When Crimes Become "Justifiable"

            Hearing any type of crime on the news receives a "What are things coming to?" but when is this not the case? Typically in your new found favorite movie, video game, or television program. Crimes such as murder, grand theft auto, larceny, the production of an illegal substance, and buying and selling of an illegal substance.  All of these things are commonplace within our various forms of media, so why are we shocked when these things occur in real life? Usually because we aren't personally involved in the crime. For when we are watching whatever the characters are shown in a favorable way, and there are justifications for their actions. Mainly because there are few viable excuses in this day and age.
         
            Poor people are given aid by the government to pay for medical treatment and to help when they are out of work. So the "I'm just stealing to pay for medicine for my sick mother." doesn't really work anymore. Stealing is mainly used as a way to feed a drug addicts habits. Working could be just as profitable as stealing in the long run seeing as how you wouldn't be in jail. However, that doesn't appear to be a popular option. Drugs can be glamorized in the media but don't be fooled. Drugs ruin the lives of millions of people every year. They addict poor people and make them even more poor. Drugs like meth ruin entire small communities all over middle America. So screw Walter White that guy is an jerk and that false world would have been better off if he would have died of cancer. Or instances of torture and mass murder. In light of current events this topic would certainly be a sensitive one.
         
              In the film Punisher two instances of mass murder occur. One in the beginning where the main character's family is massacred as if they were nothing. This horrific scene was simply a way to create the "Punisher" character and to give a justifiable reason for this "anti-hero" to go on a spree of murder and torture. All of this is done in such a way that glorifies the horrible crimes being committed. Frank Castle (The "Punisher") starts off by tearing apart the relationships that the antagonist has with his best friend and wife. Then in a climactic display of violence, revenge, and almost sickening cruelty Frank kills every single one of the Saints (Antagonist gang), and acted as if what he did was nothing. This movie is pretty much a disgusting revenge porno for future school shooters. The Punisher is a dangerous movie, violence on this scale shouldn't be depicted in any way other than being horrible. How is Frank different from the Saints? The only difference is that the Saints killed his family first, sounds like the logic of a 6 year old. Now don't get me wrong, I believe anyone is within their rights to have "an eye for an eye". However they must accept that they will become the same as the ones they despise so terribly.

             Worthless violence is also shown in the Walking Dead (Now I know what you're thinking I've milked this subject like crazy and you are most certainly right! But, there is so much content to discuss that I can't help to continue to write about the Walking Dead). The series itself sheds light on this quite well. With characters being told not to always kill zombies when it is not necessary to do so. An argument that "they are just zombies" makes the majority of viewers not even bat an eye when hundreds of zombies are executed, or stabbed in the face. Another problem is that the humans themselves are overly violent with one another. Different bands of humans constantly commit acts of Guerrilla warfare or perhaps what would be considered terrorism on one another. The directors of the show refuse to believe that humans would simply work together in this situation instead of shooting at the first sight of another living being. This show makes it seem as though humans are no different than the zombies, which may be a point which they are trying to show. Anyone watching this show would most likely get an unrealistic idea of what they should act like whenever society breaks down. Furthermore, the ridiculous and constant amount of violence will desensitize the viewer. Which nowadays people don't need any help with seeing as how we see hundreds of thousands of people being killed in the media in our lifetime.