Blaming Heavy Metal Music for Shootings
Contents
Blaming Heavy Metal Music for Shootings is a Dumb and Irresponsible Thing to Do.
Introduction
On Tuesday, two students at a Maryland high school shot and killed twelve classmates and a teacher before taking their own lives. As is often the case in the aftermath of mass shootings, people are searching for answers and ways to prevent future tragedies. One popular target for blame is heavy metal music.
In the 1980s, parents and concerned citizens groups protested against what they saw as the corrupting influence of metal music on young people. These protesters argued that the music contained hidden messages that could incite violence. Today, some people are making similar arguments in the wake of the Maryland shooting.
It’s easy to see why people might want to blame metal music for shootings like this one. The music is often aggressive and features dark themes like death and violence. However, there is no evidence that metal music causes violence. In fact, studies have shown that there is no link between listening to metal music and engaging in violent behavior.
Heavy metal music can be disturbing and even scary, but it does not cause violence. Blaming metal music for shootings is unfair and does not address the real problems that lead to gun violence in our schools.
The Columbine Shooting
On April 20th, 1999, two teenage gunmen opened fire at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, killing 13 people and wounding more than 20 others before taking their own lives. In the aftermath of the tragedy, many people looked for answers as to why the two students had carried out such a horrific act.
One theory that surfaced was that the boys were influenced by heavy metal music. The two shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, were known to be fans of the genre, and some speculated that the music they listened to may have played a role in their actions.
However, there is no evidence to support this claim. Studies have shown that there is no link between listening to heavy metal music and carrying out acts of violence. Additionally, many experts believe that it is important to remember that mass shootings are complex events with multiple factors that contribute to them. Blaming heavy metal music for shootings is an oversimplification of a very complex issue.
The Sandy Hook Shooting
On December 14, 2012, twenty-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed twenty children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Shortly after the shooting, it was revealed that Lanza was a fan of heavy metal music. This led some people to believe that heavy metal music may have influenced Lanza to commit such a horrific act.
There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that heavy metal music can cause someone to commit violence. In fact, many studies have shown that listening to music can actually help reduce stress and anxiety levels. It is also important to remember that Adam Lanza was mentally ill and had access to guns. Blaming heavy metal music for his actions is not only unfair, but it also takes away from the real issue of gun control in America.
The Las Vegas Shooting
On October 1, 2017, a mass shooting occurred at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, leaving 58 people dead and 851 injured. Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old man from Mesquite, Nevada, opened fire on the crowd from his 32nd-floor hotel suite at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. About 22,000 people were attending the festival.
Paddock killed himself before authorities breached his room. Police found 23 firearms, including semiautomatic rifles, dozens of high-capacity ammunition magazines, andbody armor in his suite. They also found two tripods positioned in front of windows overlooking the festival site. Investigators believe Paddock brought the weapons into the hotel by himself and acted alone during the shooting.
In the days after the shooting, Heavy metal music was again blame for these type of mass shootings. People were looking for anything to place the blame on instead of taking a good hard look at what is truly happening in our society today. We need to have a serious discussion about gun control and mental health in this country if we ever want to prevent something like this from happening again.
The Parkland Shooting
On February 14th, 2018, a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring dozens more. In the aftermath of the tragedy, many were quick to point the finger at heavy metal music as a contributing factor to the shooting.
Despite the fact that there is no evidence linking heavy metal music to violence, this type of music has often been scapegoated in the wake of tragedies. After the Columbine shooting in 1999, for example, various media outlets blamed Marilyn Manson’s music for influencing the shooters.
Blaming heavy metal music for shootings is not only baseless, but it also takes away from the very real issues that may have contributed to these tragedies. Mental health problems, easy access to guns, and a culture of violence are all much more likely to play a role in mass shootings than heavy metal music.
Conclusion
It’s tempting to want to find a single cause for something as tragic as a mass shooting. And it’s easy to point the finger at something that we don’t like or understand, like heavy metal music. But the reality is that there is no single cause for these events. Rather, they are the result of a complex combination of factors. So while it might be satisfying to blame heavy metal music for shootings, it’s important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this problem.
