Riff Rant: Don’t Blame Megadeth for Moncton Cop Killings
Before we dive into the musical angle of this story, Riffyou.com would like to send its condolences and sympathies to those in Moncton, NB. Stay strong, united, and have faith that this horrific situation will swiftly come to a close.
Last night in Moncton, NB, three RCMP officers were killed and two were sent to hospital after a lone gunman in army fatigues went on a shooting spree. Residents in certain areas of the city have been advised to stay indoors with their doors locked.
Justin Bourque, 24, is the alleged shooter, and is currently the subject of a continual manhunt in the region.
As is the case with most circumstances of this magnitude, many turn to social media for answers – especially Facebook pages of those believe to be involved. Sure enough, this has happened in the case of Bourque, as it’s since been revealed that the last status update he published was an excerpt from the Megadeth song, “Hook in My Mouth.”
“A cockroach in the concrete, courthouse tan and beady eyes.
A slouch with fallen arches, purging truths into great lies.
A little man with a big eraser, changing history
Procedures that he’s programmed to, all he hears and sees.
Altering the facts and figures, events and every issue.
Make a person disappear, and no one will ever miss you.
Rewrites every story, every poem that ever was.
Eliminates incompetence, and those who break the laws.
Follow the instructions of the New Ways’ Evil Book of Rules.
Replacing rights with wrongs, the files and records in the schools.
You say you’ve got the answers, well who asked you anyway?
Ever think maybe it was meant to be this way?
Don’t try to fool us, we know the worst is yet to come.
I believe my kingdom will come.”
Of course, this revelation has already led some to believe that Megadeth inadvertently encouraged Bourque to allegedly murder cops in cold blood. Such accusations are irresponsible for a number of reasons.
Firstly, how can we assume this song has anything to do with guns and/or gun control? Then, how can we determine that this simple passage is what provided Bourque with the last little bit of encouragement to go out and allegedly do some damage? If Bourque perceived the message of the song to be about being a judge, jury, and executioner, he is either mentally ill or looking for a convenient scapegoat.
If his Facebook page is still active by the time you read this story, have a look at some of the photos and messages he has shared. We’re talking red-flag central. Obviously, Bourque has a very distorted, if not dangerous view of society, and simply used Megadeth lyrics (as perhaps his final message) to distract from the fact that he is likely an enormously cruel sociopath.
Marilyn Manson was blamed for the horrific Columbine High School shooting in 1999. Why? Because it was discovered that the shooters were fans, and Manson had some questionable lyrics that excuse-mongers wanted to implicate ahead of most everything else.
In a time like this, blaming a band for an open-to-interpretation passage of lyrics that happened to show up on an alleged mass-murder’s Facebook page is counterproductive. Dig deeper. It takes more than just a song to send a person over the edge.
-Adam Grant
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