Should heavy metal be banned?

[Jedi Council]

Do I like heavy metal? Lord no.
Do I think it is unpleasant? Yes.
Do I think its a big enough problem for it to be actually outlawed? Hell no.

[Big Jim P]

No, music should be open to free expression.

If weed is banned, why shouldn’t heavy metal be banned? It promotes a culture of anger, rage and nihilism that is harmful.

And it might lead one to *gasp*....Satanism.

[Hurdergaryp]

Heavy Metal shouldn't be banned, but playing Heavy Metal in public should be included under disturbing the peace. Also, a like of death metal should probably put someone on some sort of watchlist. Same goes for other more violent branches of metal.

Seriously? Where are all these authoritarian "make everything I don't like against the law!" people coming from?

Their parents' homes, undoubtedly. Puberty does weird, weird things to the minds of young people. Some never recover.

[Des-Bal]

Heavy metal is full of violence and anger. Songs like ‘I’m gonna force you at gunpoint to eat me alive’ and ‘f***ed with a knife’. American Academy of Pediatrics argues the lyrics of heavy metal music influence risky behavior and attitudes, some studies even show heavy metal listners are at a higher risk of suicide and self harm. If it is the government’s responsibility to protect society, should heavy metal music be banned? Clearly, heavy metal should be restricted and controlled, maybe we don’t have to ban all of it, maybe only some? Maybe violence and anger aren’t necessary for musical stlye and we can have decent heavy metal sounding music to satisfy angsty teens. Clearly, music full of rage emotions is not healthy for people to consume.

"Clearly" should be redefined to mean "take my word for it," it is something people say when they have nothing else to say. No, we should not ban or restrict music.

[Salandriagado]

Nope, just marginalize and stigmatize it by putting anyone who listens to music in said genre to be put on a watch list.

Does anyone on this site fucking read?

Yes. That's why we keep spotting your lies.

Heavy Metal shouldn't be banned, but playing Heavy Metal in public should be included under disturbing the peace. Also, a like of death metal should probably put someone on some sort of watchlist. Same goes for other more violent branches of metal.

[Salandriagado]

The Bible Belt

yo, stupidity comes from everywhere.

This particular kind of stupidity, however, seems to spring mostly from there.

[Salandriagado]

No, music should be open to free expression.

If weed is banned, why shouldn’t heavy metal be banned? It promotes a culture of anger, rage and nihilism that is harmful.

Weed shouldn't be banned. Smoking it in public without the consent of the people present probably should (for the same reason that smoking tobacco under such circumstances probably should be banned).

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

That's a rather vague idea.

Would you arrest a guy playing guitar in the subway or some dude blasting music in there car?

Okay let me clarify my stance. If your in your car or have headphones I think its fine but if you are just walking around I think it is annoying. I mean think about it your just doing your thing and have music blasted in your ears all of sudden. Granted I don't think there should be police action for it I just think it is annoying.

It might be annoying, depending on what music your into. But we shouldn't ban things just off of being annoying.

So, for you it is annoying, but it's not really a legal thing.

[Andsed]

Okay let me clarify my stance. If your in your car or have headphones I think its fine but if you are just walking around I think it is annoying. I mean think about it your just doing your thing and have music blasted in your ears all of sudden. Granted I don't think there should be police action for it I just think it is annoying.

It might be annoying, depending on what music your into. But we shouldn't ban things just off of being annoying.

So, for you it is annoying, but it's not really a legal thing.

Yeah I am not saying we ban it or make it illegal I just think it is annoying that is all.

[Great Winminster]

Heavy metal is full of violence and anger. Songs like ‘I’m gonna force you at gunpoint to eat me alive’ and ‘f***ed with a knife’. American Academy of Pediatrics argues the lyrics of heavy metal music influence risky behavior and attitudes, some studies even show heavy metal listners are at a higher risk of suicide and self harm. If it is the government’s responsibility to protect society, should heavy metal music be banned? Clearly, heavy metal should be restricted and controlled, maybe we don’t have to ban all of it, maybe only some? Maybe violence and anger aren’t necessary for musical stlye and we can have decent heavy metal sounding music to satisfy angsty teens. Clearly, music full of rage emotions is not healthy for people to consume.

No. Just no.

[Stroulia]

Are we seriously trying to drudge up the moral panics of decades past? Seriously? No music, and in fact no artform in general, no matter how violent its content, causes real violence. That is just simply a fact that has been proven for years through thousands of studies.

You'll never stop people from enjoying art, no matter what form it takes.

[Chernoslavia]

Nyet, I need my manowar!

[Katganistan]

If weed is banned, why shouldn’t heavy metal be banned? It promotes a culture of anger, rage and nihilism that is harmful.

And it might lead one to *gasp*....Satanism.

Just like D&D!

When I was in college (a loooooong time ago) my mom told me, the president of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Gaming club, that I "couldn't play D&D because there were satanic spells in that game".

To which my response was to hand her the books, and say, "Ok. Find them."

I think she was very disappointed that her friends in the no-fun brigade had lied to her, and that any "spells" simply consisted of saying, "I am casting Magic Missile!" and rolling dice.

[-United Republic of Freedonia]

This particular kind of stupidity, however, seems to spring mostly from there.

The world can surprise you.

[Baphoman]

No. Not only should creative expression and freedom of speech be respected, but not all of metal is so violent and vulgar. Though plenty is. And even with that being the case, many use these aggressive, intense sounds as healthy expression for their negative emotions. Plus, the metal communities are very positive and progressive. They have humanitarian beliefs and often promote intelligence and growth among another. But of course, some metalheads are excessively aggressive and are clear examples of bad examples. There's bad seeds in every group. It'd be wrong to base an entire group off of their worst variables.

[Zeclil]

Fuck no

[DanzigReichen]

Sure, but let’s ban rap first.

[The New California Republic]

Sure, but let’s ban rap first.

Or we could just not start banning music, how about that option?

[Reploid Productions]

Let's see... I'm sure most of these have already been brought up, but I'm late to the party and so will keep mine brief.

1) Fuck no. Not all metal is "violent" or whatever the latest moral panic is about. Nor does metal music make people violent, any more than other popular moral panic boogeymen like rap, video games, D&D, rock 'n roll, or women showing their ankles did.
2) Fuck no. Creative expression should not be banned just because someone doesn't like it. Don't like it, don't listen to it, simple as that. Don't be rude and blast your music in a public space where it'll disturb other folks, but that is not a problem exclusive to metal.
3) Fuck no. Music, metal or otherwise can be a healthy outlet for various emotions. When I've had a bad day, cruising home with some suitably angry metal blaring and singing (badly) along helps me de-stress immensely.
4) Fuck no. While we're at it, there are ample subgenres of metal that are about as far from the "OMG SO VIOLENT!" stereotype being touted by the OP. There are metal songs about overcoming adversity, metal songs about getting past a bad breakup, metal songs about historical events, metal songs about defending the weak and helpless, metal songs about simply being awesome and doing awesome things, and so on. Trying to tar the entire genre with a small subset of that genre is disingenuous if not downright asinine.
5) Fuck no. Period.

[Isilanka]

I would like the OP to be honest and recognize that if we're going to ban heavy metal "because muh violence" then let's ban rap, action movies, video games, virtually every book with depictions of violence in it, recruitment ads for the army and gun ads.

Otherwise, if you're not ready to accept that and violence is just a pretext, then it's simply a case of "I don't like it so let's ban it."

Do I dislike heavy metal ? For the most part, yes.
Would I like to see it banned ? No and I'd gladly fight to prevent it from being banned.

[USS Monitor]

metal songs about historical events

Metal songs about historical warships that might also be NS mods...

[Valentine Z]

When I've had a bad day, cruising home with some suitably angry metal blaring and singing (badly) along helps me de-stress immensely.

Now I want to hear Reppy growl to Death Metal.

metal songs about historical events

Metal songs about historical warships that might also be NS mods...

Anddd downloaded! Thanks for this gem!

[Unstoppable Empire of Doom]

metal songs about historical events

Metal songs about historical warships that might also be NS mods...

At least it isn't sabaton.

[Constitutional Technocracy of Minecraft]

No, music should be open to free expression.

If weed is banned, why shouldn’t heavy metal be banned? It promotes a culture of anger, rage and nihilism that is harmful.

Hence why I think weed should be legalised and regulated

[Constitutional Technocracy of Minecraft]

The suggested ban on heavy metal here is based on a gross generalisation of heavy metal. If you think heavy metal causes violence, then you should ban violent movies, violent video games etc. (if you want to ban violent video games, you can take GTA V from my cold, dead hard drive)

Therefore, fuck no. Don't ban heavy metal.