DROWNING POOL STATES " Its Song Was 'Misinterpreted' In Connection With Arizona Shooting

Texas nu metal band DROWNING POOL have commented on the news reports that the 22-year-old man under arrest in Saturday's massacre in Arizona had listed as a "favorite" on his YouTube channel a video featuring the band's song "Bodies" as its relentless soundtrack.
FROM BLABBERMOUTH.NET and THE WASHINGTON POST:
FROM DROWNING POOL:
Texas modern metal/hard rock act Drowning Pool has posted a follow-up statement online in response to the recent Arizona shooting tragedy: “We’d like to thank our fans for all of their support yesterday, and once again offer our thoughts to the victims and their families. “Jared Lee Loughner is clearly a very disturbed individual. “The Washington Post ran an article on ‘Bodies’ and the Tucson shootings. But instead of telling the whole story, the writer decided to edit what we had to say in order to make it seem like we were somehow responsible for what happened last weekend. He left out some really important facts. “Where did the part about us performing for the troops go? Where was the mention of us helping to pass a bill in support of our soldiers? “If you want to let readers form their own opinions of who we are and what we support, include all of the info! “We find it inappropriate to imply that our song or rock music in general is to blame for this tragic event. It is premature to make this assumption without having all the facts in the case. It is just as likely that this horrible act was caused by the irresponsible and violent rhetoric used by mainstream media outlets such as the Washington Post. “Listening to Drowning Pool music does not make you a bad person. Misleading people does.”
FROM THE WASHINGTON POST:
The alleged gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, fatally shot six people and injured 14 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who was holding a public event in Tucson for constituents.

Loughner had an unofficial video featuring "Bodies" playing in the background while a masked man burns the American flag listed as a favorite on his YouTube channel, leading some media commentators to speculate that the killer was influenced by the song.

In a statement released online Monday evening, DROWNING POOL said: "We were devastated this weekend to learn of the tragic events that occurred in Arizona and that our music has been misinterpreted, again.

"'Bodies' was written about the brotherhood of the mosh pit and the respect people have for each other in the pit. If you push others down, you have to pick them back up. It was never about violence. It's about a certain amount of respect and a code.

"We've performed for the troops overseas several times in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. Through our song 'Soldiers', we were able to create a petition that helped pass the Lane Evans Mental Health Care Reform Bill, which we presented to then-Senator Barack Obama.

"We've been lucky enough to have some of the biggest success of our career with our new album and we want to continue to spread positivity for the future, not dwell on negativity. For someone to put out a video misinterpreting a song about a mosh pit as fuel for a violent act shows just how sick they really are. We support those who do what they can to keep America safe.

"Our hearts go out to the victims and their families of this terrible tragedy."

According to the Washington Post, "Bodies" was used as a tool of torture at Guantanamo Bay in 2003 when it was played repeatedly to "stress" detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi. The song has also been a battlefield anthem for U.S. troops and professional wrestlers and fighters.

"You're never sure what caused an individual to commit a specific act," Brad Bushman, a communications and psychology professor at Ohio State University, told the Washington Post. "But I've been doing research on violent media for 20 years, and the evidence is that it leads to aggressive behavior. It's not the only factor that leads to violence, but it's one of them."

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-ITP states RIP, and a solid recovery to all those effected by this Arizona tragedy- \m/ -l-