Everybody needs a scapegoat,I guess and I've long thought blaming the media,video games,Marilyn Manson and a violence-sulturated culture was the go-to-excuse not only here in the US but in many places abroad as well.
CBS Sacremento is reporting today that a 4 year old girl stabbed her father in their Rancho,Cordova,California home,in an idea she learned from an 1988 horror film,"Child's Play",where a murderous doll named Chucky goes on a killing spree and executes numerous people. [I have not seen this film.]
What I'd like to know is do you believe that the violence shown in the media today is becoming more and more succeptable to younger and younger children and can truely be accountable for domesticic criminal acts such as this? The child was *4* years old.My daughter didn't see a rated "R" movie untill she was almost a freshmen in high school and it was "Braveheart" Not "Hostel" or anything of that nature.
My favorite movie [or at least one of them is Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers" and despite repeated viewings of such,I've never killed anyone.
I'd love to hear your opinions on this subject.Lately some of you have taked to emailing me personally and that's fine.If you want your email to be printed with your name and/or IP protected,I will be more than happy to accomodate your request. Here's your linkster:
Here's one of the interesting emails I recieved on this:
"Dear Justice Junction,
In the case of the 'Chucky' stabbing where the 4 year old emulates the puppet and stabs the father,I would be willing to bet that this is not the first time this child has seen violence of this nature.
Children often enough imitate the behavior they see in their home and while it may not have been stabbing,I'd be willing to bet violence is no stranger in that home. Stop blaming the media,stop blaming the music,stop blaming everyone except the one place that should be examined:the home life and do whatever is needed to help this child before it gets worse.
Thank You,Mr.Kenneth LaMontagne,Port St. Lucie,Florida.
I want to know what the hell a toddler was doing watching a horror film in the first place? There's a reason our kids grow up so much faster these days than they did in the generations before us. They're exposed to so much more crap than ever before, because parents don't do their jobs as parents. When my child was 2 yrs old, I would NEVER have allowed her to watch something like that. Parents can be so stupid and irresponsible and lazy these days, it scares me. And then they wonder why so many kids today are so out of control. This is a perfect example of why.
100% with ya,Navywife.I never would have let my kid watch something like that at that age.I said in another thread she didn't see a rated "R" movie till she was much MUCH older and it wasd "Braveheart".
Not some stupid horror/slasher flick.I honestly think that if you don't teach the child the distinction that death is perminant [not gonna come back to life in the next scene of the movie!] and really pay attention to what our kids are watching we are going to keep having situations like this.
Your favorite movie is Natural Born Killers? What is wrong with you? That movie was disgusting trash from the worst kind of Hollywood purveyors of violence and scum we see in American cinema today.You should be ashamed of yourself.Talking so much and so long about how you believe Damian Echols is not a stone cold baby killer and then saying you love gory trash like this kind of film makes me wonder what kind of person you really are."
Signed,Mrs. H.G. Herrerra Taos,New Mexico.
Well,what can I say? I would say I'm sorry I let you down,but I'm not.Since when do I have to have to ask for permission for liking violent cinema? My kid has never killed anyone [ and didn't see Natural Born Killers untill she was a Senior in high school,18 years old and could have seen it in a theater without my permission.] and I've never killed anyone either.
Save your moralizing for someone who needs it.Or better yet,deserves it.
I've been reading the personal blog here of Anna Griffy for a good two years now and for the most part she's pretty conservative [little does HE know! ed.] and I respect her opinion.I have a feeling she's taking a heaping helping of horse over this Chucky thing and I'd like to go on record as saying that bad movies don't make bad people.
In 2002,my son,who was addicted to cocaine broke into a neighbor's house,stabbed to death the elderly couple who lived there and stole pretty much everything they had worth stealing. My wife and I were villified as the town devil worshippers for bringing such a monster into this world and letting him read Steven King and listen to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.
Since the day he was born we attended church services,voulenterred at a soup kitchen every other weekend,I took my son fishing,tried to get him to rehab when I realized what was going on but all to no avail.After a short trial he was sentenced to 55 years to life without the possibility of parole.We were the scapegoats which all fingers were pointed at for what he had done.Two weeks later my wife went into the basement of our home and shot herself in the head with a note reading simply,"I can't stand everyone thinking this is my fault.I love you.Good-Bye."
Everyone must me held responsible for their own acts and misdeeds. Remember that.
[Name and address protected]
For once,I am at a loss. God bless you sir.You will be in my prayers.