2014 at 08:54
“ugly women”…physical ‘beauty’ is how you judge women? No wonder you can’t get any.
JEButler May 28th, 2014 at 08:12
Has the left wing EVER come up with anything original? The “low information voters” came from Limbaugh, come on shurly you can find your own tags!!!!
Budda May 28th, 2014 at 08:52
…”anything original?” How about Social Security, women’s rights ( opps, bet that honks you off) 40 hour work week just list a few.
JEButler May 28th, 2014 at 09:39
SS was passed by a majority of Republicans, not dems. Let me say, the right actually supports the program. What we don’t support was what you left winghuts added to it like Carters giving people from other countries SS when they come here and never paying a dime in!! You people screwed it up!! Check it out!! Womens rights, better do some research, once again passed by a majority of right wingers while the left opposed the bill. 40 hour work week, once again supported by the right. Get real. Hey check these out too before you claim victory.
mea_mark May 28th, 2014 at 09:47
You do realize that before LBJ the Republicans were the liberal progressive party. You know, the ones that passed those amendments there, that you are pointing out. Or is history lost to you and all you can can come up with are charts that sound good to the uneducated. I gotta say though thanks for pointing out what good work the progressives do though. We don’t get that very often coming from right-wing political hacks.