opinions influenced by the media?

[jennofay]

i was leaving the library to go back to get my art history book and study for my final tonight when an article in the washington post caught my attention.the article was entitled "Va. Scientist Was Killed With Sword." it tells about three young people who were arrested for the 'planned assasination' of a scientist. the three were, according to the article, interested in the occult and partook in blood-letting and blood-drinking rituals. the death itself was a horrible thing, as is any murder. the man was stabbed and slashed repeatedly with a sword and then an "x" was carved into the back of his neck. and for some reason, the article, not the crime, really makes me angry.

i wrote for a local paper in carroll county, maryland for two years,so i feel that i have some authority to talk here. the article itself really pissed me off.

numerous times (three or four i believe) in a relatively short article, it was mentioned that the suspects "wore black," "favored all-black outfits," and "donned dark outfits." it was also said numerous times that they "read books on whichcraft," or that one of the suspects was "into witchcraft." the fact that these young people "spent hours on the internet," or "in internet chat rooms," that they liked long black coats and colored hair, and that one of the suspects (a male) "painted his nails dark colors," were also mentioned. the female suspect was referred to as a "talented artist" and one who "excelled in art class."

well, lock me up i guess. every one of these things that the article made out to be "traits of a killer" is something that applies to me. i wear mostly black because i find that i feel more comfortable in it, and i dont have to worry about matching. ive read books about witchcraft and many other religions because religion as a whole fascinates me. i am not religious, i dont believe in organized religion, but i do find it to be intriguing. i spend, or i used to spend, way too much time on the internet. now i just do when im procrastinating from studying for a test , my nails are right now dark red, they have been many colors, but i would say that if i am going to paint them, they will be a dark color. my hair was purple over thanksgiving, now its got a pink-y tint to it. and, i am going to an art school on a scholarship. does all of this make me a killer?

this is just like the school shootings from years ago when everyone was afraid of people who wore black trench coats. fuck, people, we cant stereotype based on someones talents or appearance. havent we, as humans, evolved past that?

the article mentions once...i repeat... once ...that one of the suspects had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and had not been on medication for these illnesses for three months (not to say that all mentally ill people are killers either...) i would think that this would be emphasized, or even facts surrounding the murder itself, a place, motive, where the deceaseds family is and how they are doing, rather than the fact that the murderers 'wore black.' the information about the crime itself was saved for the end of the article on page A11. you had to continue the article on a different page two times to get to that information.

im really interested to see what anyone has to say about this. i know this is really long, but what does everyone think about the way the media portrays people? is this right? should myself and all my fellow black-wearing, nail-painting, artist friends be locked up?