violence in music=crime?
This is not an old topic. Actually, I think it’s a very controversial debate topic right now. Basically, some people believe that if children, and sometimes older people, see violence in things like movies, TV (which includes the news), and video games, hear it in music, or read it in the newspaper, and any other things that fit the media, then they will have a higher likelihood to commit a crime, or just be violent kids.
Okay. I see where these people are coming from. Gangs commit all sorts of felonies and look at what rappers condone: Nothing left to do but buy some shells for my glock/ Why? so I can rob every known dope spot/I got 19 dollars and 50 cents up in my pocket with what?/ With this automatic rocket/ Gotta have it to pop it, unlock it, and take me up a hostage
(from Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told, Priority Records 199 
, a little piece from our friend Snoop Dogg - 20 Dollars To My Name (I wonder why??).
The people who self harm are probably more on the gothic/emo side, listening to stuff like this: I don’t know what set me off first/But I know what I can’t stand/Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is I can’t add up to what you can (From Linkin Park’s song “Papercut”).
Surely music is an influence in people’s behavior. I mean, go to any MCR message board and you’re bound to find out that nearly half of the people there will proudly say “MCR saved my life.” That is an influence.
If the media can save people, the media can hurt people. Like that boy, Charles “Andy” Williams. He shot 2 of his classmates and wounded 13 in his San Diego high school. He was a fan of Linkin Park, particularly the songs “One Step Closer”, “Papercut”, and “In The End”.
Of course, sometimes it is easier to ignore the neglegant parents, the school system that was aware of a problem, and the peers who watched it all go down and blame it on the music. Because come on, no one in their right mind dare listen to Linkin friggin Park and then expect something else to be blamed when they go ballistic.
My opinion? No one hears someone say “singing songs that make you slit your wrists/ it isn’t that much fun/staring down a loaded gun” and says to themselves, “Hmm..if Gerard Way wrote it he must think it’s cool. I think I’m gonna cut myself tonight.” If someone does do that, then I have a hard time believing that they were properly taken care of and were sane enough to listen to something like that. Someone should notice if a person, especially a child, meant to be under someone else’s care, only needs to hear My Chemical Romance sing it to do it. If someone does something just because the media flaunts it in their face, they were well on their way to doing it anyway.
Leave the music be. It’s done more good, by letting kids know that there’s someone they can relate to, than seeing “normal” looking people living “normal” lives on MTV every day.
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