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EditorialTake ControlMichael J. Bernhardt, M.D., Editor |
| It is quite odd, that as we go to print on the domestic
violence issue, the horror in Littleton unfolds. I guess this one hit me a little harder,
because not only are my children on the threshold of "teendom" and all the
parental joys that this stage entails, but that this was one of the two areas I had
seriously considered moving to before deciding on Jacksonville. I have had both pleasant
and unpleasant conversations with all varieties of individuals trying to make some sort of
insight into this massacre. Unfortunately, there are no pleasant outcomes. There has been
a definite spike in the last three years in the amount of bloodshed being directed by
teens at teens. There are several variables that I see as playing a role. Again, I'm not a
psychiatrist or psychologist (nor do I play one on TV) however, one cannot parent without
employing at least some amateur psychiatric or psychological tools. The level of violence on television is both graphic and absurd. The level of obsession with the occult is also graphic and absurd. (Just watch Millenium, X-Files, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer with your kids and see what I mean.) The level of violence in music and on videos is also graphic and absurd. I went with my son to get a CD by a group called Em & Em. One of the songs on this work of "art" (is art like beauty, in the eye of the beholder, or like herpes simplex, absolute and irresolute?) took the artistic leap to discuss killing a girl and stuffing her body in the trunk of a car. This is music? Needless to say, this disc was not purchased. The level of sex and violence in the movies is both graphic and absurd (I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream, the Halloween movies for starters). Now there are those — particularly those "artists" who create this art that is literally shoved into our faces by the paid media outlets — who will "scream" that they have a right to create and promote this garbage, and that in fact the garbage that is seen on the Internet, television and movie screens, and the sounds that are eminating from the kids' CD players do not have an effect on kids' behavior. How many of you have ever smiled, and used the line "go ahead, make my day?" If these media creations do not influence our behavior than why do advertisers pay ludicrous amounts of money for commercial spots on all the above? WE know the truth. We know that all of the media expressions I mentioned DO impact on the behavior of all of us in this country. How many of us walked around in black leather jackets and said "heyyy" during the time "Happy Days" was in its prime? It is sinister that the dominant message blasted by dominant media is the denigration, devaluation, and cheapening of human life. Whether it is support of fetal ablation, support of euthanasia, or trivializing the murder of another person, collectively and repetitively, there is impact. The media outlets know that we — and our kids — are influenced by the media drivel, hence the entertainment establishment fights so hard to say what they do is first amendment protected. Unfortunately, the Supreme Courts have sanctioned these artistic expressions under the first amendment. Is all of the domestic violence and teen killings media driven? Probably not, nor is that what I am saying. What I am saying is that these young, vulnerable people are at a stage where multiple influences can detract from their behavior. The current culture with its anti-human approach is simply an encouraging point for unacceptable behavior. Our culture has changed. Grandma and grandpa are not at home with the kids. Mom and dad as a rule spend about 15 minutes per day with the child. Certainly two working parents (or single parent) families are the rule rather than the exception. The lack of parental input leads to alienation. As a result some kids reach out to chatrooms for companionship, and this is not the right place for a kid to seek solace. What can we do to combat this? It is really quite simple. Unplug your TV. Aggressively triage your movies and do not be ashamed to link the politics of the "artist", or the message of the movie with your being willing or unwilling to financially susidize this artistic expression by paying to see it. Disengage the Internet from your home computers, or if this is not feasible take away the mouse so the system cannot be used without your supervision. Check the lyrics of the CD your kids buy and listen to. Again, understand that by purchasing this trash you are subsidizing these artists. If you don't support this type of art it cannot thrive. The causes of domestic and teen violence are complex, but certainly as a parent taking control of where and with whom your child is interfacing with may be a start in the right direction. Jacksonville Medicine / May, 1999What's New
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