Turning Around At-Risk Youths

In the front-page article "Growing Violence by Youths Leads to a National Debate Over School-Safety Measures," Jan. 29, the author discusses several new programs to reduce violence in schools. One such program is that of the Los Angeles County coroner's office bringing at-risk youths in to witness the autopsies of slain gang members. The thinking behind this is completely irrational. Do people really believe that they can curb violence by exposing youths to more violence? Evidence shows that exposure to violence breeds aggressive behavior. In view of this fact, it is our stupidity to think that bombarding teenagers with more scenes of graphic violence will help reduce violence in our schools.

Perhaps if programs could be designed to teach youths healthy ways to respond to the situations they face instead of making morbid scenes an even more common experience in their lives, some school violence could be avoided. Marianne Partridge, Rexburg, Ind. Guns and schools don't mix

I appreciate the editorial "Guns in Schools," Jan. 26. I agree that the violence in America has gotten out of control. I am greatly disturbed by Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan's statement: "We have gotten used to a lot of behavior that is not very good for us." Why should Americans get used to violent acts that occur in their country every day and are causing children to carry guns to school because they need protection?

The United States government is losing control of its country to the violence that is continuously occurring. The US government should stop worrying about its involvement in foreign wars and should get involved in its own domestic wars that go on every day in America's inner cities. If people have "gotten used to" the violence in our country, then I feel sorry for the American children who must continue to carry guns to school for safety because they live in a war zone with no hope for peace. Denise Dilts, Elko, B.C.

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