At 11:00 24-05-2002 -0400, Jim Sharkey wrote: >My feeling is that there are more kids today growing up with the belief >that human life doesn't have any value. They don't value their own lives, >or the lives of others.
How many people here are actually surprised about this? Look at what kids these days grow up with. Turn on the TV any time, and there will almost always be some channels airing shows that somehow includes violence -- movies, television series, news shows. Look at what kind of computer games are bestsellers: many of them include violence. I think the problem is not only the high levels of exposure to violence, which makes people indifferent to violence, but also the message that those shows and games send: if you have a problem with someone, kill him -- if you are a bad guy, you might still get away with it, and if you are the good guy, your definitely get away with it. Combine all that with the fact that it is very easy for kids to get their hands on a gun (especially in the US), and you have a recipe for trouble. I am not advocating banning violence from TV and computer games altogether, but I believe it should not convey the message that violence is acceptable behaviour and something you can get away with -- not even when you are the "good guy". Once kids get that drilled into their skulls (at home and at school, over and over again), combined with making it very difficult for them to get their hands on a gun (through strict gun laws), a lot less people will die from violence. Jeroen _________________________________________________________________________ Wonderful World of Brin-L Website: http://www.Brin-L.com Tom's Photo Gallery: http://tom.vanbaardwijk.com
