In October 1999, a journalist wrote following that later became the foundation behind Styleblind.
Last April, two teenage boys walked into their Colorado school armed with guns and bombs. They killed one teacher and 12 fellow students and then killed themselves. It was not the first time American high school students had killed one another. Nor was it the last. It was followed by copycat crimes all over the U.S., though none of the others had as many victims.
Looking for reasons.
Naturally, parents, school officials, news announcers, politicians, and even other students are trying to explain the inexplicable. What makes teens attack their classmates at school? The news media reported that the two Colorado boys belonged to a group called "The Trenchcoat Mafia", whose members wore black raincoats, liked to play video games and listened to "Goth" music.
Did the music make them do it? It turned out that "The Trenchcoat Mafia" was the name given to a group of "nerds" by the school's "jocks". The nerds called themselves "The Anachronists" and took pride in being different from the popular All-American jocks, who bullied them almost every day. Did the desire for revenge make them do it?
These particular murderers spent a great deal of unsupervised time on their computers and got the recipe for their bombs on the Internet. Did the Net make them do it?
Gun control advocates point out the obvious: Once again confused and angry adolescents had easy access to guns. Did the guns make them do it?
The answer, it seems to me, is all of the above, and more. American teens grow up in violence.
Culture of violence.
Perpetrators of extreme violence don't just appear out of the thin air. They are products of a society that is already prone to violence and that holds this violence in great esteem, judging by the nature of its television programs (including the news), films and song lyrics. As such, the widespread publicity for violence transforms it into something that is not only taken for granted but also viewed as a means to an end. Problem-solving and physical violence become confused.
Peer Pressure.
Of course, school shootings are not simply the result of too many Bruce Willis films. One of the major causes of shootings and stabbings in high schools, according to the researchers, is peer pressure. The sort of peer pressure that causes one group to exclude an individual or another group. Everyone's worst nightmare is to fall off the socially acceptable branch and end up labeled as a nerd, a geek, wimp or weirdo.
Social outcasts such as these bear the burden of being ridiculed and bullied. Little by little they end up believing that they just aren't good enough. This creates a sense of insecurity and frustration, leading them to one day retaliate with violence and rage, thereby making their mark on the society that rejected them.
Absentee parents.
Then there are the parents who didn't see, or did not want to see, the warning signs of their children's marginality. These parents remained inattentive at a crucial time, too busy with their careers and their own social status.
American teenagers increasingly live in their own worlds, ignored by adult society except as target markets. TV programs, films, video games, music fashion and advertising are aimed specifically at young people, who spend most of their time in school, on the streets, in the shopping malls, in front of a screen, anywhere but in the company of caring adults. If parents do not offer love and guidance, and peers do not offer respect, these "losers" may resort to hate crime.
But perhaps we should speak of crimes of solitude, desperation and ignorance. The Colorado "jocks" didn't believe they were being violent when they bullied the "nerds". And the nerds came to believe that respect and power come only from violence. That sort of ignorance is deadly.
Please note this article does not represent the actual opinion by members of the Styleblind crew.
Band Attention
We thank everyone for their submission. We cant guarantee further sponsorship at the moment, but try us anyway.
Contact
Mail: styleblind>at..
HELP US OUT! Post these banners on your site and people will think youre cool.
Who I'd like to meet:
..
Styleblind Clothing (SALE)'s Friend Space (Top 16)
Hey there! Have you voted for us at cornerstonefestival.com yet? If not, this is a friendly reminder, we need all the help we can get. Its a tight race and we need to stay in the top 10 until May 18. Please vote if you have not already, we would really appreciate it. LET US KNOW WHEN YOU VOTE SO WE CAN THANK YOU!!! Thanks <3
whatup! did you see the contest entries for the "win a date with flatlined" thing? we have them who got the article in the paper was a pretty good entry! got a feeling it might be topped in the next few days though...
leave a comment saying what you think of the entries so far! it only pumps the contestants to go farther!
hey daniel ! i was thinking for the "battle of copenhagen" festival... i know this band, really awsome! you should check them out im sure they would love to play there xD www.myspace.com/thetrustedfew
hey tusind tak for det, tænkte på om vi ikke skulle lave noget sammen altså vi i jeres tøj eller noget med at lave en TF trøje, hvis det på nogen måde er interessant så skriv på tfbooking@hotmail.com. mvh johan tf
