> Okay. With Columbine and Arkansas and other such
> incidents still weighing heavily on our minds, I
> can understand the attempt to decrease violence in
> society. But my question is, is this butchering
> of songs on the radio really going to do it? I
> suppose a more broad question would be What should
> we as a society target as a main problem in terms
> of causing violence? Because I haven't gotten any
> messages about drugs or violence from the rap I
> listen to, even though some of it is really
> hardcore and talks only about drugs and killing.
> So basically I wonder if this radio editing is
> really the right way to go.

My answer would be an enthusiastic "no." I can understand the thinking that goes into censoring things considered "obscene," but the concept of censoring words like "shotgun" to reduce violence is not only just plain dumb, it's somewhat offensive. It presupposes that people are so utterly malleable that if they hear mention of the word "shotgun" they will go on wild killing sprees. I think that people in general are more intelligent, rational, and sensible than that.

That kind of thinking is from the same school that produces the ideas that D&D turns people into evil Satan-worshippers, and that Doom turns people into evil Satan-worshippers *and* makes them go on wild killing sprees. Frankly, that's just unfounded paranoia. I play D&D. Doom is one of my all-time favourite computer games. I've been known to listen to music with words like "shotgun" in them (it's hard to listen to heavy blues without it). In fact, I've even been known to defy the FCC (shh!) and play such music on the air, without censoring it. And you know what? I'm not an evil Satan-worshipper. I don't go on wild killing sprees. And nobody I know has been influenced like that, either.

Dar "Everyone I've killed I've killed on purpose" ien