To the Readers' Forum:
With the tragic news of the recent school massacre, the cable news channels are giving 24 hour coverage and commentary from experts in their respective fields: political, social, and law enforcement agencies to name a few.
Some have attacked firearms rights as the cause and solution to tragedies as this. Few leaned toward the entertainment and illegal drug industries as having any influence on these types of crimes. Hollywood spews out detailed and graphic violence and torture tactics while the perpetrators are glamorized as heroes and role models. Violent video games where the player can kill and maim are without consequences of accountability, remorse or risk. If you didn't kill enough in that game, just press start and try again.
These industries are poisoning our society with violent and immoral content while hiding behind the first amendment. All of this in the name of profit.
The illegal drug industry is destroying our society with accessibility to mind altering drugs available on every street corner. Anyone who could commit a crime as horrendous as this one would most likely be under the influence of drugs. So there is the perfect recipe: Hollywood provides the ideas and graphics; videos provide the practice and unaccountability, and drugs provide the mind warp and false courage.
Parental responsibility is about at an all time low. Our country is in social decay at the hands of a few individuals. It is time to stop the excuses in the name of political correctness and profit. Responsibility and accountability should be first and foremost at all levels and common sense must prevail.
James Cusimano
Falconer