TheOtherView
Opinions from around the country
A new documentary series hit the television
airways Oct. 18. VH1s Music Behind Bars
profiles prison bands and the music program at state
penitentiaries across the country. VH1, a subsidy of
Viacom, explores the redemptive power of music
and the impact it will have if these inmates are paroled.
VH1
has every right to air the show. Its the stations
right. Their freedom of speech and expression is protected
by the First Amendment. But should they go ahead with
the show just because it is its right? No. The reoccurring
damage resulting from a victim or their family seeing
the murderer or rapist on television having a good time
could start the recovery process over from scratch.
The
music network neglected to inform Mary Orlando, whose
daughter was murdered by Christopher Bissie, member
of the band Dark Mischief, who had the renewed memories
of her murdered daughter and the disgust of seeing the
murderer jamming in a band. I dont think
any of them should be on TV, Orlando told Fox
News.
Music
Behind Bars producer Arnold Shapiro even doubted
he would watch the show if he had some connection to
the victims. I have spent a good part of my life
doing anti-crime projects. If one of these men killed
a relative of mine, I would not watch, Shapiro
said in a letter sent to The OReilly Factor.
VH1
promotes the show on its Web site saying, Making
music is the only taste of freedom they get. They
are prisoners for the crimes they decided to commit.
They dont deserve the freedom to have their story
aired on national television. No victims of crimes want
to see the convicted murderer who killed someone they
love having a great time.
They
are there to pay for the heinous crime that
can never be redeemed.
If
VH1 is airing the program to show the redemptive
qualities of music, they should reconsider. For
one, inmates do not deserve to be highlighted by a television
medium. They have no rights as prisoners and should
not be given the luxury of the national exposure of
their talents.
The
effects of the stations decision to run the show
has not only hurt victims and families but also the
prisoners. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Mark Schweiker has
promised to make sure that in all of our prisons,
no more music programs or opportunities of this kind
again will be afforded to murderers, he said in
an interview on The OReilly Factor.
Many
people see this show as insensitive and wrong. They
have also eliminated any chance of prisoners in Pennsylvania
from benefiting from these redemptive qualities.
If music is really so healing for the prisoners that
are able to participate, keep it behind closed doors.
That way, prisoners can benefit and the victims can
go on with their everyday lives without reliving painful
memories.
This
is a staff editorial from The Lantern at Ohio State
University. This editorial was distributed by U-Wire.
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