When I was a kid I watched The Three Stooges to get my fix of violent comedy. Now a lot of kids and teens watch the real thing and laugh watching Jackass (that’s an MTV show, not a candidate running for President). When I was a kid, fights, or gang-type “jumpings,” were furtive. Now some teens video their deeds, hoping to get it on YouTube so everyone could see what they did.
Like (according to reports) the girls (who are presumed innocent until they are proven guilty) in this video below of a newscast which explains it all. NOTE: This news clip only shows a small part of the beating video which reportedly goes on for about 30 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuEzXi7glhE
Here’s an even more graphic report that shows three minutes of the infamous video — and gets across how desensitized these girls were to what they were doing to another human being. Just listen to their comments in the background as the girl is being beaten.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYvuZ7QoeeU&feature=related
This YouTube entry also has the following next to it:
THIS AS A WARNING TO EVERYONE WHO USES MYSPACE: 8 have been arrested Apparently, the girls had some confrontations on myspace. be careful what you say online.. the girl is 16 years old.
To find more about this story read this.
ADDITIONAL READING:
Gag order issued in teen beating case
Sheriff disagrees with gag order ruling
Generation You Tube
Horrific cheerleader beating shines light on amoral teen violence
Father Blames Internet For Videotaped Beating
Parents Warned of Cyber Bullying
Girl-On-Girl Fight Trend Growing Online
Questions Remain About Beating
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.