Music and Violence: Is there a link?
Each generation of
adolescents has an artist or type of music that parents
vehemently disapprove. The current generation has rap and
alternative rock music. Many adults make the claim that some of
this music causes violence, such as "Big Man with a
Gun" by Nine Inch Nails (Palumbo 2). Some music has violent
and explicit content, but a violent song, itself does not cause
physical harm. Other songs of rap and alternative music have
content of simple things, like cars or other materialistic items.
Children listen to music that they have access to at home or in
stores. Until a child is eighteen years of age, the parents can
decide what the child can listen to on the radio, the television,
or CDs ("Bennett bashes..." 6; Palumbo 4). A popular
claim about rap music is that songs reflect the lives of many
African Americans (Medved 21; "Time to squash..." 33).
A violent life is only true for some African Americans, but
others relate to the culture because society treats many African
Americans as if they are directly causing the violence. Violent
music may possibly make a path for violence, but it does not and
can not cause violence.(Mcfadyen 17; Lieberman 2). Violent music
can only stir emotions in a person, and if that person commits a
crime, then it is that person's own fault. For the song did not
go into the street and rob a person or shoot a person opening a
door.