I have been doing a fair bit of reading lately in the “Blogosphere” and I have to say a fair bit of content is directed towards a few major issues. This is not surprising since these issues are serious enough to warrant attention, but it is the high level of apathy and ignorance toward them that is surprising.
Take for instance the ongoing debate happening in the U.S. Congress over video games, and the violence in them. Congress wishes to place more restrictions on the industry and places the blame for violence among youth squarely in the lap of video game developers. This is in light of evidence from the U.S. Department of Justice that violence from youth is actually decreasing. Congressman Pitts of Pennsylvania has even made comments, during hearings on the matter, stating that inner-city youth are less able to tell the difference between the game and reality than their more wealthy suburb counterparts are. This both smacks of ignorance and geo-social profiling, which is far more damaging then the games actually are. The youth that partook in the events at Columbine high school were deeply disturbed individuals, and not the result of some games effect. For a Congressman to make such a statement, and an ill-informed one at that, is ill responsible and dangerous. It ignores the real issues of poverty, lack of a good education and a healthy environment to grow. I hope that our Canadian Government representatives are more willing to handle the core issues and not grandstand like their American counterparts.
The Columbine high school students were solidly middle class – far from poor.
Columbine is also a rual/suburban community. So where is Congressman Pitts justification for his comments? There is none! He is, like many of the members of the House of Representatives are, ignorant of the issues or chooses to ignore them.
I don’t care what some blowhard on capitol hill has to say about it, frankly. He’s just pandering in an election year. Hell, take a look at the asinine things your beloved Liberals have had to say in the past, for the the sake of garnering a few votes.
I’m saying that the real issues that you cite are not the only ones, and were non factors in the case of Columbine. They were educated, well off, and were by all accounts has an enviable home environment.