Counterpoint: ‘Love’ is media hype

In the movie “Endless Love ” Martin Hewitt sets fire to Brooke Shield’s house because her father refuses to let him see her. In “Romeo and Juliet,” the famous young lovers commit suicide because they favor death over separation. “True love or mental illness?

Nowadays, people have concepts of love developed from movies and the media. We are constantly seeing films where people go to drastic measures to win love. We are led to believe that the more desperate the action, the truer the love.

These attitudes are carried over into real life. People begin to expect maniacal behavior and violent jealousy to accompany the words “I love you.” Some people begin to feel that if their companion is not constantly jealous, their love is not real.

When people begin to ignore their friends and family because of a new boyfriend or girlfriend, it is explained by the fact that they are in love. Love is also the excuse given when people become jealous and protective of their mate.

 “Crimes of passion” is the term used for suicide, murder, kidnap or even rape by people “in love.” What people are doing is confusing love with obsession. We should stop using love as a scapegoat for mental illness and weakness.