24 fans, we're going to have to wait for another year before Jack Bauer is back. I'm officially going into mourning for the next 24 hours. At least we'll have Presidential Election coverage to last us through November. But it's really too bad Jack's not on the ballot. :POn a serious note though, how do you think violent shows like 24 have influenced mainstream American society with regard to events like the NIU shootings? Do potential killers look at characters like Jack Bauer and think they can save the world by setting up a few perimeters, knocking down a few doors, and shooting a few rounds? I mean, is it really that difficult to separate fact from fiction?
Honest questions. I'd like some honest responses.
-10-key princess
6 comments:
I think TV entertainment is partly to blame, but there are a lot of other factors in play. Things like family, friends, health (mental and physical) and life situations have to have an effect on a person's mindset.
These kinds of stories are sad. But saying, for example, that watching Jack Bauer single-handedly taking down an entire terrorist cell is the reason something like this happened is a stretch.
-JT
I second JT's comments.
I'd like to emphasize that while Steven Kazmierczak probably wasn't watching Jack Bauer immediately before killing, the people committing similar crimes against humanity are obviously affected by gruesome violence (whether its from the news or fictional tv or movies). Where the hell were his parents, siblings, friends, teachers, mentors, pastors, or at least anyone competent enough to intervene?
If our society decides that its not our personal responsibility to care if:
1. someone goes off the deep end and decides to get infatuated with weapons
2. said someone lives in a country that grants easy access to assorted weapons
3. said country permits a largely unchecked entertainment industry that has vested interest in broadcasting a particular product that unsurprisingly causes 1 in 14.8 million viewers to go off the deep end
then we really shouldn't be "baffled" when things like this happen. No?
Unfortunately, I think our society has gotten to the point where we don't give a care about what our neighbors are doing. I know that in other countries, while this is prevalent, America has just gotten to the point where we teach our kids that disrespecting our parents, teachers, leaders, authority figures...it's all normal and is how things just ARE.
There are some obnoxious kids across the street who insist on driving like maniacs, shoot off fireworks in the middle of November, build bonfires on the sidewalk, throw iceballs at mailboxes to knock them down... We've tried to get a neighborhood watch together, and the responses we've gotten? "Oh, well, their mom is a single mom, she works hard, she doesn't need more stress on her plate."
What about me?! I can't let my toddler go outside in the front yard because he might get run over, whacked in the head by some iceball, or lose his hearing because of incessant fireworks in on Thanksgiving day.
We call the cops on these kids whenever they're not in school and should be. What do they do? "Oh, we'll report it and call their mom." Great. Their mom who's never home.
What's the solution? I don't know. I hate complaining without having a solution. I've tried all the things I can think of, though. No matter what I do to intervene, nothing's happening. Shows that something is wrong with our system, and also with the direction society is headed.
-SM
I was thinking about video games... I watched my brothers get desensitized when playing something gory like Silent Hill. They'd get that glossy, glazed look in their eyes (from playing until 4 in the morning) that would carry them through the weekend.
Has anyone else ever experienced this? How do you prevent potentially violent people from playing games like these, or stop them from watching shows that can influence their minds and basically justify their actions? There comes a point where the line between what's real and what's not becomes blurred. I can see how kids - an even competent adults (like Kazmierczak) can get disillusioned by it all.
Is it up to the parents? The people who produce this media? The teachers? Those who sell/distribute the product? The gun manufacturers? Who's ultimately responsible?
-10kp
I think its everyone's problem. There isn't anything wrong with playing a video games, but they can be addictive (just like a lot of other things). Once addicted, some of those people can really cause some damage.
You can't blame people for trying to make a profit out of something, but you can hold those people to a community-minded standard.
Parents should be telling their kids to go out and play with other people.
Video game makers should pay some recognizable athletes and other role models to go to schools to say "I like playing video games, but you'll never get as far as me by playing so many games".
Gun makers...thats tricky what to expect them to do. After SM's post I did some research and couldn't find any proof that gun restriction really affected violent crime. Since they are certainly involved in the problem though by supplying the tools that cause the damage, they should find some way to constructively help. I have no idea how to do this though...mandate donations from corporations to cover medical expenses of people injured from firearms? I'm sure mandatory anything will be met by tons of resistance though.
I think a lot of responsibility falls on parents and teachers. Kids need to be inspired (adults too, although that's a different topic). They need to be able to think that their dreams are possible, and that life can be good.
Sadly, I've come across a lot of parents who are just coasting by. I look back at my childhood and think about which of the neighborhood kids have made something of their lives, and I don't think it's a coincidence that their parents were actively involved in their lives. On the flip-side, there were plenty who had parents in name only who were all, "Go play with your Nintendo." And it shows now.
Teachers also have an amazing opportunity to shape and influence lives, and I've always envied that aspect of being a teacher. It just seems like too many of them have been broken down over the years and they're more worried about leaving right after school than sticking around to help mold the future minds of this world.
The media's not blameless either. I think it all works together. But parents and teachers who inspire probably help kids separate video games or violent tv shows from the reality that is life. And parents and teachers who inspire push kids to want to be better, achieve more and and not walk into a lecture hall and shoot up the place.
-JT
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