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In Reply to: I Thought Of Something Else Also..... posted by Mike W. on April 15, 2003 at 14:41:01:
I don't know why it is necessary to present a personal view as THE truth. I guess it is a family hangover. But I will say this, I personally believe that in America children are exposed to much more violence via television, movies and news as well as less connection to family because of the high cost of living vs. the low pay for many. To mangage, many have to work two jobs or both parents have to work and there are many single parents.
It is a fact that not just Columbine, but many other school shootings, stabbings, beatings and rapes occur on a daily basis in this country. Some in elementary schools even! This is not propaganda but cold hard facts.
Today, a neighbor child described how a boy was stabbed and another beaten badly with a pipe at their high school today by a gang of about 11 other kids. It won't make the front pages of the news. This kind of occurrence is too common in a big city.
There are many kids out there that think violent acts are "cool". Including murder. High school kids today have even been exposed to snuff films. That is some real real sick stuff.
It is very free in Switzerland, but when a movie is rated PG-13, a kid under 13 will NOT be allowed to go into the theatre with or without his or her parents. Kids don't spend the day glued to TV watching OZ and The Sopranos with mom and dad. Extended family is less common. Work weeks for many include weekends and holidays. There are many factors that add to violence here. But to say it is exaggerated or a myth, I just don't see it that way at all.
Also, there are more things for kids to do in many Western European countries. Here, if you don't have the money, you can get real bored and get in lots of trouble as a kid...That is how I see it anyway.
Also, as single parents, there is little social support if you do not have extended family. It is a survival of the fittest type of system that we have here. I wouldn't call that freedom unless you are the fittest. Anyway, this is just my opinion.
