Article 3

The article is written by Marilyn Manson. It begins with an example from the bible. It states that the first people on Earth needed no inspiration to do terrible things. The story of Cain and Abel is shown to depict this. The article then jumps right into the apparent blame that was laid on the writers’ lap. Supposedly the two boys that shot the people at Columbine did so under the influence of Marilyn Manson. This determination was discovered because they were wearing black and supposedly makeup. The writer denies that the kids even wore makeup and were even really fans of his. This is not the point of the article. The writer says when these bad situations happen you can throw a rock and find someone to blame. It states that crimes have not become more violent but there is just more media coverage. People have more access to the information. The writer makes a statement but asking what caused several other mass murderers to do what they did, even including the President waging war. The writer asks the reader “Isn’t killing, just killing…?” Marilyn points out that people love to place the guilt on someone rather than old the person responsible for their own actions. The writer continues to talk about the media coverage and how it makes everyone so connected. That feeling takes away the idea that you can start over because it feels like it is the same everywhere. The writer says sometimes music, movies, and books are all people have to let them know they are not alone and they are similar to others. The article is concluded with a haunting thought that we are all capable of devilish things and that the world is not going to up and end one day. The world has been ending for a long time, one day at a time.

                I felt like this article was powerful. I have never really listened to much of Marilyn Manson’s music but I agree with him in this article. As I read this, I actually thought of Eminem. I am really not a huge fan of him either but there is one line that has haunted me ever since I had my daughter. “When a dude’s getting bullied and shoots up his school. And they blame it on Marilyn…and the heroin. Where were the parents at?” I think of this line all the time. Not so much the beginning part but the part about where were the parents at? That is a huge question. Not to place the blame but wouldn't they have noticed tiny differences in behavior. Media cannot be the sole blame for everything. I got my daughter (and myself) an IPad. She learned how to trace letters and their sounds and I was so proud. Then when I was trying to get her to write or say the sounds she was totally lost. Person to person interaction is huge in development. Where were the parents at? Or their loved ones? This article reminded me of the mass hysteria in Salem during the witch trials. When the writer says “…you can throw a rock and find a person to blame.” It is much like “Oh, she is a witch.” People have to held responsible for their own actions.