CENSORSHIP & THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE

 

 

Censorship is defined by Encyclopedia Britannica as an “Act of changing or suppressing speech or writing that is considered subversive of the common good”. Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia says “Censorship is the removal or withholding of information from the public by a controlling group or body. Typically censorship is done by governments, religious groups, or the mass media“

In the minds of most Heavy metal fans their music has long been the whipping boy for the censors in our society. From Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, W.A.S.P. Guns n Roses and now Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, all have attracted the unwanted attention of the censors, In fact it would be a struggle to find a heavy metal band that hasn’t been under their scrutiny at some point in time. They also think the reason behind the censorship of heavy metal by those in control is to silence any message (through song lyrics) that may encourage people to stand up for themselves as individuals, to make their own decisions in life, and to constantly question authority.

The rebellious message behind heavy metal music is a real thorn in the sides of those that want us to all be “yes men” and as such makes the heavy metal genre a prime target for attack by people with the influence and power to do something about it. The attitude behind heavy metal music is about making those in authority earn the respect that they want blindly given to them by the public. This makes these people in authority, be they politicians, parent’s groups etc, very uncomfortable because they often lack the substance to ever really earn that respect for themselves. The motivation for censoring heavy metal is part of an attempt to force respect for authority, this is the opinion of the average everyday heavy metal fan.

However your average everyday censor will have a different view, they will say they are merely trying to protect and shelter the youth of today from offensive and harmful content. They will point to the supposed connections between heavy metal music and Satanism, using the Ozzy Osbourne song “Mr. Crowley” as an example. They may also use the case of the West Memphis Three as proof that the influence of so called Satanic music can lead to the moral decay of the young members of our society.

On the surface the West Memphis Three case seems pretty cut and dryed, on the 6^{th May 1993 three eight-year-old boys; James M. Moore, Steven E. Branch and Christopher M. Byers were found mutilated and murdered and submerged in a muddy creek near Robin Hood Hills in West Memphis, Arkansas, they had been stripped naked and were hogtied with their own shoelaces, local newspapers stated the killers had been caught. The police assured the public that the three teenagers in custody were definitely responsible for these horrible crimes, Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin.}

 

What was their overwhelming evidence you may ask? Police questioned one of the boys, Jessie Misskelley, who’s mentally handicapped, for twelve hours without prior parental consent and without counsel present until he confessed, later that day, Misskelley tried to recant the confession but it was too late, the three were arrested on the 3rd June 1993 and were successfully convicted in early 1994. Although there was no actual evidence to speak of the prosecution presented the fact that the three listened to “satanic” music, had dyed black hair and wore gothic clothing, all as proof that they had killed three boys that they had never met and had no motive to kill, also no murder weapon was ever found. Echols was sentenced to death, Baldwin received life without parole, and Misskelley got life plus 40.

Rumors of the existence of Satanic groups in this dominantly Baptist community had persisted for decades. Details of their so called exploits were common knowledge although there was never and has never been any proof of any murders actually having taken place in the past. From the first moment that the arrests were made up until they were tried and convicted, local newspapers fed the community’s blood-lust, with fantastical stories of so called Satanic abominations appearing on a regular basis

More than thirteen years after these sentences were handed down, the three young men (Echols, 31, Misskelley, 29 and Baldwin, 29) continue to proclaim their innocence and are persevering in their attempts to have new trials granted. This in itself is not unusual. There are many guilty men who have succeeded in tying up the legal system in the process of appeals for as many as fifteen years. What is unusual in this case is that they are not alone in proclaiming their innocence.

Thousands of American citizens are convinced that Jessie, Jason and Damien were wrongly tried and convicted and are now lending their support to the fight for justice. Everyday this support is growing and now includes many criminal and legal experts who are throwing the weight of their knowledge and experience behind the three boys.

Damien Echols claims that he was found guilty long before the trial began because he was considered weird by many in the community, having practiced the Wicca religion and listened to the music of supposedly Satanic groups such as “Metallica.” Jason believes he was found guilty by association. Jessie claims that his confession was coerced, claiming he had told police whatever they had wanted him to so that they would let him go.

My point is that the way the people and the law enforcement in that town thought, the way they treated those three teenage boys and their general opinion on the subculture known as heavy metal is the reason that very same type of music is the most susceptible to the censors, people want to suppress what they don’t understand or label it as Echols himself says as “weird”.

Nine things that women say!

I saw this on the wall of a resteraunt toilet and thought it was spot on! Men study hard, women, wince in recognition!

Fine :

This is the word women use to end an argument when they are
right and you need to shut up.

Five Minutes :
If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour.
Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more
minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

Nothing :
This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and
you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end
in fine.

Go Ahead :
This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!

Loud Sigh :
This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement
often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot
and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you
about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

It’s Fine :
This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can
make to a man. This means she wants to think long and hard before
deciding how and when you will be made to pay for your mistake.

Thanks :
A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say
you’re welcome.

Whatever :
This doesn’t mean “whatever”, this is a woman’s way of saying FUCK YOU!

Don’t worry about it, I’ll do it:
Another dangerous statement, meaning
this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is
now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking ‘What’s
wrong?’
For the woman’s response refer to #3.

ABORTION

The subject of abortion is one which is always controversial and yet always topical. Everybody, male or female, young or old has an opinion. People who support abortion are known as pro choice and people who are against it are known as pro life.
Wikipedia defines the term pro life as “the political and ethical view which maintains that all human beings have the right to life, and that this includes fetuses and embryos“. and it states that “Pro-life individuals generally believe that human life should be valued either from fertilization or implantation until natural death”
It defines Pro-choice as “the political and ethical view that a woman should have complete control over her fertility and pregnancy“ and states that “People who are pro-choice believe that women should have access to safe and legal abortion and, equally, that women should be protected from forced abortions”

The former Mayor of New York city Rudolph Giuliani made headlines recently for his views on abortion, Mr Giuliani, who is pro choice was informed that Archbishop Raymond Burke would refuse to give holy communion to him on the grounds of his beliefs. The Archbishop said that “anyone administering Communion – ordained priest or lay minister – is morally obligated to deny it to Catholic politicians who support an abortion-rights position contrary to church teaching“.
Burke said denial of Communion is not a judgment. “What the state of his soul is is between God and him,”

The laws on abortion are very varied throughout the western world. In the UK it is legal to have an abortion up to 22 weeks into the pregnancy, because of this law 2,000 women every year from Northern Ireland alone fly to the United Kingdom to have the procedure performed. In some parts of the United States, it is legal to have an abortion up to 40 weeks.

According to a June 2007 online poll, in Ireland, 43% support abortion if it is in the best interests of the mother, 73% support it if the pregnancy is the result of a rape, 75% support it if the fetus can’t survive outside the womb and 82% support it if the mother’s life is in danger, 51% remain opposed. The following month, in another online poll, which posed the question “Is it time to legislate for abortion in Ireland?”, a massive 62% said no while a mere 38% said yes.

In the opinion of Dun Laoghaire primary school teacher, Louise McMahon (who works with children on a daily basis but happens to be pro choice) women should have the right to decide what to do with their bodies. She also states that on some occasions the woman’s life could be in danger or her pregnancy may have been the result of a sexual assault. She says “You don‘t know what might have happened, a girl could get raped by a family member and a child should never be born out of hatred” she went on to add “What kind of life would that child have?, imagine he or she finding out how they were conceived, there should be provisions for abortions in certain situations definitely if not just legalizing it altogether”

In a surprising turn she then spoke of a family friend who had been sent to a “Magdalene Sisters” type convent/laundry which was run by nuns, she said “Ireland has come a long way, it wasn‘t that long ago that if a girl became pregnant out of wedlock that a priest would have to bless the house before she could be allowed back into the family home”.

Then having spoken of her role as minister of the Eucharist and soloist in the church choir, her words seemed strangely anti-ecumenical, “The catholic church is far from perfect, it‘s shocking to think that people lived their lives by what the church said up until quite recently and all the while priests were raping young girls, making them go through the emotional duress of having a baby and then taking it away from them and sending it to an orphanage, it‘s really quite sad”

A pertinent question that is often asked is “when does an embryo become a living being?” as most observers would attest pro lifers are against abortion as they see it as the murder of a living being, pro choice campaigners support abortion because they don’t view an embryo as being a living being quite yet. Who is to say when, in the process of pregnancy, a fetus becomes a human being? In years past a phenomenon known as “The Quickening” was said to take place in a woman’s body during pregnancy, this was a feeling of joy said to have been the ensoulment of the child. Some people still believe in this and feel abortion is wrong after the quickening as occurred but not before.

Is Ireland ready to legislate for abortion? Well 62% say no and it looks to remain that way for a time to come.

Wrestling with Popularity

Professional wrestling has long been the “red headed stepchild” of sports, you either loved it or hated it, if you hated it you’d call it “fake” and “phony” and if you loved it you didn’t dare tell your friends for fear of becoming a social leper.
However in this day and age, with the advent of cable television and the internet, it has become popular with the mainstream public. Another reason is the transition that wrestling made from the “family entertainment” of the 1980’s to a more edgy, adult orientated, storyline driven sports soap opera. “..In the old days of wrestling, there used to be good guys and bad guys. It was black-and-white. Now it’s all shades of gray, and that’s definitely a reflection on society.” Says wwe representative Jay Andronaco. It could be argued that if wrestling reflects society then it must be real because we (society) are real.
In addition to the edgier plots and attitude is the crossover appeal. Many wwe stars have gone on to excel in other areas of entertainment and indeed politics. Former wwe star Jesse Ventura served a term as Governor of Minnesota. Stars such as The Rock (Walking Tall, Doom), Steve Austin (The Condemned, The Longest Yard), Roddy Piper (They Live) and Bill Goldberg (Universal Soldier: The Return, The Longest Yard) have starred in blockbuster movies and many stars, such as John Cena and Chris Jericho draw their personas from the music they listen to.
According to Niall Hogan, a lifelong wrestling fan and proprietor of Wrestlingmania, a shop in Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre that sells wrestling merchandise, wrestling goes through “cycles of popularity” and at the moment we’re at “the peak of a cycle”.
Mr. Hogan also attributes the popularity of wrestling, and wwe in particular, in this country to the “over saturation” of the US market and wwe’s “development of the European market” As it stands wwe now runs about two shows a year in this country.
The popularity of wwe has lead to the opening of several wrestling promotions in the country, Irish Whip Wrestling, NWA: Ireland, Celtic Pro Wrestling, No Limits Wrestling and Ulster Championship Wrestling who all offer star struck Irish youngsters the chance to fulfill their dreams and become professional wrestlers.
The evidence is undeniable wwe has sold out the point every time it’s played there in the last three years and attracted over 25,000 people to the RDS in 2005. Recently wwe has introduced an Irish character to their Smackdown roster, Dave Finlay from Belfast, a stalwart of the old British circuit, carrying a shillelagh and decked out in a green and black outfit with Shamrocks and Celtic symbols on it, his addition is proof of wrestling’s popularity in Ireland. The last time wwe played the point I bore witness to a roof blowing ovation when Finlay was introduced.
For further proof one can point to the fact that several IWW wrestlers have received wwe tryouts over the last few years, most notably Seamus O’Shaunessy who appeared on wwe TV last year and was subsequently offered a job starting in developmental league Florida Championship Wrestling, Seamus also appears in the film, the escapist, and has appeared on “Podge and Rodge”, he appears to be Ireland’s best candidate for a wwe career.
In summation it is my conclusion without a doubt that wrestling is on the rise, no longer will we cower in shame or hide our hobby from a harsh society, the “red headed stepchild” just got a bleach job.

A Talented Showing

On the heels of the successful International Students’ Day, the canteen of Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education once again played host to a celebration, this time however it wasn’t food on the menu but musicians.

The students of SE6C, headed by project manager, Brian Sheridan, who was also the MC for the proceedings, organized a talent show for the students of the college. The contest which featured six diverse acts, was judged by tutors, Gemma Cox, Philip Thompson and Niamh Crowley. The judges all offered words of wisdom to the contestants following each performance.

Clara Byrne, who also played at the International Students’ Day, was up first, covering Britney Spears’ hit “Toxic” in her own bluesy style.

That was followed by double act Kevin and Jono who performed the Stone Roses track “I wanna be adored”, the judges didn’t seem keen, but I thought they did a good job, and I hate the Stone Roses!

Next was uber talented guitarist Jack Quinn who wowed the crowd with an unusual over handed playing technique.

Then we were treated to the lone electric guitar act of the show, Anthony Donnelly, who performed a self penned number called “It‘s cold outside”, eerily reminiscent of Radiohead in their heyday, this was my favourite. Judge Gemma Cox called it “Haunting”. He should have gotten more points for writing the song himself but then that’s not the way of the mainstream music business, is it?

Then came the comedy portion of the show, Veronica Heywood, came sauntering on to the stage, the scarf around her neck looked like it was about to come to life and do its best impersonation of a boa constrictor but alas it wasn’t to be. She said something unintelligible and walked back off the stage as the audience howled with laughter and the judges nervously looked around perhaps searching for Jeremy Beadle!

The final act was Terry Rukenya, who soulfully belted out the Leona Lewis hit “Bleeding Love”, a capella. “Star Quality” remarked Gemma Cox.

This was followed by the raffle with proceeds going to charity. A few suspicious eyes were looking the way of principal Michael Condron as his ticket was pulled for the second time and I laughed myself hoarse when Marc Cassidy was booed upon his ticket being drawn, by Ruain O’ hOgain of all people! PJ7’s Francis Lomax (who does not wish to be quoted) was heard to say “This is the worst raffle ever”

Then came the announcement of the winner, drum roll, Clara Byrne, she came back on the stage and played the show to a close with, once again, “Toxic” by Britney Spears. Very well organized and executed SE6C should be very proud. All in all a very enjoyable afternoon of fun