I hate it when someone who fits the stereotypical description of a criminal goes and commits a crime. The last thing we need is more people reinforcing stereotypes.
Today at work I heard a discussion on the radio about how we can make loners stop being loners and "become more social" so they won't commit crimes. Give me a $%@#! break.
Being a loner doesn't fricking cause violence. Yes, there are a few people who become violent because they don't like society in general, or because society in general has rejected them-- but there are millions more who just quietly cry over being lonely, and also plenty of people who actually enjoy their solitude. Trying to force them into being more social would just make them angry, and probably more likely to attack someone.
And just because someone writes violent stories (or listens to violent music, or plays violent video games) that doesn't mean he's going to be violent. You ever see Stephen King go on a psychotic killing rampage? Of all the bloody, gory, terrifying books and movies out there, how many were written by people who went on to shoot up a school? Geez.
I've been trying to convince the world of these things all my life, and now it just got twenty times harder. Thanks for nothing, VA Tech gunman.
4 comments:
I think the problem is not so much loneliness but the fact that whatever caused these gunmen to get angry was allowed to fester. Violent plays, music, etc is a healthy outlet for that anger. Of course, the gunmen would have done stuff like that in hopes to release their anger. To restrict it will probably cause more issues by reducing the outlets.
As far as forcing loners to be more social, that will never happen. Who are these loners suppose to associate with. People who insult them all of the time. {sarcasm}I am sure that will stop the violence.{/sarcasm}
All this investigation simply fuels the fire of the witch hunt. At my alma mater, a student was arrested for simply owning guns on campus (he was a collector). This student did not have any violent intent. To me, that is simply overreacting to what is already a disaster.
You are so very right about writing being an outlet for anger. I've long maintained that people should not be discouraged from writing about doing illegal things. Sometimes they are just writing for art's sake, exploring an imaginary scenario for creative purposes, and sometimes they are writing as an outlet, an alternative to actually doing something illegal. Both those reasons are perfectly acceptable. I don't know of anyone who writes about committing crimes as practice for actually committing them, or something like that.
Well, it has happened. A student has been arrested for writing a "disturbing" essay for school and has been charged with disorderly conduct.
Here is the link for the story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18353425/>1=9246
Talk about overblown hysteria
Here is the link for the story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18353425/>1=9246
That is AWFUL.
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