Response to Emily Burke

This is in response to Emily Burke’s Blog. She posed the question, can music be blamed for people's actions, or is it personal responsibility, or a combination of both? In her post, she had mentioned Marilyn Manson, the Columbine shootings, and the public vilification that he and his music endured in the wake of the tragedy. I feel that the actions of people, such as those teens at Columbine are being blamed on things such as music because people want some explanation as to why these travesties can occur.
I think that the actions at Columbine would have happened whether or not the assailants listened to Marilyn Manson. These children listened to angry music because they were angry, they did not become angry because they happened to throw in a Manson CD. Now I do agree that some people, and I mean some people who have emotional issues or anger problems might listen to violent music and become even more enraged but the capacity to commit these acts of violence were preexisting in the individual. I myself listen to Marilyn Manson and I have no more desire to harm others or myself than before I listened to him.
In 1999 Manson was an easy target to blame for the events of Columbine, he had lyrics that were risqué to say the least and he had a very unique and I suppose frightening stage persona that at times looked satanic. He was in essence, every middle class American’s dream so to speak; thanks to him, they did not have to look into what might be happening in the school systems to cause our children to resort to this level of behavior. More importantly, he took the pressure off from the parents and was forced to shoulder the responsibility for massacre. We are an ever-critical society, casting our increasingly judgmental eye on everyone within sight but the person they see when they look in the mirror.
Since the children who committed these acts were emotionally disturbed listening to Marilyn Manson probably did not help matters, but listening to different music was not going to help them solve their problems. Their problems were beyond CD choices. I truly believe that one song or even an entire collection of music is enough to engender true violence or even true happiness, it may alter your mood slightly but the feeling is transient, the emotions that were there before the song will remain when it is over. I may listen to Marilyn Manson, but I do not feel the need to commit acts of violence just as if because I listen to Nirvana does not mean that I am going to become a drug addict. I personally feel that in the end it is personal responsibility and not the music.

Question - Since society tends to blame violent acts on music that is violent, why is good behavior not credited to music that is more wholesome? Why do parents and school systems receive the credit for exemplary youth and not receive the ridicule for things such as Columbine (at least to the same extent that Manson was blamed).