2008 Woodie Awards
Can someone tell me why school shootings happen?
Recent incidents spark the question of who is really to blame
Adrian Garro
Issue date: 10/10/06 Section: Opinion
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When these games cause kids to take a gun to school and shoot people, blame can only be given to two things: the video game industry and rock music.
Parents are not responsible for the actions of their children, as they have bigger things to worry about (such as what kind of midlife crisis car to buy) than the well-being of their kids. It would be too much to expect adults to pay attention to their children's lives.
If you could not already tell, I am being overly sarcastic, but the thoughts just expressed are basically what a lot of people actually believe regarding school shootings and the motives for them.
Ever since Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris went on a rampage at Columbine High School seven years ago, there have been a large number of school shootings, and for the most part, the media seems to blame video games, music, and other sources of entertainment that supposedly lead people down the path of evil.
Was Marilyn Manson really responsible for Columbine?
His songs are dark and negative, but they do not physically make kids go and get their father's shotgun and bring it to class.
Does Grand Theft Auto really encourage kids to go around blowing people away with automatic rifles? If it were really that influential, then why are not there more instances of kids hijacking army helicopters, stealing police cars and driving them around recklessly?
Oh, that's right. It is a game.
Those who blame school shootings on these sources are drastically missing the point. Parents should be much more of a factor in their children's lives than they currently are.
Most of the shootings seem to be carried out by kids who have access to their parents' guns from their own homes. It is not just regular guns anymore. It is hollow point bullets. It is also semi-automatic weapons. One would think that parents would be conscious enough of their kids to realize when their guns are missing.
Maybe my approach is too idealistic.
Blaming these events on video games and music is an easy excuse for parents and the media. It is a pleasant excuse or a lead story.
The truth is, parents feel guilty about not paying enough attention to their kids, and when something horrible happens, they say, "Oh, the game told him to do it." There is absolutely no account for personal responsibility.