April 23, 1999

This week's events bring to light the sorry state that we now find ourselves. Why cry out about what our young teenagers are doing? We have presented the image that violence is a normal and accepted part of life, and our children being wholly indoctrinated into this environment are playing out this scenario in their own lives.

On April 21^st, two teenage boys, Eric Harris (18 years old) and Dylan Klebold (17 years old), walked into their school, Columbine High School, and killed 12 students, 1 teacher, and then killed themselves, while critically wounding many more students.

The teenage shooters picked this day of the massacre because it was Hitler's birthday.

These two teenagers had an Internet website on AOL and called themselves the Trench Coat Mafia. It is reported that both teenagers played the video games Doom and Quake, fantasy games where players slay other players.

Shooters Harris and Klebold set bombs throughout the school in an effort to devastate the entire school.

This is just one more violent event involving young boys that emphasizes the sorry state that we now find ourselves in. And the interesting aspect is that these events are occurring mainly in rural conservative towns, not in the inner cities as we might expect.

We are now aptly called the culture of death. We witness death all around us. Violence is the name of the game. We can't escape violence; it is everywhere we look. We persist in glorifying violent bloody crime and the continual reenactment of that crime in all of our media. Slaughter has become an American pastime.

We watch the television news constantly emphasizing the most bizarre and violent episodes of life around the world. And we can't escape it. News is being telecast 24 hours a day on CNN and brought to us through various other sources such as the Internet, radio, and television.

Shame on us! We are to blame. We have all contributed and encouraged this behavior. The aggressor is the one who is cheered on in all avenues of life. We condone and reward our children for aggression. Young boys are encouraged to become macho figures. This is the role model currently being portrayed in the movies and on the television screen. Movie characters show violence as fun. And video games reward those individuals who kill the most. And our boys are fitting right into these aggressive and violent role models.

Caring, sensitive boys are labeled as sissy by their parents, teachers, and peers. The macho man is the role figure to live up to. He doesn't let anyone walk over him; he gets the bad guy (according to his branding), and aggressive behavior is his mode operandi.

Our school authorities encourage the football/baseball/basketball star image. The book reading chess player is a quiet type to avoid.

There is a crisis in boyhood. Males are encouraged to be strong, hide their feelings, and grow up to be macho men.

Our boys lack nurturing in all avenues of their lives, starting with parents and moving into the classrooms and group activities as they mature. Boys are told to hide their feelings and not express themselves. Tears are for sissies.

Rarely do we hear parents saying "I love you" to their boys. This lack of nurturing encourages the boys to seek out emotional encouragement through other sources, whether friends, Internet chat rooms, video games, movies, etc.

The male society is totted as an aggressive one. We are taught to fight for what we want. Sports activities further that aggressive tone. Winning is most important, and it doesn't matter how you get there.

Whenever a crisis occurs we turn our finger pointing to the easiest scapegoat, which happens to be guns and the Internet this time around. Shame on us for blaming these teenage assaults on guns. People kill people. The guns are only the mode in which the killing is being carried out. We must be held accountable and responsible for the violent behavior we are witnessing in our young people. Taking away guns is not the answer.

Why over the last several years is this teenage shooting sprees coming to the forefront? Why now? Look to the causes behind what is taking place, instead of jumping on the bandwagon of pointing the finger on the guns in an effort to make us feel better.

The Clinton administration is based on violence. If we don't like something, bomb it, destroy it, get rid of it. That’s our motto! We don't try to resolve issues peacefully. We have the weapon technology, and we are eager and ready to use it.

The scenes of war are continuously run on the daily news, as well as the 24 hour news stations. We have minute-by-minute images of violent events taking place in our country and other countries around the world. We are all desensitized to killing from the constant reinforcement of this behavior. From young children to grown adults we watch violent events taking place every day on our televisions, listen to it on our radios, and read about it in the daily newspapers.

TV was promoting the actual shooting and the aftermath of the Littleton shooting as a daytime violent soap opera with the latest events unfolding in real living color right before our eyes. And we all faithfully watch with bated breath the minute-by-minute coverage of this gruesome act.

TV and movie violence is not new to us. Each year the movies get more and more violent and the condoning of alternative behavior is glorified. Talk show violence such as on The Jerry Springer Show is cheered on by the television audience and the audience at home. We can’t wait for the action to heat up as filthy words and chairs go flying through the air. The message being received by all of us is that violence is an accepted form of behavior. We expect it and eagerly anticipate it.

The impact of this perspective hits the young minds who are still trying to find their place in society. They are easily molded. And the most damaging effect is upon those young one's that are unbalanced in some way (either due to physical, emotional, mental, or environmental problems).

The young who are trying to find their place in the world are subjected to bizarre events around them. No wonder they don't have a proper perspective on life. It is hard for them to discern what is right or wrong behavior. Their ideas are still gelling and not yet set in place. They are so impressionable to everything around them.

The problem is that violent images and violent role models are presented as heroic. We cheer on the gun-totting rebels, and hiss at their enemies. We play right into the game of winning at all costs.

A friend of one of the teenage shooters said that the shooter did it for fun. Where do they get these ideas? Violence is condoned as an accepted mode of behavior; a way of life.

Witnesses to the school shooting remarked that the killers looked like Keanu Reeves' character in the movie THE MATRIX. Recent teen oriented movies are gearing to misfits who take revenge on their enemies (whether parents, teachers, classmates, etc.)

The parents of three slain high school students who were gunned down by a 14 year old classmate in West Paducah, Kentucky in 1997 are suing the film company that made THE BASKEBALL DIARIES. They feel that movies such as these are prompting teenage violence. In this movie Leonardo DeCaprio's character enters a classroom wearing a trench coat and fires on students and kills three of them.

What is the impact of a steady diet of violence on impressionable minds?

The Internet was blamed for providing the instructions to these two teenage shooters on how to construct pipe bombs that they had littered throughout the school.

The popular computer game Doom is also mentioned as being of influence to these two young killers. Doom is a game where players hunt and kill through dark corridors. These gory video games contribute to the desensitizing of our children to violence.

Being illiterate to the new area of Virtual Worlds I quizzed a friend of mine on this new world. I was quite amazed at the enthusiasm he expressed surrounding these games. My friend who is a corporate manager was enthusiastically telling me about the game that he has been playing all hours of his non-working days and nights. He related to me how he had won his place in his own kingdom through fighting and killing his opponents.

He said that Sony had a new game called Everquest and there were already 100,000 people playing. He has been involved in the game called Ultima On-Line for two years, and informed me that there are 100,000 playing this game worldwide. It is a role playing adventure where characters kill and conquer their opponents. Microsoft is also coming out with a new game called Asherton's Call.

The ten most violent video games are: FleshFeast, Starcraft, House of the Dead, Biofreaks, Duke Nuken, Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, Mortal Kombat 4, Unreal, and Tenchu.

Virtual World games are a new area that is calling the public to participate in acts of violence, which in an unbalanced and young impressionable mind can be very destructive. These games encourage young ones and old ones alike to act out their rage in games, and these behaviors naturally flow out into the streets. The quest is for more hype and excitement, living life on the edge, and seeking thrilling, adventurous events. Normal life is too dull and routine.

Because individuals are actually participating in the violence through their computers makes this behavior even more dangerous. This is the message we are sending our children and teenagers. It is okay to kill. It is okay to act out our violent behavior. It is okay to go for the excitement no matter how you get it. This is cultural violence being condoned and accepted as a normal part of our environment. No wonder our youth is turning more and more towards violent behavior in their own lives. Acting out their aggressive and violent behavior is a natural next step into the real world.

Unfortunately these games teach anti-social values. These games foster the idea that it is okay to kill anyone you don't like; it's only a game. In this new form of media the players realistically become the character and kill their opponents. The characters that kill the most people win the game. And this is the message that is filtering back into reality .

What happened to ethics and values in our lives? Have we become aggressive robots living out our virtual reality in real life?

The family unit is being replaced by the weird world of virtual reality.

The young killer's behavior is blamed on the Internet and guns. These are two hot subjects that have been in recent news and working towards tightening controls on both of these fronts.

The media is now rallying the public around these already two sensitive areas. Rosie O'Donnell on her television show the day of the shooting made a passionate call for the banning of all guns. In a moment of passion she lashed out at the easiest target available at the time (but not the appropriate one).

Why not ask parents what they are teaching their children? Why not present appropriate role models for young students to follow? Attacking the gun industry does not solve these issues. The guns are just the tip of the iceberg. Instead we should be examining what lies below the surface to cause such violence in our young.

We are in an ever growing call to disarm America. This latest event just pushes us that much further into the process. This is a convenient tactic to enact even tighter censoring of the Internet and stricter gun control laws. Senator Dianne Feinstein used this opportunity to promote more control over the Internet and a ban on handguns. And according to a CNN/USA poll in TODAY, the day after the shooting, 64% of those polled said the Internet contributed to the violence.

Obviously these are both targets that are presented as out of control issues still being debated by the government. They loudly declare that there is just too much leniency and easily accessible knowledge (off the Internet) and availability of guns. Yet, unfortunately the Internet presents us with one last frontier of uncensored information that will soon be further regulated to "protect us" from ourselves.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is on the campaign trail hot and heavy spurred on by this latest shooting. The night after the shooting in a speech to the politically influential New York State United Teachers, Hillary called for stricter controls on guns and violent media images. She denounced "the culture of violence that infects the lives of our children."

This event is just what she was waiting for to propel her campaign for the Senate. She unleashed proposals to prevent similar tragedies. Hillary couldn't wait to point a finger at the gun industry as well as the violent images portrayed in the media. She cries out that we are constantly bombarded by violent images. She was tough on the video games that promote killing the opponent and propelling children into the world of hate and violence. She described the games as military training for impressionable minds.

Hillary proposed more control over what our children see and experience. She emphasized the issues of support to teachers unions, opposition to school vouchers and increased resources for social services. See where she is going with all of this — towards more social control of our lives and the lives of our children and with less personal rights and freedom for the masses. And we are following just like sheep in the wake of this tragedy.

Hillary Clinton in the name of protecting the children (does this sound familiar) wants to crack down on media violence. And how does she propose to do it? First Amendment issues are at stake here. Will we all jump on the bandwagon and follow the leader into more restrictions imposed on the entire population. This is just what those in authority are hoping to achieve. Steer the public into appropriate channels, and have them make the outcry to outlaw what we perceive to be the culprit. The scapegoat is set. And we have eagerly accepted the bait.

Doesn't this sound like a set-up to solicit the public's acceptance of more controls and less freedom for all people? And we are stepping right into the role of handing over more of our individual freedoms. Are we ready to ban guns and make this a police state? Are we so easily persuaded to turn over our freedoms to the authorities who know better and are here to protect us?

We can't wait to follow the propaganda campaign. In fact, I'm surprised we are not lining up in front of the police stations handing our guns over to the authorities right this minute. The outcry of the public says "We don't want any more violence." But the scapegoat is not the gun industry or the violent media. It runs deeper than these issues.

How many of these shootings do we need to force us to take a look at the deeper issues? The important issue here is what is propelling these young adults to take violent action in the first place? And what can we do about it?

• Changing our attitudes starts in our home and continues in our schooling, church affiliations, and groups.

• Before we can change our culture, we must change within our own selves. We must build appropriate role models through our own behavior. Our children learn by what they see. When they observe rational, loving behavior, they learn to respond in this manner in their own lives. We are the mirrors through which our children observe their own lives. We must constantly ask ourselves if we are producing good role models for our youth? What can we do to be better our role models?

• A safe environment must be provided for children and teenagers to express themselves. There must be an avenue provided in which children and teenagers can express their feelings. Aggressive channels are to be avoided. Alternate realistic forms are to be encouraged.

• We must encourage our children to talk about their life, what is bothering them, and what they enjoy. An open forum is the best avenue to find out what our children are thinking and feeling. We must work at improving communication lines between all members of the family. By learning this behavior these children can then communicate more effectively in the outer world.

• We must show (by example) our children at a young age how to channel their aggressive behavior into safer avenues. Aggression is to be avoided. Cooperation is always welcomed.

• Sports should not be the sole source of our existence. There must be a balance between sports and study.

• Sports images must not be placed on pedestals to be admired and imitated. We can present to our children the concept to use their minds and their hearts in their daily activities. Loving and caring role models are significant in all of our lives.

• Within schools we must emphasize the roles played by remarkable individuals in history as well as current personalities. This is not to emphasize those personages associated with wars or violence, but individuals that positively contributed to humanity in their particular field.

• Media has a great influence on molding thought and behavior patterns. Therefore, why not use this medium of expression to present appropriate role models. Let's encourage the developing of ethics and family values within our young through influential media sources.

• Parents and teachers are the most influential in contributing toward instructing children in ethics and values. Continue to have an open forum in which to discuss these important issues. Develop a sense of worth within children at a young age. Expose them to nature and the beauty of life all around them. Teach them about the sacredness of all of life (not just the human kingdom) but embrace all kingdoms in nature.

• MTV is launching a year-long anti-violence campaign. "Fight for Your Rights: Take A Stand Against Violence". It begins with the premiering of "Warning Signs" a 30 minute documentary produced in conjunction with the American Psychological Association. The film raises red flags that warn of possible violence. They are taking a public service approach with no fancy filming.

• The MTV documentary consists of three segments, two revolve around students who killed others or themselves, and one is about the success story of a troubled teenager who received help. Other on-air segments include "Do People Kill Or Do Guns?; a live debate; "Scared Straight '99", which is an update of the former documentary.

• To receive a "Warning Guide" call (800) 268-0078 or go to the web site: http://www.helping.apa.org/

• MGM is asking video retailers to voluntarily return copies of the video THE BASKETBALL DIARIES, which is a 1995 movie depicting a school shooting. They have promised full refunds.

• WB and CBS pulled scheduled episodes of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and PROMISED LAND, both are stories about campus violence. Why produce these pictures in the first place? What is the point?

• The Colorado based group Hollywood Against Violent Entertainment (HAVE) placed an open letter to Hollywood this week in the Hollywood Report asking prominent filmmakers not to take part in projects featuring violent behavior.

• Boston TV stations reaffirmed their pledge to voluntarily regulate and therefore not air live news footage of violent images.

• Cooperation must be emphasized instead of competition.

• Let’s do all we can to promote beauty and goodwill in our daily activities. Let’s be positive role models to all children everywhere. Let’s set an example of how to express ourselves in a loving manner, and children and young adults will naturally follow suit.