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Is it a conspiracy that the music is telling the youth to rise up against the establishment because the establishment is rapidly destroying things? Is that a conspiracy? The music speaks to you every day, but you are too deaf, dumb, and blind to even listen to the music. . . It is not my conspiracy. It is not my music. I hear what it relates. It says 'Rise,' it says 'Kill.' Why blame it on me? I didn't write the music.

Charles Manson#33

ViolenceMusicInfluenceBlame

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker blames music for influencing youth violence rather than himself.
In plain terms
The music tells people to kill, not me, so do not blame me.
What can you take from it?
Art can influence behavior, shifting blame from the artist.

Where it applies

  • media critique
  • blame assignment

Putting it to work

  • question media impact
  • assign blame carefully

Questions to consider

  • Does music cause violence?
  • Who is responsible for lyrics?

Another view

Music influence is often overstated compared to personal choice.

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  3. You expect to break me? Impossible! You broke me years ago. You killed me years ago...

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