Highlights (03.24)
This hasn’t been a particularly happy week in the news world. Innocent people died (both state side and internationally), corruption was mentioned in two of the biggest, most influential, companies in the world, and to top it all off I saw a really sad video.
Here are the highlights:
Article 1, Section 4 — My friend Matt is continuing his series on the Constitution. This is required reading for Americans. Ask lots of questions, this guy is an expert.
The Tragedy of Trayvon Martin — This could be the best thing I’ve read on the Trayvon Martin tragedy. It asks great questions and points out some harsh realities.
If I Had A Son, He’d Look Like Trayvon — Speaking of Trayvon Martin, President Obama offers some poignant and important thoughts on the situation. A fantastic response from the President.
Teen Killed At Project X Party — A teenager was killed at a party meant to replicate a crazy “project x” party from the movie of the same name. It’s one of many parties that have started popping up throughout the country in response to the movie. Does anyone really think movies don’t effect our decisions? It’s not just teens doing dumb things.
Why I Left Goldman Sachs — “To put the problem in the simplest terms, the interests of the client continue to be sidelined in the way the firm operates and thinks about making money. Goldman Sachs is one of the world’s largest and most important investment banks and it is too integral to global finance to continue to act this way. The firm has veered so far from the place I joined right out of college that I can no longer in good conscience say that I identify with what it stands for.”
Why I Left Google — People are quitting jobs all over the place! This one explains how Google + and the company’s shifting culture caused a prominent Google employee to leave.
This 3-Minute Anime Will Make You Cry — Even though I didn’t cry, it’s still a beautiful video that tells a compelling story in three short minutes.
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The Goldman and Google articles were both very interesting, though Google obviously affects my day-to-day a lot more than an investment firm.
As far as the Project X thing goes, I don’t think it’s fair to say that movies affect us on anything more than an emotional level. If you do something stupid it’s because you chose to. Your decisions are your own and I’m not blaming the people that made the movie. It’s a sad story, but it’s no one’s fault but the people that put themselves in that situation.
Also, that video was neat, though I did laugh when the baby was born because it kind of looked like he delivered the baby himself in a matter of seconds. The pendulum thing was kind of annoying at first, but made so much sense when it came together at the end. Very well done.
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While I agree that the choice is strictly the choosers, to say that movies, television, music and the like don’t shape our culture and thus the way we interpret the available choices seems misguided.
It is unlikely these parties would have started popping up the way they have if it weren’t for this movie. It certainly isn’t the movie’s fault for teens being stupid, but to say the movie wasn’t connected to the choice is foolish.
Not to say I think the movie should be pulled or censored or any like that. Just that it’s important to remember the effect movies can have on us.
But even more important than worrying about the media that our kids are ingesting is teaching them to make good choices. To think about their actions.
We’ve seen it again and again, public outcry about dark metal music or violent video games. Most of the time that’s scapegoating and passing off blame. I’ve always maintained that it’s up to the parents to police the situation. Be involved. Figure out what your kids are doing.
As I said above, I think your response to a film is usually an emotional one. An exciting movie might get you amped up, but it doesn’t drastically alter your decision making and it doesn’t fundamentally alter who you are.
I know you didn’t say that the movie should be banned, but others might and that’s wrong. At the end of the day I think this is just an example of foolish people acting foolish.
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