MONDAY, APRIL 26, 1999

What is life's value

The recent tragedy in Littleton, Colo., marks the sixth such incident in less than two years. In all these acts of violence, the killers were under 18, one as young as 11 years old - implying more children are carrying the burden of extreme internal suffering and resulting in eventual acts of violence.

Have we become so out of touch with our youth?

One thought is that depression is no longer an adult's disease. In depressed people, there is little sense of self-worth, which makes suicide seem like one logical alternative.

We should not underestimate the permanent scarring that can result from adolescent years . One speculation is that these boys at Littleton did not value their lives, and subsequently, valued their peers' lives less.

While many people deal with personal conflict internally, some deal with it externally - and the result can be detrimental.

Though these types of incidents seem impossible to prevent, there are indicators that something is wrong. Hateful outbursts, suspicious web sites and a strong dislike for minorities are signs something is wrong.

Metal detectors are a temporary solution to a larger social problem. Plus, should we put them everywhere, including grocery stores and malls? What about to get into residential neighborhoods? The point is we cannot have total control this way.

And as much as everyone wants to blame it on the National Rifle Association, we really cannot. The right, which is embedded in the country's constitution is not the problem. However, stricter laws on gun control can and should be implemented. For example, unregistered gun owners should be severely punished and the unlawful sale of guns should be of primary concern. Advancements, such as allowing the legal gun owner to fire their registered gun by means of fingerprint detection, would be a huge step in the right direction.

Counseling, counseling, counseling. It cannot be underestimated, especially in high schools were personal problems can be dis-proportionally big. Each student should have mandatory counseling twice a month. This way, children who do not have open lines of communication in their homes, can have a safe place to express themselves.