It was more than likely that groups like Morality In The Media would
exploit the terrible tragedy in Omaha for their own moral and
political ends.
From Morality In The Media via Mediawatch UK (so we can assume Beyer
and co share Morality’s views that the media is to blame for this
latest American mass murder):
With so many mass murders by individuals, perhaps there is a common
explanation, like popular culture, says Morality in Media President
Robert Peters
NEWS RELEASE from MORALITY IN MEDIA, Inc.
NEW YORK (December 10, 2007) – Morality in Media President Robert
Peters had the following comments in response to latest mass murder
in Omaha:
“What might be called `mass murder by individuals’ is, of course,
not a new phenomena in human history. What is new in the United
States is the regularity with which it now takes place. As noted by
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, mass murder by individuals
includes `killers of family, of coworkers, of students, and of
random strangers.’
“Many place the primary blame on the availability of guns, and there
is no doubt that guns are the weapon of choice of most individual
mass murderers. But in many parts of our nation, guns have always
been readily available, unaccompanied by mass murder by anyone.
“Guns are also the weapon of choice in the entertainment media,
which includes films, TV programs, rap lyrics and video games. A
week never goes by that I don’t see at least one advertisement for a
film or TV program or videogame that prominently depicts one or more
individuals who are carrying, pointing or shooting one or more guns.
“Use of guns in the media, of course, is not a new phenomena. In the
1950s and 1960s, guns were popular in both films and TV programs
that depicted war, the Wild West, police work and a wide variety of
heinous crimes, including organized crime.
“Back then, however, there were standards that guided how violence
was depicted in the media. For example, among the film industry Hays
Code provisions was one that regulated the depiction of murder.
Murder was to be presented in a way that would not inspire
imitation. Brutal killings were not to be presented in detail.
Revenge was not to be justified.
“I recall reading that the TV program `Untouchables’ broke new
ground in depicting deadly violence, but I don’t recall anyone
wanting to be Al Capone. Kids wanted to be G-Men.
“America also had what some call a `civil religion’ that taught and
reinforced at all levels of society a simple commandment, `You shall
not commit murder.’ “Today, films and other media glamorize murder
and revenge and present it in the most detailed, sadistic manner
possible. More often than not, media also portrays religion in a
negative light.
“Problems at home, problems at school, problems at work, problems
with girl and boyfriends, difficulty getting along with other people
in general and mental illness are nothing new, and cannot be the
primary explanation for mass murders by so many minors and adults.
“Parents, schools, religious institutions and government have all
changed over the decades, but none are saying that it is OK to kill
because you have been wronged or are unhappy.
“Only in the entertainment media is the worst of human behavior
depicted `non-judgmentally’ or even worse, glamorized and promoted.
“There is a saying, `You reap what you sow,’ and the American people
are reaping what the entertainment media have sowed and we have
bought for more than forty years.”
Based in New York City, Morality in Media works to promote standards
of decency in media.
“Many place the primary blame on the availability of guns, and there
is no doubt that guns are the weapon of choice of most individual
mass murderers. But in many parts of our nation, guns have always
been readily available, unaccompanied by mass murder by anyone.
Guns are also the weapon of choice in the entertainment media, which
includes films, TV programs, rap lyrics and video games. A week
never goes by that I don’t see at least one advertisement for a film
or TV program or videogame that prominently depicts one or more
individuals who are carrying, pointing or shooting one or more guns.”
So in other words gun ownership is not to blame but instead
the “evil” and “corrupting” influence of the media.
Well of course Morality In The Media and other groups like them
would take that view because they are supported largely by
Republicans who fight to uphold the “rights” of middle Americans to
own guns and blow the fuck away of any “undesirables” (usually black
people) who set one little toe on their front lawns.
Gun ownership supporting Republicans have been diverting the blame
for mass murder from gun ownership for years and instead pointed the
fingre of convinient scapegoats such as films, video games and rap
music.
“Problems at home, problems at school, problems at work, problems
with girl and boyfriends, difficulty getting along with other people
in general and mental illness are nothing new, and cannot be the
primary explanation for mass murders by so many minors and adults.”
No it cannot be the primary explanation for mass murders but it is a
factor and self appointed moral guardians of the US who choose to
ignore the mental and social problems many of their nation’s young
people have and pass the blame on films, video games and rap music
are doing their young people no favours at all and discouraging
their government to tackle those problems.
This latest mass murder shows that America has terrible problems
with it’s lax gun ownership laws where guns and dished out to all
and sundry. It also shows that they have young people with serious
social, mental and emotional problems which when left not delt with
blow up and turn into something like the gun tragedies which their
country has seen.
Yet groups like Morality In The Media funded and backed by powerful
and influential religious groups who’s only goal is to impose THEIR
morality on the rest of America prefer to gloss over these problems
in order to push their agenda of censorship onto the entertainments
industry.
They can carry on pointing the fingre at the media but the problems
won’t go away and more blood will be spilt and more young lives will
be destroyed!
But as long as they get everyone to believe in Jesus they probably
don’t give a fuck do they?
