Music and Violence

For this section, we read Weinstein’s “Heavy Metal Under Attack: Suicide and Aggression,” the Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s “Children, Violence, and the Media: A Report for Parents and Policy Makers,” and Rosen’s “It’s Easy, but Wrong, to Blame the Music.”  In addition, we discussed ethos, pathos, logos, and other rhetorical strategies. Now, it’s your turn to contribute to the debate. Does violent media, music in particular, lead to youth violence?  Your “thesis” should revolve around this debate. Use the essays and at least one more recent outside source to argue either for or against your position, or to concede/refute.  Is it possible that some music could have a negative impact on some who listen?  Should musicians and/or music executives self-police their creations and contributions to society?  Remember, several of these essays were written in response to the Columbine shootings, so they are a bit outdated; however, the controversy remains relevant in light of more recent violent acts, such as the shootings at Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Parkland, El Paso, etc. Do not try to address all of these questions in this essay; rather, use them as ways to start thinking about your claims or how you feel about this controversy.  Too, this is a controversial topic, and while you may be passionate about the same, remember your audience and curb your tone and diction accordingly. You are required to use at least one scholarly source in addition to one of the scholarly sources provided in class (for a minimum of two cited sources).  We will be using MLA Format, which includes in-text citations as well as a Works Cited page.