A View From The Lighthouse
Entertainers, not parents
This past week, a jury was
forced to decide on a case
involving Lionel,Tate, a 13-
year old boy that was accused
of murdering a six-year old girl
last year.
The question in the trial
wasn't centered around whether
or not Tate committed the
crime, but rather, why he did it.
The defense in the case
argued that Tate was simply
imitating wrestling moves that
he had seen on professional
wrestling TV shows and that he
had no intention of hurting the
first grade girl.
Tate's attorney, Jim Lewis,
argued that Tate wasn't mature
enough to understand the
consequences of his actions.
Those actions left his victim
with a fractured skull, lacerated
liver, a broken rib, internal
hemorrhaging and multiple cuts
and bruises.
Lewis tried to put the blame
for the situation on professional
wrestling, saying that Tate
believed that he could be like
these wrestlers and no one
would get hurt.
The jury decided against the
defense, finding Tate guilty of
first-degree murder.
This case brings up an issue
that has remained quiet for
some time, but is again surfac
ing. Should the entertainment
business be held responsible for
crimes that imitate entertainers?
The answer is no. Entertain-
ers aren't parents. They are
individuals that perform in a
:.. safe environment, taking
necessary precautions so
accidents don't happen. They
are trained professionals.
This includes wrestlers, stunt
devils, magicians that perform
; dangerous tricks, athletes, etc.
This isn't denying that
entertainers have a profound
effect on their audience and
oven possibly the actions of
their audience. But that doesn't
make them responsible for acts
1 that happen outside of their
"safe" environment.
There's no question that
entertainment is getting more
violent with time. Ten years
ago, professional wrestling at
Its worst involved a chair shot
to someone's back. Today, it
takes as much as ten chair shots
to the head to win a match.
THE BEHREND BEACON
in4bli‘lictl weekly by the students of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
Editor-in-Chief
Jnm sn, der
Managing Editor
News Editors
Fru? .th Cart
Editorial Page Editor
Katie Gulley
Features Editors
Ka,/ Bow,
h ',mune iia,ilv
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Deanna Syllif,Ski
Sports Editors
Abby Long
Jeanine Noce (assiAlant)
Wire Service Editor
Rob tyvtine
Photo Editors
Beck\ lVeindorf
V ii ,thricadia I as's thilit)
Associate Editor
ChriAt ine Kleck
Copy Editor
Paige Miles
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nmortya Si'tha
Postal Information: The Beacon is
published weekly by the students of
Penn State Erie, The Behrend
College; First Floor, The J. Elmer
Reed Union Building, Station Road,
Erie, PA 16563. The Beacon can be
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or (814) 898-6019 (FAX). ISSN
1071-9288.
Musical lyrics often times
share messages of violence and
hate. If Eminem was convicted
of murder, he would have to
pay the consequences. If
someone would then imitate
Eminem's actions, would
Eminem have to pay the
consequences for that too?
Are we going to start suing
computer manufacturers for
people's vision going bad?
People make decisions in life
where there are consequences.
If children aren't old enough to
understand those conse
quences, it's the parents' job to
prevent their children from
being put in that situation.
In Tate's case? "No watch
ing or playing wrestling in the
house."
Rules are made by parents to
prevent tragedies like this from
happening.
Unfortunately, the saddest
thing of all in Tate's murder
trial, outside of the girls' death,
was that there was a grown
man, standing next to Tate,
arguing that the blame for this
murder shouldn't be Tate's, or
his parents'. He was claiming
that guilt was in the hands of
men that Tate has only seen on
television.
Instead of teaching the 12-
year old that what he did was
wrong, the defense was con
doning his actions saying that it
is alright for people to act on
their urges that they get from
watching television.
A lesson could have been
learned here. Instead, a young
boy will have life in prison,
never accepting that what he
did was wrong. He will sit in
his cell blaming men he has
never met before for crimes
they didn't even commit.
CDROM
Public Relations Manager
Letter Policy: The Beacon
encourages letters to the editor.
Letters should include the address,
phone number, semester standing
and major of the writer. Writers can
mail letters to behrcoll2@aol.com.
Letters must be received no later
than 5 p.m. Tuesday for inclusion
in that week's issue.
,i
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Sarah Orr
Advertising Manager
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Kristine Harakal
Ainslie Ulmer
Distribution Manager
Doug Smith
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Melissa Probe
Advisor
Robert Spec!
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Trying to be friends to all
To all Behrend Students,
The members of the World Wide
Organization of Thugs would like to a )ologize
for their actions concerning the chalki of
certain Penn State buildings. Only aft this
act was committed did we realize how
unsightly it was and how demeaning it NA as to
our school. We are not criminals, we are not
gang members, and we are not "dirty. - We arc
just a bunch of friends who came up with what
we thought was a funny mock organization.
much like other non-commissioned
organizations on our campus. We are just a
bunch of college guys with nothing better to
do.
We were just trying to ha\ e fun, but it did
evolve. Not into the group that Mr. Mato! a
described in his grammatically correct yet
ignorance-filled article, but into something
The scariest reality of them all
Detours and
140/10
Small Potatoes-
Katie Galley
Usually in my column I like to reflect upon
all the things that are wrong with the world.
And as my coveted 'last column' rapiCly
approaches I was sure that 1 would be utilizing
my allotted space to preach about the hazards
0f...we11, I'm not sure, but I thought sure
my columns would get more and more sarcas
tic as the weeks went by.
However this week, and for the past couple
weeks for that matter, there has been iome
serious stuff going on in my world and I can't
help but to give all the new (and returning)
people here one final serious life lesson: life is
for real.
It seems simple and idiotic to say that on
paper, of course life is for real. But lately I
have been looking around my extended world,
that includes my friends, my family, my future,
my goals and my dreams and I have come to
one scary conclusion: the future is now, there is
no hiding or running from it.
College has been the best years of my life,
and not just because of the parties and camara
derie that I have found here at Behrend, but
because of the real and tangible things that I
have found and felt and put my hands and my
heart on. And it is here that I have finally
figured out that I truly am an adult, ready for
adult decisions.
We may always be someone's baby; I know
my parents will feel that way about me until
we no longer exist. But now more than ever, I
know that every single person here at Behrend
is an adult, whether you are 17 and just
arriving or whether you are like me, 2.2 and
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71 ". i!:l:
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
better. Members of our organization have
donated to charity, helped conduct hall
programs, and promoted that thing which Mr.
Matola may never know: true camaraderie.
We do admit to the chalking, and we have
gone out and removed the majority of what was
recently done. Now two of our members face
reprimands, and we hope that those people in
charge of discipline go easy on them. We hope
that you, too, support them in their fight to keep
on-campus housing. Although punishable, we
feel that strict discipline is not fitting in this
case. After all, it was only sidewalk chalk that
washes off with water. We meant no harm by
this act, realize our faults, and promise to never
conduct ourselves in this manner again.
We close with a response to Mr. Jared
"Ayatollah" Matola's editorial. Does the
presence of people that are different than you
soon to graduate. We are all in the same situa
tion here. We may be able to go to parties every
weekend and pretend to have no responsibilities,
but the truth is that we do, and the sooner we all
accept that, the better off we will be. Not to say
that you can't have fun while it lasts, just don't
forget about the important things in life.
The same goes for something that I often like
o talk about, procrastination. Last year I won a
/riting award for an editorial I wrote about how
h )rocrastination is a great thing. About how it
gives you time to experience the simple things
in life, like sitting around watching television
with your roommate and other inane things. But
over one year later, I realize that procrastination
can be a self-destructing behavior. Especially
when you apply the habit to your personal life
and impose it upon the people that you love.
Adulthood may still seem like something that
is a long time away; I felt the same way when I
came here, already two years into my college
education. The truth is though that it's sitting
right in front of you. And no amount of pretend
ing that it's not there and no amount of time
away from it can prevent it from happening.
Which all goes back to the procrastination
thing. Don't put off what you feel now. Because
in the end, it may be too late to obtain some
thing back in the same shape you left it. People
are always learning, always growing, and
always changing. Hearts and feelings change
too, don't forget that. And putting off what you
could have right now because the timing simply
doesn't seem convenient and doesn't seem to fit
into the 'great scheme of things at this moment'
can blow up in your face when you are ready to
accept feelings that you may or may not have.
There is never a perfect time for something to
happen, there is always going to be some
outside factor that can be taken as 'a sign' that
something is not meant to be.
There are those of you out there that will read
this and automatically understand what I am
saying to everyone in the editorial. Some of you
may look at it and simply think, "there she goes,
talking in codes again," but for some of you, it
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really inflict this much mental pain on you?
Does the fact that we have long hair, smoke
tobacco, and do not promote anal retentiveness
really bother you enough to waste one of the
few editorials you will ever have? Jesus said,
"Let ye who hath not sin cast the first stone."
We feel this a fitting statement for this
situation. Believe this when we say: We care
immensely about what the Ayatollah thinks of
us. Three weeks is too long to wait for his
next scribbling.
We, the members of WWT, wish to
apologize, and also to express our deep love
for our school and its student body. We wish
not to hate, hut to befriend all.
With sincerest apologies,
World Wide Organization of Thugs
may not sink in right now, but when you come
to a pivotal crossroads in your life. You will
someday have the choice to pretend that
something in your life doesn't exist, and I hope
when that time comes you will remember that
somewhere you read that the future is now, and
life is for real.
Since this editorial is already full of clichés,
I might as well add, always remember to be
yourself and be true to yourself. Only you
know what you want out of life, but you can't
go around thinking that there is no one else to
take into consideration when choosing to
ignore or pretend about your feelings, there is
always someone out there.
I'm not asking that forever life altering
decision, such as "where do I go for my
internship," that you think about every person
you have ever known and ask yourself how
where you go affects them, because nine times
out of ten, they probably couldn't give a poo.
The person I met in the library the other day
doesn't care where I go for my internship, but
there are some people out there that do care,
and even though I want to achieve my goals
and dreams, there are some people I have met
along the way that I won't and can't forget.
Those are the people about whom I ask you to
remain true to your feelings and not procrasti
nate about how you feel.
If you want something now, then just go for
it. Listen to what your heart is telling you, it's
not often wrong. The future is the inevitable,
so go ahead and do what you feel is right for
right now.
Don't let the future scare you, embrace it an
let your heart lead you because if college has
been this fun, the future can only prove to be
one heck of a great ride! Until three weeks
from now, keep this in mind; , why put off for
tomorrow, what you can have today. Have a
great Valentine's Day!
Galley's column appears every three weeks.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 , 2001
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