Reflections, Reflections

From the The Guardian:

Concern over rise of 'happy slapping' craze

Fad of filming violent attacks on mobile phones spreads

Mark Honigsbaum
Tuesday April 26, 2005
The Guardian

In one video clip, labelled Bitch Slap, a youth approaches a woman at a bus stop and punches her in the face. In another, Knockout Punch, a group of boys wearing uniforms are shown leading another boy across an unidentified school playground before flooring him with a single blow to the head.

In a third, Bank Job, a teenager is seen assaulting a hole-in-the-wall customer while another youth grabs the money he has just withdrawn from the cash machine.

Article continues
Welcome to the disturbing world of the "happy slappers" - a youth craze in which groups of teenagers armed with camera phones slap or mug unsuspecting children or passersby while capturing the attacks on 3g technology.

There are so many appalling things with this "craze," I'm having trouble blogging about it. First, it shows how diseased modern, liberal society is regarding violence. Second, in a very irresponsible manner, the article puts the entire emphasis on physical violence and makes the emotional violence in these acts almost invisible. Third it's vile in how it blames the victim if they suffer more than an "ego bruise." I don't know if this woman was quoted out of context, but I found her appalling:

Liz Carnell, the director of Bullying Online, a Yorkshire-based charity set up to combat bullying in schools, said that since the start of the year she has heard of increasing attacks both on children and on adults. But she fears many incidents are not reported.

"In most cases the worst that happens is a minor scratch or a bruised ego," she said.

"What the people behind these attacks have to understand is that technically they are committing an assault. And if they then upload the images on to the internet or a phone system they could be prosecuted for harassment."

1) "In most cases the worst that happens is a minor scratch or a bruised ego" - What? So you come up to a child or adult and you punch them straight in the face and "the most that can happen is a bruised ego?" What!? As in if they didn't have an ego problem, their "ego" wouldn't get bruised and there would be no harm done whatsoever? This is insane.

2) And then look at the wording here: "What the people behind these attacks have to understand is that technically they are committing an assault." Technically!? Has the world gone entirely mad? What these kids have to understand first and foremost is that this is morally, ethically, socially wrong and harmful. Technically and non-technically, this is an assault. The "technical" is the least important when they are so clueless.

3)"...since the start of the year she has heard of increasing attacks both on children and on adults. But she fears many incidents are not reported." No kidding. As if anyone needs to be reminded that usually the kids who are victimized with bullying are not in a position to report things. And when many do, they meet some of the most disgusting living adults on the planet, who dismiss the issue, blame the victim, and ensure the bullying goes on.

4) And what is it with the "happy slap" term? Hello, Orwell. And also what is it with this "bitch slap" slang?

5)And the fact that the kids gang up the victim to film it and display for entertainment. We know where they learned that from. What is it that they watch 24/7 on TV, movies, and pornography?

Modern society is such an open, smelling cancrum.

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