Violence and Music free essay sample

Violent music can only stir emotions in a person, and if that person commits a crime, then it is that persons own fault. For the song did not go into the street and rob a person or shoot a person opening a door. This article gives the reactions of National Political Congress of Black Woman Chairwoman C. Dolores Tucker, Empower America Co-Director William Bennett and Senator Joseph Lieberman on the topic of MAC releasing CDC that promote violence, degrade women and contain liberal doses of profanity and sexually explicit language. Their mall focus was upon the releases of Marilyn Manson and Tuba Shaker.Some music containing lyrics that m ay offend people is a good point, but a statistic showing the amount of new releases containing parental advisory would be stronger. The National Association of Recording Merchandisers made the best point of the argument that parents are best positioned to make informed decisions about music purchases. A parent that Interacts with his or her child would not allow such a graphic CD to be purchased especially If the child Is under the age of sixteen or seventeen. Many stores that sell CDC containing parental advisory do not sell such CDC to minors because of possible legal liability.These examples make Tucker, Bennett and Liebermann argument of banning all explicit music very weak. There needs to be more evidence of how bad explicit lyrics can be to children. Also Tucker makes a comment of selling pornography to children Is Illegal, this is agreeable, but that all explicit lyrics are pornographic Is very disagreeable; she does not specifically make this claim, but It can be understood by her comment. Tucker , Bennett and Lieberman could be so headstrong against Shaker and Manson because neither can relate to the message in the lyrics. Tuba Shaker is known for his lyrics to reflect his life experiences on theWest Coast in California, and it is highly probable that Ms. Tucker, Mr.. Bennett and Senator Lieberman have not had a full experience of living in the ghetto surrounded by warring gangs. Senator Liebermann focus Is Americas broken culture and the subcommittee is about children carrying weapons and well-known businesses giving the children violent celebrating music. He believes that societys worst problem is the belief that anything goes. This belief exists because of the power of trendsetters and their lack of responsibility of this power on impressionable children. Lieberman lives songs by some trendsetters are very disgusting and offensive, which creates a culture of violence that desensitizing children. Lieberman also mentions the dispute between Tuba Shaker and the Notorious B. I. G. The life portrayed by these two rappers and the music channels make the thug life seem more appealing than its actuality. Lieberman makes some good points in his arguments, but he also makes a weak point. His weak point is that the people behind the records companies need face the problem that some of their products are causing and stop hiding behind the first amendment. A stronger statement would be if Lieberman gave actual evidence of a problem caused by the music. Overall, he makes good points that explicit CDC should not be easily available to children. An article written by Warwick McFadden clearly shows his disgust with German skinhead punk band Landler. McFadden sees this type of music to be of nihilism dressed up in coats of rage and steel-pointed boots of violence. The members of the band have been banned as a terrorist organization where three members were recently charged with provoking hat red.In Germany, hate crimes are not taken lightly; the police have seized numerous CDC intonating race-hate lyrics. McFadden believes that bands on the Emporium label, one of few groups to support Landler, are a group of the apoplectic bully. Such an opinion shows McFadden disgust with punk rock music. McFadden gives a statement from a government official and prosecutor Kay Enemy saying that punk rock music is extremely right wing that leads to violence against foreigners and people who do not have the same neo-Nazi ideas.Although some of Oleanders lyrics praise Rudolf Hess, Hitters deputy, and charges of provoking hatred, McFadden does not give much support of their music causing any violence. Violence may pave a path for violent acts, but the lyrics do not actually cause violence; therefore he makes a weak argument. Medias main focus is on the shame of glorifying violent African Americans and portraying Tuba Shaker as an innocent. Shaker has an arts center and garden to open in 2003 in his honor and other victims of violence. This is not seen as appropriate in Medias opinion because Shaker had a history of being in jail for various charges. Many given examples of Shakers charges support Medias statement of Shaker not being an innocent, such as when Shaker attacked director Allen Hughes of Menace II Society, which resulted in a Jail sentence. All of Shakers violent acts came back to him when he was robbed and shot in New York; and three years later when he was shot again, but this time it ended his life of twenty-five years. Shakers music reflects the degrading and ultimately racist notion that criminal violence represents and essential and authentic element of African- American identity. The violence that occurs in some African American communities was a part of Shakers life experiences, so he wrote about the community in his songs. American society has grown accustomed to particular violence associated with African Americans because of the media or personal experience. Although such behavior is expected, it still causes people to scorn police for shooting an African two ways to change them would be to change the roles of African Americans in movies and try to implement a program to slow crime rates in violent African American communities.Dry. Frank Pabulum of the American Academy of Pediatrics addresses the Senate subcommittee on the social impact of music violence. Pediatricians of adolescents realize that music is important to a teenagers evolving identity. Dry. Pabulum makes a strong point that there are no records in studies of a cause-and-effect relationship between explicit lyrics and changed behavior. This point has been forgotten in the many read editorials that criticize musicians lyrics. Dry. Pabulum makes an agreeable statement that . .. He belief that our country, including its youth, is losing its moral center. The statement is agreeable because there are large amounts of violence portrayed in the media that people become desensitizing to the seriousness of violence. So the American society should, Acknowledge the responsibility parents, the music industry and others have in helping to foster the nations children. To further his strong argument, Pabulum states recommendations of the Academy, such as parents interacting with their children on watching television and music exposure.Pabulums testimony to the Senate subcommittee is strong because he gives the issue at hand and possible solutions. This editorial makes a strong point that the violence in the African American community affects everyone. Another strong point stated is the violence in rap music and culture reflects and reinforces the violence in black communities cross America. Many people who criticize rap music seem to be making the assumption that all rappers glorify violence, sex and drugs in their songs.The recently slain rapper Jam Master Jay of Run DIM and Ill Romeo are two of many rappers who do not glorify violence- both rap about sneakers, basketball and girls. The editorial also states that it is a matter of opinion to whether any song Just reflects the reality of many African Americans or validates violence. A change must begin in the studio and in the communities with the negative messages. The messages of lenience in songs are destructive to the African American community and messages of a simple, rich life is a lie that can have an enormous affect on impressionable youth of any community that listens to rap music.