A few weeks ago I was watching a special on A&E. It was called Teenagers Under The Gun. This is a very sensitive subject with me. Not so much the shootings and violent acts themselves, but the cause of why.
Now as you know, there's alot of violent music out there. There's no doubt it has been excepted into pop culture. It's a thing not unusual to hear on the radio or cd's. Marilyn Manson, Eminem, Slipknot, so on and so forth.
There's also alot of violent movies out. Now, when we see someone die, in a movie, no big shock. It's a normal thing.
Video games like Gran Theft Auto San Andreas. Fun game, but "A smulation for killers".
But then things happen in real life. Suicides, ritual satanic murders, school shootings, bomb threats, etc.
Now some of you maybe wondering what the movies and music and real life events are realted.
There are many reasons kids do what they do. Influence is blamed. Video games like GTA, Marilyn Manson music, Natural Born Killers.
Now while I don't endorse Marilyn Manson, I refuse to believe tha he was responsible for influence and school shoootings and so on and so forth. Let me tell you a story I saw on the show that inspired me to write this topic.
A good teenage kid. Inline skater, did school sports, and things like that. Well he went to his dad and said "Dad, I need help." They denied it and told him everything he was going through was normal. A little while later, the kid shot himself. After that, his dad, who denied his request for help, found a Marilyn Manson cd in his stereo. He blamed Marilyn Manson. You want to know who I blame? THE DAD! ITS HIS FAULT! That kid could have been saved! How many kids actually come out and say they need help?! HUH?! How many?! When it's said, it's meant! He killed himself because his father was a neglectful bastard who couldn't care enough about his kid to help him. Right now, I hope that stupid prick could read this. The ony person that's responsible, is him, not Marilyn Manson.
Who's to blame for Columbine?
1. The kids for doing it in the first place.
2. Parents for failing to bring up their kids in a respectable manner.
3. Parents for owning semi-automatic rifles and doing nothing to prevent their kids from getting at them.
4. Bullies for being complete assholes to said kids.
5. School staff for not spotting the warning signs that they gave off long before the shooting.
6. School administrators for turning a blind eye to said bullying.
7. K-Mart for selling bullets as though they were toilet paper.
What he said. The public schools around here make Nike factories look pleasant.
~Rico
I agree with Cycle, but maybe place a little more of the blame on the kids. I don't really care how severe the bullying they experienced was, most of us are bullied at some time or another and most of us realize shooting up the school is a lame idea.
However shooting the bullies, I wouldn't be adverse to. But bullets are too painless and messy. Overcharged tasers, rocksalt, mace, and tear gas are all much more fun to watch, not to mention legal.
~Rico
Rico's mind scares me...
And Columbine shouldn't be blamed on videogames or any entertainment outlet, end of discussion. People need to take some responsibility for their actions. That doesn't mean everything goes but goodness darnit, stop blaming the media...
EDIT: Goodness darnit! I keep mixing Rico's name with Riku...NOT a good sign...
Hehe, yes around age 13 I decided enough was enough and I "backed down" a bully. You can blame that on videogames if you want. 
~Rico
I agree with Cycle, but maybe place a little more of the blame on the kids.
That's why I remembered at the last minute to put them at the top of the list.
To be perfectly honest, we all know what is right and what is wrong. Anyone who copies something they saw in a film or a videogame have no place in the gene pool.
A little example of that would be this. A little while ago, it was reported on the news that a kid murdered one of his friends with a hammer and it was later discovered he owned a copy of Manhunt. Now, Manhunt is a Rockstar game. Rockstar being responsible for many mature video game titles like the Gran Theft Auto series. But they also place a certificate on any advertisement of the game and on the box of said game.
That being said, the whole murder affair was put down to influence from a violent videogame and it was taken off the shelves of many shops for a short time. The kid wasn't even 18 so he couldn't have bought it himself. The person who acquired the game for him is to blame as well as the kid. I know that mindless, random murder is wrong and I have played very violent titles like Manhunt, although I must say when I am pissed off, I do take out my frustration on videogames of this nature. But I'm sure I'm not the first and definitely not the last person to do so.
This is also like how many people blame JK Rowling because children have wrote to her saying they want to be witches and wizards after reading some of her books and older people have decided trying witchcraft and things like that.
But to answer your question- cycle pretty much summed it up. And no- I don't think the music is to blame.
*Nods and agrees* can't blame anything else really. Scapegoating seems to be an international pasttime for these situations, however, from Manson being blamed for this instance (and movies such as Fight Club released afterwards being used afterwards and so on), FPS games being used for the Washington Sniper and Manhunt being used for a UK case of a drug addict killing a friend with a hammer.
To be honest, I cannot understand the mentality of the scapegoating, beyond the fact that when people are unnerved when things lie this happen and as the media blows it all out of proportion and causes people to panic. So with people feeling unsafe and the only excuse being "they were unstable", how can you stop your own child from becoming unstable. Labelling everything that the offending kids did and making sure your own don't.
So, sure, you can be narrow minded and blame culture for shaping the unstable mind which picked the wrong exit, or of course be like our good friend Cycle and just take things at face value. Bad parenting, bad schooling and bullying.
The whole panic of metal detectors and such is just insanity and makes me worry endlessly about the whole responce to horrible situations like this.
*Sighs*
Scapegoating however, is an ancient tradition of society to make sure that people don't have to point the finger of blame too close to home. If people accepted the truth, then they'd have to accept that they're responsible for lots of things they don't want to be responsible for, and it wouldn't fit with the whole "Quick Fix" beliefs of modern society. And we wouldn't want to think we can't solve all problems with Quick Fix solutions, that would be too much like effort...
My friend stabbed himself to death with a prisma-color pencil so I think all pencils should be banned. Because everyone knows pencils encourage people to be artists and we all know all artists are introverted and suicidal.
...
What? It makes just as much sense as what they're doing here. o.o
~Rico ("Hey, while I have your attention. I'm totally cool with people being gay, just wanted to clear that up." -- Jesus)
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To be perfectly honest, we all know what is right and what is wrong. Anyone who copies something they saw in a film or a videogame have no place in the gene pool.
I have to disagree. Not everyone knows what is right and wrong.
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I have to disagree. Not everyone knows what is right and wrong.
He's right about that. We have some really stupid people on this planet.
~Rico
The adolescent.
HERESY! He's too literally on topic!
~Rico
You've been listening to the Ranting Gryphon, 2 too much - Rick.
And I agree with Rico and Cycle. Blame the kids, the parents too. =P
What's interesting is that people who find these sorts of violent games fun are more prone to committing acts of violence anyway. I have friends that just don't find killing people fun, and they're generally calm and collected. I think it has a whole lot to do with personality. I wish that more younger teens would have the sense to know that violence isn't all that great for your mind.
Depends if you grown up with violence, ie - I live in Detroit you have no care for simulated violence. I know violence in games is just what it is - a game.
But then again, you know where I was raised. =P
Duh. If you're antisocial and homocidal you are GOING to play games that emulate that. Instead of trying to toss the games off the market lets use 'em as a kind of early warning sign. You have a kid thats TOO into blood and gore games you may wanna keep a close eye on them and things in their room.
Of course most kids, hell most PEOPLE, have a gut-gut-hack-hack streak in them. But while I play Resident Evil, Doom, Quake, etc. I always play City of Heroes where you don't kill anyone, you just knock 'em out and teleport 'em to jail. And Starwars Galaxies where you don't even have to kill ANYTHING if you just play music, craft, and dance your way through the game.
There are tell-tell signs of someone thats naturely violent. And DUH they are going to play violent video games. They are also going to make the wrong kind of friends, blow up alley cats, and other obvious things. People are taking a symptom and saying its the cause.
Kinda like of some praise craving doctor said "This man is getting the flu and his stomach hurts! Therefore your stomach causes the flu so we should removed everyone's stomach at birth."
Me personally? I'll keep my stomach AND my kill, crush, destroy games. That way I can eat AND frag pixelated morons instead of real ones.
~Rico
Well let's put it this way. If they have their "kill crush destroy" games, they won't be out killing, crushing and destroying things and people in real life will they? X3
Rico, you're exactly right. We should use those sorts of games as a warning sign. Violent and messed-up kids are much more likely to be all into those games, so why not use 'em as a red flag?
*applauds for Rico*
Of course if thats said then parents will treat playing doom like playing D&D and think that just that one thing means they need to ruin the kids life by shoving them into therapy.
People will always overact to things they don't understand. They will hate things they fear and fear things don't understand. Thats why people sneer and weird religions, video gamers, and gays. Thats why people used to hang blacks for no reason and laugh at women that wanted to vote. It's just how people are.
~Rico
Well let's put it this way. If they have their "kill crush destroy" games, they won't be out killing, crushing and destroying things and people in real life will they? X3
That could be right or wrong, depending on how you look at it. Either a violent game could be an outlet for emotional explosions, or it could fuel the desire to destroy things. Could go both ways.
Of course if thats said then parents will treat playing doom like playing D&D and think that just that one thing means they need to ruin the kids life by shoving them into therapy.
I remember several years ago when I was eleven, right during the pokmon craze, I was drawing one day, and thought it'd be amusing to draw a cute pikachu with a smoking gun. My mom saw it and immediately got all worried about me. XD "Little Hillary's gonna shoot up the whole town!" Gawd, dude. The only rated M game I've ever owned is American McGee's Alice. That should be a clue as to how violent I am. This is a perfect example of what you said, Rico, as far as parents freaking out over one little thing.
People will always overact to things they don't understand. They will hate things they fear and fear things don't understand. Thats why people sneer and weird religions, video gamers, and gays. Thats why people used to hang blacks for no reason and laugh at women that wanted to vote. It's just how people are.
My opinion is that shunning those who are different is just another survival instinct. If a person isn't normal, healthy, and the same as everyone else, he/she will probably be alienated in some way because of that instinct. Survival of the fittest.
lookout with the darwin stuff, the religious people will beat you with 'holy water sprinklers'. 
~Rico
Yeah! *beats Rico down with a holy water sprinkler* 
Well, I see your point Shoe, I suppose it COULD be used for both ways. For me it's more of a way to "cool my heels" if ya know what I mean.
I don't play too many first person shooters though. Just once in a great while. I'm more of an RPG person.
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Well let's put it this way. If they have their "kill crush destroy" games, they won't be out killing, crushing and destroying things and people in real life will they? X3
That could be right or wrong, depending on how you look at it. :p Either a violent game could be an outlet for emotional explosions, or it could fuel the desire to destroy things. Could go both ways.
You'd have to be mentally disturbed to act out the games. Games are just what they are - games. Sane people know that.
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I remember several years ago when I was eleven, right during the pokmon craze, I was drawing one day, and thought it'd be amusing to draw a cute pikachu with a smoking gun. My mom saw it and immediately got all worried about me. XD "Little Hillary's gonna shoot up the whole town!" Gawd, dude. The only rated M game I've ever owned is American McGee's Alice. That should be a clue as to how violent I am. This is a perfect example of what you said, Rico, as far as parents freaking out over one little thing.
Reminds me when I drew rifle designs in Middle-school....or "made fun of certain religons" by making my own - but not worshiping it.
Yes, I did it to piss religous people off. But thats off topic.
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You'd have to be mentally disturbed to act out the games. Games are just what they are - games. Sane people know that.
The only problem here is...how many people at this message board are actually sane?
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Qhe only problem here is...how many people at this message board are actually sane?
I'm sure about most of this Message board is sane, but we just like to act out of it. Yeah. >>
It was a joke Mikey. I know its weird but even Mau seems to make a joke once in awhile. That and her name could sound like the noise my cat makes.
~Rico
I know that Rick, I'm jsut being my normal self. =P
Well cut it out.
~Rico
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It was a joke Mikey. I know its weird but even Mau seems to make a joke once in awhile. That and her name could sound like the noise my cat makes
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I'll take that as a compliment. I'm not always serious
Both statements in fact. I believe "Mau" is SUPPOSED to sound like the noise a cat makes, I got the name from the breed of cat called Egyptian Mau (though Mau is outwardly a siamese in appearance, her mom's a real Mau though...except real maus have green eyes...apparently it doesn't matter with litian cats) and I believe "Mau" Is also supposed to MEAN cat.
but yeah...adolescent violence...well...it's hard to say...but...if the kid's old enough to think for themselves...then I say it's their own fault...but who knows with society nowadays...of course it's almost 1Am so I probably have no idea what I'm talking about right now
Thats the problem. Whats old enough to think for themselves? 10? 14? 16?
And you're a booger flavored cat. o.o
~Rico
I am? How do you know?
Yeah...I think it kinda varies with age. Some kids are smart enough to read at 3 or 4. Others have to wait until they're five or six. Some are just ahead of others. Or something. Bah, once again, I don't know
My friend started playing 'M' games at Six, and hes normal and sane. So yeah.
Meh.
All I know is that this rabid campaigning against violent videogames and so-called "Disturbing musicians and all that is actually having an adverse effect, and that is teaching certain kids that if they have a bunch of marilyn manson CDs and GTA video games and the like when they take a shotgun to school and waste a couple of their classmates, they'll get off relatively scot-free by blaming it on 'damaging' material.
His signature even fits the post.
~Rico
Yeeeep. Always blame the media. Of course, only minors can really get away with that. Who says that's right?
Meh, then again who said life was fair?
This is OBVIOUSLY Grand Theft Auto's fault.
