The latest Internet sensation is the story of Casey Heynes. Casey is a 15 year old Australian who has a long history of being bullied at school, but cracked and responded by beating up one of his attackers. The video of his retaliation has been viewed all over the world, and apparently numerous Facebook pages have sprung up supporting him.
But somehow this story has left me feeling a little unsettled and I cannot put my finger on why that should be. Am I being unrealistic by saying "two wrongs don't make a right"? I know I have no right to comment on this story but somehow it feels distasteful that people are so gleeful about the violence that is portrayed in the Heynes video.
I guess if the story raises people's awareness of the problems of bullying, then that has got to be a good thing. But I am convinced that violence begets violence and glorifying it, whatever form it takes, on Facebook and YouTube is a worry.
3 comments:
Violence begets violence indeed. Close schools, the beginning of violence.
The issue is that the media made an issue out of it.
Leigh: are schools the beginning of violence? I am not so sure. I think homes are...where children watch it on TV and possibly even see it played out with their own parents.
Jonny: I hate the idea of someone standing around videoing a fight and then posting it on a space like YouTube. It feels like we've gone back to the Roman times when we gleefully sat around watching gladiators kills each other.
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