“Asa Coon worshipped Marilyn Manson. Coon shot four people and committed suicide. Therefore, Marilyn Manson’s music caused Coon to commit acts of violence. If that logic seems, well, illogical, that’s good. However, some will likely portray last week’s shooting at a Cleveland alternative high school in just that manner.”
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Asa Coon worshipped Marilyn Manson. Coon shot four people and committed suicide. Therefore, Marilyn Manson’s music caused Coon to commit acts of violence.

If that logic seems, well, illogical, that’s good. However, some will likely portray last week’s shooting at a Cleveland alternative high school in just that manner.

Shortly after Columbine killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris committed the grisliest high school shooting in history, the town tried to ban Marilyn Manson’s music.

Manson took it upon himself to cancel his remaining concert dates around the country out of respect for the Columbine victims. He did not show his face in Denver for several years, in fact. That’s a real scumbag there.

A month after Columbine, Manson wrote an article for Rolling Stone titled Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?

It’s quite an articulate and provocative essay, considering it’s written by a man the media portray as nothing more than a Satan-worshipping androgynous freak. He argued that people are outraged when these things happen, but it’s an empty outrage.

What is more offensive is that when these tragedies happen, most people don’t really care any more than they would about the season finale of Friends or The Real World.

Manson has long been an outspoken critic of the media. His persona, a combination of Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson, is meant to represent good and evil, beauty and repulsion. He finds it curious and disturbing that the media turn both celebrities and mass murderers into folk heroes who are objects of adoration.

Manson was the object of Coon’s adoration. According to reports, Coon got into a fight two days before the shooting because he cursed God. He claimed that he worshipped Manson.

Coon’s decision to worship Manson may have been misguided, but it in no way had anything to do with his decision to shoot teachers and students before killing himself.

Simply put, his short life was a miserable existence.

When he was four, Coon’s mother was found guilty of neglect. Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services investigated at least two incidents involving Coon’s family between 1998 and 2002.

In 1999, Coon shot himself in the arm with a BB gun. He was about six years old at the time.

The following year, the Plain Dealer reported that agency representatives checked up on Coon regarding burn marks on his arm. It was hard to determine the severity because he had been scratching flea bites that covered his arm. He was about seven then.

The boy was charged with domestic violence at the ripe old age of 12 after he punched his mother in the eye. Authorities wouldn’t let him attend court-ordered anger management classes because he was … too young. Brilliant.

Coon spent time in institutions. He had a probation officer, was considered possibly bi-polar and suicidal. He attended an alternative high school because he was targeted by bullies who taunted him and picked on him.

Coon’s situation didn’t improve at SuccessTech, a predominantly black school, where he was the only Goth.

It was clear to everyone that Coon had problems – lots of them. No one is surprised that this happened. But before pointing fingers at the evil that is Marilyn Manson, however, people should look in the mirror.

Everyone failed this boy.

This tragedy should be a wake-up call for the people who ignored, neglected, abused and taunted Coon. But it won’t be.

One thing this tragedy should not be is an opportunity to renew the campaign against violent lyrics. Music doesn’t make people kill people.

After all, Charles Manson listened to the Beach Boys and the Beatles.

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