TV's in public places are very common in the US. With the volume on. Sometimes blaring. In this context they become anti-reading machines in waiting rooms and airport terminals. Worse, they are usually playing their version of news. Today it was NY1 - as good as it gets as far as news outlets go - but the bubble of quiet was pierced by a report about the latest shooting. Not a school this time but a bank, where as it happens is where I was waiting for my name to be called, safe enough that my biggest problem was my annoyance. I noticed that they get covered like storms now. Like major weather systems that blow in, do damage and leave victims in their wake. When a hurricane comes through you don't ask about causes, you mourn and pray for the victims, which is what the Kentucky governor said to do, his voice unsteady, as it seems he knew some of the victims.

For those on the wrong side of history, everyday crime is a major problem to be solved. But mass shootings that now seem to come as often as the wind are a fact of life we have to live with. The news about the people killed was on between a story about more home runs being hit because warm weather makes the air thinner, and a dietician talking about healthy eating habits. Newscasts never break their stride. The air is constantly filled with the sounds of good-complexioned people telling you things are bad but not so bad you should ask certain questions.