Violence

I used to think that it couldn't happen here. Santa Monica, California, is a picturesque beachside town with a low crime rate and a great police force. We're not supposed to have violence or crime; we're supposed to be the ideal place to live.

Recently, perfect little Santa Monica has been an area struck by gang violence. A gang member and ex-convict from Culver City had been shot in Santa Monica, and the Culver City gang feels that the Santa Monica gang committed the murder. They are taking revenge upon the Santa Monica gang by shooting people. It has become a game of retalliation.

Unfortunately, more innocent bystanders have been killed than gang members. In one incident, two boys who were in Santa Monica visiting their uncle were killed by gang members intending to kill the uncle, a former gang member. The uncle was not seriously injured. In another incident, a school official was hurt.

How can we continue with our violent society? If violence can happen in Santa Monica, it can happen anywhere. Violence is not confined to south-central Los Angeles or Harlem; violence is everywhere. It is our job, as a society, to end this terror. We must make peace, for the world as we know it will not continue without it.