Shame on NBC, boycott NBC advertisers

The recent Virginia Tech shooting by the deranged Cho Seung-hui was a tragedy of unprecedented scale. Our nation is grieving and struggling for answers to what happened, and how to prevent these things in the future.

One of the sickest aspects of this episode involved the NBC television and online network.

Cho Seung-hui decided for some reason to mail numerous photos, video clips, and a written manifesto to NBC. The fact that he chose to mail the package to NBC between the two shootings is quite disturbing.

NBC received the materials and promptly alerted the FBI, as they should have.

Unfortunately, NBC chose to upload and air the manifesto text, the killer's self-glorifying photos waving a gun around, and the killer's prima dona videos.

For what benefit could these materials have been aired and uploaded for public consumption?

NBC is trying to claim they aired and uploaded the materials to help answer the question why Cho did the deed. However, the materials only pose deeper questions of his sick behaviors, and do not answer any questions.

After a few days of proliferating the killer's materials everywhere, NBC is finally pulling back on the materials a little due to public backlash, however they are obviously trying to close the barn doors after the horses have left.

NBC has certainly inspired other psychos out there by airing and uploading the killer's materials. They have demonstrated to these psychos how they, too can achieve glory and publicity and the attention they so crave.

It is time to give NBC the smackdown for this horribly irresponsible behavior.

It is time to boycott the NBC network in both channels and websites. Delete any links you can to their affiliated websites. Call your cable or satellite provider and request that they drop NBC channels from the lineup you pay for.

It is time to boycott NBC advertisers. Refuse to purchase products carried by the NBC advertisers.

It is too late for NBC to make any amends for their horrible actions these past few days.

The only thing NBC can do is

• Fire the people who decided to air these materials
• Issue huge apologies to the schools, the victims, and to America
• Self-report themselves to the FCC for airing indecent materials
• Set up multi-million dollar victims' compensation funds
• Fund an institute to study school violence
• Launch an initiative to help screen, identify, and provide counseling for potential school shooters
  
• Launch a cross-country tour of discussion panelists about school violence
• Lead the mass media industry in developing new ethics guidelines for airing these materials

NBC has quite possibly harmed America far worse than the Virginia Tech Shooter because of their decision to air these materials. It is time for Americans to put the smackdown on NBC and teach the entire mass media industry a lesson in ethics.

What do you think?