Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: aralph@cix.compulink.co.uk (Alan Ralph)
Subject: Re: A Night in the Hills of West Virginia
Reply-To: aralph@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 19:02:08 +0000

Kaitlin sez:
>Kaitlin was exhausted as she finally got into bed for the night.
>Just as she was getting all comfy, her mate (Tom) says
>"Did you hear that?"
>"No, I didn't, what did it sound like????" No answer....
>"WELL!"
>Tom "It was just a squeak"
>"Oh"

>Well, that was all it took for Kaitlin's imagination to take off. She
>convinced herself that she heard the very soft sound that a person makes
>when walking on carpet. Yes, someone was walking around the house, just
>waiting for the right time to come in and murder her and her family.

I live in a semi-detached house. When I'm alone in the house, sometimes
the sounds of the neighbours moving around, opening doors, etc. can sound
like they're coming from downstairs or the next room. It really spooks me
sometimes.

>Now you may think to yourself - Good grief, this girl is getting a little
>carried away...

>I think not. As it happened in her little town, just last night, a family
>was shot to death - in their home. The slain man's brother gave himself up
>to authorities today. WHY? I am still asking myself that, no information
>has been given yet, as to why this man would kill his brother and family.

>Just two weeks ago, another incident, a woman killed her lover. I will
>spare you the details. But this happened IN MY NEIBORHOOD. As it turned
>out the lady had mental problems, but still it disturbs me.

>I live in a small university town in West Virginia. These things are NOT
>supposed to happen! Of course I know they happen every day in large
>cities, but not here in my home town.

In my road we've had a murderer, a counterfeiting operation, and a
brothel, at various times. So there goes the 'big city' idea. Actually, if
you read local newspapers and listen to local radio and TV for long
enough, you soon find that these things happen just about everywhere.

>As I try to understand these acts of violence, I think of how TV and the
>movies have given us such graghic portrayals of violence. It makes me very
>angry to see parents let thier children go to see movies such as "The
>Terminator". And then they wonder why is my child so violent???!!?? Why is
>Billy hiting his sister and ME when he is angry?? Get a clue parent!

>I believe that violence in the real world will only get worse with the
>images we are letting our kids grow up with.

I've listened to this discussion before. My view is that most kids can
make out where the real world starts, and the fantasy ends. Taking
"Terminator" as a case in point, yes, Arnie basically wanders around
killing lots of people. But it is made painfully obvious that his
behaviour is due to the fact that he is not human, and doesn't have the
same values that humans have. He'll scare the kids alright, but I doubt
they'd want to act like him.

>I am very sensitive to violence. I have realized that I can not watch
>those kind of movies. I am not able to watch it and then forget it. It
>sticks in my mind and then haunts me at night. Take for example the movie
>"Cape Fear". I had to leave the theatre after the rape scene. This movie
>was so GRAPHIC, that I could not enjoy it. My boyfriend got pissed because
>I was such a wimp. Anyway for weeks after that one scene stuck in my head
>and I could see it when I close my eyes.

I haven't seen this film, so I can't really comment on that. Not long ago,
BBC TV screened an edited version of 'The Accused', starring Jodie Foster.
Despite being well after the 9pm Watershed, they cut out the rape scene.
This sparked off a furious debate, both by people who berated the BBC for
showing the film in the first place, and by those who argued that by
cutting the rape scene the BBC defeated the object of the film, namely to
show the girl's fight to prove her case and convict the men involved.

>Well folks, I have rambled long enough. Hope I have not offened anyone.

>But I pose a question for debate: Are we hurting our children, our society
>with this violence? Does anyone else feel that TV and movie violence leads
>to violence in real life?

On the whole, my reply is 'No' on that count.

>Thanks,

>Cathy/Kaitlin

Alan Ralph <-> Kimberley MonTemplar
Newsgroups: alt.callahans