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Too Young To Die
By J.J., Age 16, Pittsburgh

In the past few weeks we have witnessed a Michigan 6-year-old killing another, and a hatred-filled man rampaging a street not far from where I attend high school, shooting 5, killing 3, for no more reason than the color of their skin.

Why do such crimes happen in a so-called civilized nation? Why do we have children killing each other and racism a part of everyday living?

Rethinking priorities

We have such misled priorities in this country. Take for example government regulation of television, the root of all evil. Why is it that as a country, sex and language in broadcast is still such taboo, while murder on TV is commonplace?

Maybe I’m too liberal, but what do we as a country have against sex? I know many of us including our president have not been exactly modest about our habits. Why is it that any printed media with any nudity or profanity is not allowed to be sold to minors, while gun and weapon magazines are readily available? Why does sex or language in movies get an "R" rating, while movies involving murder (usually of multiple people) get "PG-13"?

Why does a country with sex and language on public television such as the United Kingdom have far fewer gun-related deaths? Last time I checked, sex and language were perfectly legal and murder was one of the worst offenses that anyone could commit. In my opinion, we need to reduce violence on television, in printed media, and in movies.

Guns and society

At the same time, we need a civil society that doesn’t involve handguns.

When a gun tragedy strikes, many try to explain and rationalize. Many liberals unsuccessfully lobby for gun control, while many conservatives rattle on about an erosion of Christian values in America.

Senators will be pitted against one another, presidential candidates will be separated, and friendships will be broken all over a simple issue of lack of compromise.

When the issue of a dead 6-year-old girl arises, they all feel compassion. However liberals blame it on the absence of a trigger-lock while conservatives maintain that the "flop house" in which the boy resided made the situation impossible to deter.

When the issue of 3 dead people arises, including a 20-year-old college student and a former Catholic priest, again, the liberals push to make guns less accessible while the conservatives suggest that racist tendencies and prior convictions created the attack.

Neither conservative nor liberal

The issue however is not rooted in conservatism or liberalism; it is in the lives of citizens, of children, of those helpless in the political gun-control struggle. True in the case of the Michigan boy his family history was less than admirable. But there are so many guns sold-- many are obtained "legally" by "law-abiding citizens."

Meanwhile, gun maker Smith & Wesson has agreed not only to require trigger locks and internal gun-locking devices, but also to produce a second hidden serial number for insurance in the case of the common criminal act of obliterating serial numbers on firearms. In addition, they have agreed to devote 2% of their firearms sales to develop "smart gun" technology as well as requiring all dealers, even those who slip through the gun show loophole, to perform background checks.

Now, with a private company taking the step to perform this act of
responsibility, one would expect a positive, if not lukewarm reaction from the National Rifle Association. What, however did we get? Silence.

Other pro-gun groups such as the Gun Owners of America are calling this an assault on the Second Amendment. What is the problem with a private company making a private decision that would in the long-run help them financially? What freedom-loving conservative couldn't live with and respect that situation?

It is so easy to look at the world through a pinhole; one needs to accept alternative ideas, leading to some source of resourceful compromise. Both the Republicans and the Democrats have useful ideas, but they don't listen to eachother. We need to study and respect all cultures and respect one another, not propagate apathy and ignorance.

Ignorance in this country is rampant, racism, sexism, any-ism, but most
importantly, ignorance of basic principals, such as the well being of young human children. We see through the tragic Michigan example, there was little attention paid to the suspect in the formative years of his life, and sadly his values will carry with him through all his life. Ignorance of a child and of his access to deadly weapons led to the death of a 6-year-old. Ignorance of tolerance led to the death of 3 people in Wilkinsburg, only because they were white.

We see how ignorance shapes and forms people's opinion for entire lives, and now, with access to so many firearms, that the possibly hatred feeling could be violent and deadly.

I call on our elected officials to listen to citizens and not sponsors. Although we (under 18) are not old enough to vote for you, we are people, and you need to understand our point of view.
We need to take the time to talk to one another.

Human civilization has always been based on communication, and if we can't efficiently do that, we are in a horrifying state of de-evolution, one that will continue until we realize what is wrong with us or until our ultimate obliteration.

The people, (especially the youth,) of the United States, unite and take a
stand against what you think is wrong. Don't let your voice go unheard.

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