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opinion:
revelations
Society bad role
model for children
Last week we were
shocked to hear of yet another child going on a shooting spree.
There is no doubt that you've heard and read plenty of how we're
losing the war with our youth and various people are wondering
what can be done.
I'm not here to
rationalize anyone's decision to pick up a gun and start shooting
his or her classmates. What concerns me about these shootings
is how children get guns in the first place. Why do we think
children who live in a society where there are no consequences
should know better than to go on a shooting spree?
How is it that
a child like the one last week in Santee or the children who
did the Columbine shootings are able to procure a gun, conceal
it and bring it to campus? The more serious question many
face, though, is why?
Well, why not?
We live in a world where children see there being no consequences
to their actions. Schools are overcrowded and children are
able to check out of their educational pursuits without being
caught on to. They watch television and see people they look
up to shooting people or being accused of shooting people
and getting away without any disciplinary actions.
In the last few
years, we have seen rappers, athletes and various no-names
get away with murder, literally.
Children see someone
like Robert Downey Jr. get arrested for drug possession for
the 100th time and then tune into an awards show to see him
not only accepting an award and getting a standing ovation,
but seeing him be so flippant about his recent run-in with
the law.
It doesn't stop
there. Already I've seen some of the alleged Santee shooter's
classmates talk about how misunderstood he is and how it is
not his fault that nobody paid attention. No, it is not his
fault that nobody paid attention, but what people fail to
realize is that he is not the only victim in this shooting.
Recent actions
like the passing of Proposition 21, which tries juveniles
as adults, and the convicting of the 14-year-old boy for killing
a 6-year-old girl when practicing wrestling moves are harsh,
but a move in the right direction. Only by realizing that
there are tangible consequences to their actions will children
stop this senseless violence on campus.
Yes, it's wrong
to punish our children continually for their growing pains,
but certain actions call for certain measures and hopefully
the judge and jury in this boy's case will not fall prey to
having a lack of sympathy for the actual victims.
Alex Roman is
a print journalism major at Cal State Long Beach.
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