The difference a day makes in the news

From the military shooting a balloon down over Lake Huron to the mass shooting at Michigan State University

“What a difference a day makes” is the lyric of a popular song, one in which the singer describes how much more wonderful life is since meeting a special someone than it had been 24 hours earlier.

Well… I won’t attempt an exact analogy, but what is considered headline news at one moment, causing journalists to scramble around the story like ants surrounding a fallen bread crump, can suddenly become irrelevant when a more dramatic event occurs.

Such was the case last Monday morning when I attended a press conference at the Emergency Medical Services Building in Howell Township where Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin discussed four community improvement projects that would be coming to Livingston County, thanks to the federal funding they’ll receive. This is money that her office had helped secure, hence her staff orchestrating the event. The press conference started with her opening remarks, followed by brief overviews from representatives of each of the projects.

The Congresswoman said that working with local officials in a bipartisan manner to assist these important priorities was a part of her job that she enjoyed. And for good reason. Such occasions, I’ve found, are usually highlighted by smiles and warm handshakes, with everyone standing shoulder-to-shoulder regardless of political affiliation.

This conference was a bit different though. Upon entering the building and signing in at the front desk, I expected to be joined by reporters from the area daily newspaper, WHMI radio , and possibly the two internet sites that post local news. I was surprised, however, to see a gentleman from the Detroit News I recognized and then a bank of TV cameras lined up in back of the seating.

“What was going on?” I wondered.

“The Lake Huron UFO” was the answer.

As you may recall, a balloon-like object that first entered Michigan’s airspace from Wisconsin had been shot down by the military over that Great Lake the day before. This had come shortly after the famous Chinese ‘spy’ balloon had floated across the width of the United States, managing to become a domestic political issue during its flight and an international incident as well, before it was finally brought down by a missile off the coast of South Carolina, followed by two other unidentified floating objects also being shot down—one in Alaska and the other in Canada.

Apparently, Slotkin’s office had told these media folks that she would take questions on the Lake Huron incident after the presentation, offering these inquiring minds details of what she knew and what it might imply.

Which she did.

Needless to say, none of the reporters asked about the local projects. They peppered her with questions for several minutes until the administrative aide proclaimed “One more question” signaling that the session was over. But even in this short timeframe, there was enough fodder for each of these reporters to supply some headline drama to their viewers, listeners, and readers.

I didn’t need to ask about what was going on since I wasn’t there to cover the UFO. As for the local projects, I already had the press release and a couple of quotes from Slotkin’s opening remarks. This, plus some pictures afterwards of the Congresswoman with the local officials, would give me what I needed for my weekly newspaper.

* * *

None of these reporters, or others in the area, were too concerned about the balloon and what it might portend the following morning. The mass shooting at Michigan State University had taken place that evening, blasting that story off the news headlines as effectively as the missile had dispatched the actual object.

The unfolding story of the shooting, the aftermath shown in real time on the Lansing TV stations, put everything else on the back burner. While there was initially all kinds of speculation, with some of the worst-case scenarios thankfully being inaccurate, what actually happened was horrific enough— three students killed and five others seriously wounded, along with the the gunman committing suicide after being approached by police.

One of the most arresting sights, for me, was TV camera showing the emergency vehicles lined up along the street, their lights flashing, suggesting there were a lot of victims who’d need to be transported to the hospitals. Eight victims, of course, are way too many, but it turned out that the presence of these ambulances was precautionary, not of necessity. No doubt, calling them to the scene is part of the planning that first responders—police, fire, and emergency medical attendants—do in preparation for different situations, be it tornadoes, large fires, traffic pile-ups, train derailments, or (sadly) mass shootings.

What happened at Michigan State is both unique, given those killed and wounded and the affect its had on students and staff as well as how the event unfolded, but also part of a now familiar pattern. Mass shootings, once a seldom occurrence, have become more and more frequent. The pattern includes news of the event, the specifics detailed, the stories of the survivors, the images of the grief-stricken families and friends, the candle-light vigils of mourners, and the funerals.

Given that guns are involved, there are calls for stricter controls for purchasing and possession as well as resistance to such measures. It’s certainly not a news flash that there exists a political and cultural divide over the issue of gun control. It plays out after each of these tragic incidents—as it’s now doing with the Michigan State University shooting.

* * *

The MSU campus in East Lansing is part of Rep. Slotkin’s district and she went in a matter of a half-day from offering her take on the Lake Huron balloon to dealing with the shooting. As she noted in her comments, the boundaries of her former district had included the part of Oakland County where the Oxford School shooting had occurred not so long ago.

As she did after Oxford, the Congresswoman has introduced a Safe Gun Storage bill to keep weapons locked up and away from children. She’s also co-sponsoring other gun-safety measures.

Similar efforts are underway in the Michigan Legislature with support from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Along with safe storage, so-called ‘red flag’ laws and universal background checks have been advocated.

All of this has happened before—in Congress, in Michigan, and in other states—with mixed results. The difference in Michigan this time around is that the Democrats have slim majorities in both legislative chambers and this has been a priority. Most of the Republican lawmakers and those who oppose making the response mainly about ‘gun control’ are pushing for more focus on mental health treatment. They’ve had this response after earlier shootings. They also bring forth the argument that responsible, law-abiding gun owners shouldn’t be penalized with more restrictions for the misdeeds of a few and that there are already laws on the books to deal with crimes that are committed.

‘Slim majority’ is the key word in forecasting what might happen. It is the caveat to the questions: ‘Will all of the Democratic legislators be onboard, particularly those representing swing districts who might pay a political price for supporting these bills?’ and conversely ‘Will any on the Republican side see a need to better address the issue and agree with the description that these are “common sense” reforms or will they remain unified in opposition?’

I don’t know if stricter gun-control laws will solve the problem, other than it’s hard to shoot someone if you don’t have a weapon. I don’t disagree on the need for better mental health treatment, other than to suggest if that’s a proposed. solution, then it needs actual funding and be given a priority.

Some might even propose that the Legislature look at both avenues.

How will it unfold? Well, as they say, “time will tell.”.

However, for three college students there is no more time. Whether a law would have kept their killer from obtaining his guns or better mental-health facilities would have assisted him in a manner where he never contemplated this violent act can be debated.

The key is that such questions, coupled with possible solutions, need to not only be debated, but, if deemed prudent, pursued. And with some sense of urgency.

On a Sunday night, the date being Feb. 12th, a trio of young people were alive and with us. Twenty-four hours later they were gone.

What a difference a day makes.

* * *

Steve Horton is a mid-Michigan journalist and editor-publisher of the Fowlerville News & Views—a weekly newspaper.

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