"Many states have gangs popping up in their larger cities, which is mainly due to the glorification of being in a gang. Rappers like Eazy-E and Flavor-flav are glorifying violence... This is a problem that every state in the United States should worry about because gang violence is rapidly spreading." Jason Tenhonen, Wallace High School, Wallace, Idaho
"Rap stars who act as role models for many teens think its okay to kill people." Todd Gordon, Pioneer High School, San Jose, California
"(Athlete) Charles Barkley, with flagrant language and a rude attitude, has worked his way into homes as a model for kids. Convicted rapper Snoop Doggy Dog's record has become one of the top albums in the nation. Other rappers like Flavor Flav, Tupac Amaru Shakur, and Ice T have invaded our youth's minds, sending them messages of death, sex and violence." Jeremy Hoffpauir, Walters High School, Walters, Oklahoma
*Others don't see it that way:
"Some record studios are banning rap music from their stations because they think it causes the younger generations to be more aggressive. When rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg was asked if his music was too violent for kids he said: 'Whether I make the record or not, someone is being shot right now in gang violence. Are you going to blame me, because I make a record about it?' Another question asked, 'Does rap music cause violence?' Snoop Doggy Dogg commented with:'That's a lie. Before rap came out there was violence; when I was nine years old, one of my 'home boys' got shot on some gang violence, and wasn't no rap music being played then. So you tell me the music we make now made him die?...' " Mario Walker, Meadow Bridge High School, Meadow Bridge, West Virginia
"Communities need to organize activities." Keilani Williams, New Underwood High School, New Underwood, South Dakota
*Notice how the blame has shifted from the media, to parents, to kids themselves and right on to the community. Sara is tired of 'passing-the-buck':"With all the whining and blaming going on all over the television and newspapers, the amount of difficulty in finding someone deserving of praise bows only to the almost impossible task of finding someone taking responsibility for themselves and their actions." Sara Heberling, Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, OklahomaThe Injustice SystemStudents think the court system often sends the wrong message: "Juvenile offenders know they are going to get off easy so there are no restrictions on them. If we would start treating them like the criminals they are and give them the punishment they deserve, the juvenile and gang problem would begin to decrease." Jamie Sue Bellis, Prairie High School, New Raymer, Colorado"The average prisoner serves only 41 percent of his/her sentence. For example, the standard sentence for robbery is about 8.6 years and almost 22 for murder. The average for these crimes stays in jail for about 16 months. For each crime committed, the offender stands a 1-in-20 chance of serving time." Kara Krauskopf, Crockett High School, Austin, Texas"When people go to court for crimes they committed and are acquitted, it is sending a message to Americans that they can commit a crime and get out of it fairly easily. We should not be surprised about the rising crime rates!" Katie Wettstein, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois"When a kid goes to jail or a juvenile center for the first time with a knowledge of only the one crime he has committed, he comes back into the world later with knowledge of how to do other crimes as well because he has talked with more experienced offenders" Brian Claybrook, Crockett High School, Austin, Texas"Violence is devastating the young people of this country, much like polio devastated children 40 years ago... They also need stiffer penalties for offenders because to some young people jail is like a sleepover camp where most of their friends are also." Beth Civitarese, Antietam High School, Reading, Pennsylvania Police cannot do their job when everyone is afraid of testifying:"Eduardo Samanigo, 14 years of age, was shot and killed after he testified against gang members. The police and prosecutors were not responsible enough to keep him under protection, even though over and over again his parents were promised that nothing would happen to him. Now his parents are suing for 15 million dollars." Ryan Kosecki, South Kent High School, South Kent, ConnecticutMany students agreed with Beth (above) that courts have been too lenient with offenders:"Billy L was already due in court for armed robbery when he, along with two teenage friends, came upon a homeless woman in New York City Central Park. On the spur of the moment, they beat her with a pipe and repeatedly raped her. At the time Billy was twelve years old. Upon apprehending the youths, police found evidence leading them to believe that a month earlier, Billy had murdered a woman in a similar rape and beating. At a hearing in New York's family court, he received the maximum penalty a twelve year old could getÒeighteen months at an up-state boys' camp." Matt Raiha, Wallace High School, Wallace, Idaho"Michael Reese was convicted of rape four times and after each time he was convicted, he would always get the lesser charge or parole and would later be set free. What kind of message is this sending to these criminals?" Jenni Williams, Freeman High School, Rockford, Washington"Sometimes the courts let the criminals off so easy that they end up better off than they were before they were arrested. For example, a jury decided that Michael Hayes was insane when he killed four people in a barrage of rifle fire in 1989. Since then, he has been making $500 a month in federal disability benefits. Hayes has spent this money on TVs and VCRs for his room at a state mental hospital in Raleigh, two leather jackets worth more than $300 apiece, some forty knit shirts, and a secondhand motorcycle that he uses to cruise around the grounds. 'He's had more disposable income than he's ever had in his life.' said R.B. Nicholson, whose 24-year old son was killed in the shootings.... The courts are no longer worried about putting the bad guys in jail, they are more concerned about making sure everyone has the right to a fair trial. Once a person is found guilty of breaking the law, then that person's rights should be limited...When will our country realize this crime that is taking place? By crime, I mean the criminals that are being paid millions of dollars from the pockets of taxpayers and the criminals that go free after breaking the law. It is us, the hardworking taxpayers that really suffer and until we all realize this and start to take action we will continue to suffer." Jennifer Hodges, Blue Ridge High School, Blue Ridge, TexasStudents are concerned with what they perceive as a lack of justice for the victims of crime:"In Woodbury, New Jersey, a victim of a drunk driving accident survived her coma but suffered from severe brain damage. She underwent painful rehabilitation, which involved learning to walk, to read and even to be toilet trained again. Later her mother attended the sentencing of the drunk driver. She was outraged as the judge asked the culprit if he was remorseful. When the drunk driver shrugged his shoulders and whispered an apology, the judge sentenced him to a mere three years in prison with eligibility for parole. This example demonstrates that the victim suffers while the criminal takes advantage of the system. Moreover, it displays decay in the values, such as justice, that serve as the foundation [of] the United States." Amy Asbury, Knoxville High School, Knoxville, Illinois"A woman in Chicago was shot in the face by her husband seven years ago, forcing her to suffer the last seven years of her life unable to speak and walk. The lady had to be fed through a tube in her stomach. Ð (Her husband's) prison term was for two years."Julie Thomas, Lexington High School, Lexington, IllinoisMany students believe that justice is hampered by what some condemn as bureaucratic nonsense:"Another story of governme
nt failing the public is the story of two eighteen-year-olds who were caught drinking and driving. Charges were dropped, because the state Supreme Court ruled that just because it looks, smells, and tastes like beer, doesn't mean it is. Authorities have to confiscate beer and pay for chemical testing to prove that it's beer." Mara Bergeron, Deer River High School, Deer River, Minnesota"There are some people who are getting sick of the crime and are taking a stand. Chuck Hollom, a San Francisco cab driver, stopped a mugger in May, 1989. He saw a man run up to three young Japanese women, knock one down, and steal her purse. He and another cabby chased the man, drove onto the sidewalk, and pinned him against a wall with his front bumper. Three minutes later, police arrived and the mugger, Ocie McClure, was arrested. Still, a lawsuit was pressed against the hero for using 'excessive force' against the villain. This is stupid. That only discourages people from helping others who are attacked." Kristi St. Aubyn, Colby High School, Colby, KansasPublic policy often causes more problems than it solves:"The disturbing truth is that we have been doing all that we can to put criminals behind bars. In the past three decades, America has become the world's No. 1 jailer, and right now, there are not enough cells to go around. In the 80's, we went through a stage of harsh drug penalties and pushed the U.S. incarceration rate to 455 per 100,000 citizens, causing a $21 billion dollar tab. As the nation's inmate population grows and expands, we find ourselves having to let some criminals out before they have served all of their time." Kara Krauskopf, Crockett High School, Austin, TexasA precedent is set:"We allow public figures to do wrong without being punished." Nicole L. Manning, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota"[A] judge by the name of Robert Schillberg released Leroy Kelley who is a convicted thief, violent offender and rapist, with a $ 1.00 fine which the good judge paid himself. Kelley was caught stealing cigarettes from a grocery store. The judge said that the store was more at fault, for providing the cigarettes, than was poor Leroy. The officer who arrested Kelley was obviously upset and felt that the judge's reasoning was unfair. This judge is sending a message to society that if you commit a crime against those who do legal but somewhat socially unacceptable things, you do not have to pay for it." Michael Gammon, Eureka High School, Eureka, IllinoisStudents discovered that allowing defendants to shift responsibility, encouraged violence. In the excerpts that follow, two students from Plainview High School in Ardmore Oklahoma, offer some implausible excuses for murder. "A teenage girl appeared on a nationwide television talk show admitting to having killed one of her so called friends. She claimed, however, that she was not in her right mind at the time and it did not seem to be either a wrong or immoral act. Because of her state of mind during the murderous act, she felt that she should not be held responsible for the girl's death." Terri Boardman, Plainview High School, Ardmore, Oklahoma"A sixteen-year-old from Enid murdered his parents because he couldn't use the family car. He had cut classes the day before and had been grounded from the phone. When he was denied the use of the family car, he shot both of his parents. He claimed the reason was because they were too hard to get along with. This type of behavior will give people the idea that it is okay to kill people, if they can find an excuse that shifts the blame onto another person." Farrah D. Gunter, Plainview High School, Ardmore, Oklahoma"A man entered a local restaurant where a girl he was interested in worked. When she refused a date with him, he broke into a shooting rampage, killing six people. He, too, felt he should not be held responsible for his actions because he claims to have been under the influence of both drugs and alcohol at the time of the shooting." Terri Boardman, Plainview High School, Ardmore, OklahomaStudents see the lack of communication between parent and child as one of the causes of escalating crime in this country:"In my area, many teenagers are irresponsibly finding themselves in the county jail for minor offenses. To be released, they must have someone post a small bond. Many of these teens have called friends instead of calling their parents to come bail them out. These kids are finding ways to avoid telling their parents the truth or the whole truth about what they did wrong." Julie Thomas, Lexington High School, Lexington, Illinois , Lexington, Illinois