Violence?
I guess I deserved it, though..
It is sad to think that the first few people on earth needed no books, movies, games or music to inspire cold-blooded murder. The day that Cain bashed his brother Abel's brains in, the only motivation he needed was his own human disposition to violence."- Marilyn Manson, Rolling Stone magazine, 2005
In the wake of the morbid shootings that occured at Columbine High School, in Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999, the media and public pointed accusing fingers at goth-rock star, Marilyn Manson. Many believed that the two dsiturbed teenagers, who cold-bloodedly shot dead twelve of their classmates and one teacher, listened to Manson' explicit and, at times, violent lyrics, which lead them to killing those innocent people, and then themselves. This is not the only instance where the works of certain music artists have been blamed for teenagers acting in violence. Just a year after the Columbine tragedy, 17-year old Greg Barnes, a Columbine student who had witnessed a friend and teacher shot to death, hung himself. Blink 182's "Adam's Song", with lyrics referring blatantly to suicide, was the athem playing repeatedly as he committed suicide. Barnes' parents were shocked when they learned the lyrics to Blink182's song.
The question that has arisen in many minds is, are the artists to blame or are there bigger issues that should be observed and taken into consideration when searching for preventions of these acts of violence?
Teenagers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who were later disagnosed as actual "psychopaths", after they use semi-automatic pistols to gun down their peers at Columbine High, did not in fact listen to Marilyn Manson's music. Ironically, they hated his music. Still, Manson was the face stuck on the news channels and called th "reason" behind their violent and disturbing behavior. In an interview, Manson wondered why parents in general, not just Harris' and Kelbold's, do not think about what they may have done wrong. Why was it so easy for the boys to get away with even having a gun? Why was this so shcoking- did no one care enough to realize the anger in these kids? Maybe if their parents did a little more listening and disciplining of their children, they could have helped them before the lashing out even began. Or, if their children refused to talk, then how were the parents so oblivious to the introverted behavior of their teenagers?
The first amendment grants people the right to speak freely, as long as they are not limiting the rights of others. Why, then, are so many outraged organizations quick to state the need to ban artists like Manson, with his dark lyrics and darker image? Organizations, such as Citizens for Peace and Respect are trying desperately to persuade the music industries to completely rid itself of artists like Mansom, calling him "disgusting, disturbing" and claiming that he "promotes Satanism". They are exercising their first amendment rights by fighting against Manson, in the same way Manson is exercising that same right by writing song lyrics that he feels strongly for.
On the same day that Klebold and Harris shot up their school, the United States dropped mor bombs than they had ever dropped is Kosovo. Why didn't anyone think to blame the volence that the society portrays on the news everyday for these teens acting so angrily?
Manson's quote on thr Columbine incident referring to Cain and Abel is thought provoking and insightful. It is true; thousans of years ago there were no Tvs, no radio, or video games-- yet there was still violence. No music artist influence Cain to act so violently against his brother Abel. You can find inspiration for someone's behavior wherever you look. Different people, different situations, different family traits- these can all be factors. Although many teens look up to musicians and idolize them, that is not the artists' job. Theya re simply entertainers, much like an actor or author. It is not the musician's responsibility to council teens, nor it is reasonable to hold song lyrics accountable for one person's mental instability. Thousand upon thousands of people listen to Marilyn Manson, or similar artists who express their angst through dark lyrics, but only a handful of them take the lyrics seriously enough to act on them. Why don't all Manson fans shoot up their school? Why don't all Blink 182 fans kill themselves after listening to the emotional "Adam's Song"? The answer should be easy to easy.
Lyrics cannot force one to do anything. It is true that music is influential, especially to weak hearted, easily influenced teenagers, who nowadayts seek answers or comfort in music, but they are no more or less poetic or creative than a Steven King novel, or wes Craven thriller. Therefor, in order for someone to sake the artist's work so seriously, they must already be metnally unstable or have had previous negative influences.
One man spoke out to Denver Colorado, protesting Manson's concert and accusing him of promoting violence. The man used the analogy that "all people who see a Lexus commerciald on't go out and a buy Lexus- but some do." The man insisted that Manson's lyrics were the cause for those two specific teenagers to commit the crime that they did, and even though all Manson fans do not go out on a killing spree, some do, and that is reason enough to ban his music.
Another way to see this point, is that the ones who do buy a Lexus are the ones who see qualities in the car they are interested in, or know about. It's expensive- they want luxury. It's fast- they like speed. Someone that sees the same Lexus commercial that is interested in small, cheaper cars, is not going to go buy that Lexus. This is similar to the wat people are so quick to blame musicians for theirs teens committing suicide or homocide. SOmeone who is brought up learning morals and is taught to do right in the beginning, is not as likely to hear aggresive lyrics and take them to heart, as someone who is not brought up sheltered from violence and isn't taught right from wrong. One must already be interested or exposed to violence in order to commit such crimes, as high school shootings.
Parents and the public must put aside their anger and fear and stand back and look at how they, as parents, may influence their kids. Where did they go wrong? Being a parent is a life-long job, and part of it is having some sort of connection to your children. If we all learned to listen more, instead of turning our anger or fear into accusations, violence and hatred would be less of a problem. Not only would teen suicides and homocides be reduced, but it could also change the way society behaves as a whole. It is a shame that so many teenagers are so angry. It is a shame they take their anger out on people around them. The blame is not on music artists he or she may have listened to, or the books he or she may have read. In the big picture, no one can be blamed for anyone else's behavior. Everything in one's life can be an influence, be it music or movies, or the way they were brought up. In the long run, people have to decide right from wrong and take responsibility for their own actions, instead of placing the blame on an easier target.
I got a B because I didn't present an opposing view. Blah.
It is sad to think that the first few people on earth needed no books, movies, games or music to inspire cold-blooded murder. The day that Cain bashed his brother Abel's brains in, the only motivation he needed was his own human disposition to violence."- Marilyn Manson, Rolling Stone magazine, 2005
In the wake of the morbid shootings that occured at Columbine High School, in Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999, the media and public pointed accusing fingers at goth-rock star, Marilyn Manson. Many believed that the two dsiturbed teenagers, who cold-bloodedly shot dead twelve of their classmates and one teacher, listened to Manson' explicit and, at times, violent lyrics, which lead them to killing those innocent people, and then themselves. This is not the only instance where the works of certain music artists have been blamed for teenagers acting in violence. Just a year after the Columbine tragedy, 17-year old Greg Barnes, a Columbine student who had witnessed a friend and teacher shot to death, hung himself. Blink 182's "Adam's Song", with lyrics referring blatantly to suicide, was the athem playing repeatedly as he committed suicide. Barnes' parents were shocked when they learned the lyrics to Blink182's song.
The question that has arisen in many minds is, are the artists to blame or are there bigger issues that should be observed and taken into consideration when searching for preventions of these acts of violence?
Teenagers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who were later disagnosed as actual "psychopaths", after they use semi-automatic pistols to gun down their peers at Columbine High, did not in fact listen to Marilyn Manson's music. Ironically, they hated his music. Still, Manson was the face stuck on the news channels and called th "reason" behind their violent and disturbing behavior. In an interview, Manson wondered why parents in general, not just Harris' and Kelbold's, do not think about what they may have done wrong. Why was it so easy for the boys to get away with even having a gun? Why was this so shcoking- did no one care enough to realize the anger in these kids? Maybe if their parents did a little more listening and disciplining of their children, they could have helped them before the lashing out even began. Or, if their children refused to talk, then how were the parents so oblivious to the introverted behavior of their teenagers?
The first amendment grants people the right to speak freely, as long as they are not limiting the rights of others. Why, then, are so many outraged organizations quick to state the need to ban artists like Manson, with his dark lyrics and darker image? Organizations, such as Citizens for Peace and Respect are trying desperately to persuade the music industries to completely rid itself of artists like Mansom, calling him "disgusting, disturbing" and claiming that he "promotes Satanism". They are exercising their first amendment rights by fighting against Manson, in the same way Manson is exercising that same right by writing song lyrics that he feels strongly for.
On the same day that Klebold and Harris shot up their school, the United States dropped mor bombs than they had ever dropped is Kosovo. Why didn't anyone think to blame the volence that the society portrays on the news everyday for these teens acting so angrily?
Manson's quote on thr Columbine incident referring to Cain and Abel is thought provoking and insightful. It is true; thousans of years ago there were no Tvs, no radio, or video games-- yet there was still violence. No music artist influence Cain to act so violently against his brother Abel. You can find inspiration for someone's behavior wherever you look. Different people, different situations, different family traits- these can all be factors. Although many teens look up to musicians and idolize them, that is not the artists' job. Theya re simply entertainers, much like an actor or author. It is not the musician's responsibility to council teens, nor it is reasonable to hold song lyrics accountable for one person's mental instability. Thousand upon thousands of people listen to Marilyn Manson, or similar artists who express their angst through dark lyrics, but only a handful of them take the lyrics seriously enough to act on them. Why don't all Manson fans shoot up their school? Why don't all Blink 182 fans kill themselves after listening to the emotional "Adam's Song"? The answer should be easy to easy.
Lyrics cannot force one to do anything. It is true that music is influential, especially to weak hearted, easily influenced teenagers, who nowadayts seek answers or comfort in music, but they are no more or less poetic or creative than a Steven King novel, or wes Craven thriller. Therefor, in order for someone to sake the artist's work so seriously, they must already be metnally unstable or have had previous negative influences.
One man spoke out to Denver Colorado, protesting Manson's concert and accusing him of promoting violence. The man used the analogy that "all people who see a Lexus commerciald on't go out and a buy Lexus- but some do." The man insisted that Manson's lyrics were the cause for those two specific teenagers to commit the crime that they did, and even though all Manson fans do not go out on a killing spree, some do, and that is reason enough to ban his music.
Another way to see this point, is that the ones who do buy a Lexus are the ones who see qualities in the car they are interested in, or know about. It's expensive- they want luxury. It's fast- they like speed. Someone that sees the same Lexus commercial that is interested in small, cheaper cars, is not going to go buy that Lexus. This is similar to the wat people are so quick to blame musicians for theirs teens committing suicide or homocide. SOmeone who is brought up learning morals and is taught to do right in the beginning, is not as likely to hear aggresive lyrics and take them to heart, as someone who is not brought up sheltered from violence and isn't taught right from wrong. One must already be interested or exposed to violence in order to commit such crimes, as high school shootings.
Parents and the public must put aside their anger and fear and stand back and look at how they, as parents, may influence their kids. Where did they go wrong? Being a parent is a life-long job, and part of it is having some sort of connection to your children. If we all learned to listen more, instead of turning our anger or fear into accusations, violence and hatred would be less of a problem. Not only would teen suicides and homocides be reduced, but it could also change the way society behaves as a whole. It is a shame that so many teenagers are so angry. It is a shame they take their anger out on people around them. The blame is not on music artists he or she may have listened to, or the books he or she may have read. In the big picture, no one can be blamed for anyone else's behavior. Everything in one's life can be an influence, be it music or movies, or the way they were brought up. In the long run, people have to decide right from wrong and take responsibility for their own actions, instead of placing the blame on an easier target.
I got a B because I didn't present an opposing view. Blah.