they made him? crazy that a kid can have a gun pointed at them twice in one day nowadays

Ah yes. Because famously traumatised children are capable of making decisions based on what is best for them and now whatever adults tell them. How long have you had your medical degree doctor?

just long enough to understand that "forced to" and "manipulated into" are two different concepts. the point is strong enough without the stupidly undermining hyperbole.

They didnt bribe this kid with a happy meal. They surrounded him with adults and shoved a microphone in his face.

And if an adult sticks a microphone in a kid's face, they are probably going to comply whether they want to or not. It seems obvious that it is disgusting to interview a victim moments after the event, so of course we have to debate it.

Exactly. Its crass opportunism with zero journalistic benefit. Malpractice at best. Borderline criminal child abuse.

I'd prefer to be interviewed as soon as possible personally, and as a child I was far more composed and capable than a great many adults I've known in the face of trauma. If you're really looking for someone to blame for this kind of phenomenon, look at the people consuming it.

"I am a special snowflake who was secretly a child genius-slash-batman heres my opinion...." Just fuck off. Double fuck off.

i'm glad you were such an advanced child, but i still think this is really unfair and hard on a kid who just had the worst day of his life

maybe. I think it's kind of gauche, but I doubt it affected the kid much, and it's possible it helped. I suspect that over the coming months and years there will be people doing their best to convince him it compounded his trauma; was perhaps even a worse victimization than being in a mass shooting.

i gotta say i find your take on this to be kinda offputting and weird

yeah, I'm sure it makes you uncomfortable

and his parents apparently gave their consent.

I. Dont. Care. They're likely traumatized too. The fact this "journalist" thought "Oh, I know, lets ask this baby with his friends blood on him" is an indictment. There is zero reason that this kid couldnt have received actual medical care THEN released a statement if it were that important.

You’re definitely one of those “…I don’t know, CAN you?” people, huh?

Having a gun pointed at you twice sounds kinda normal for America.