Dear Me Head,
I got an A- on this paper for my 10th
grade Civics class and was wondering if you could tell me what’s
wrong with it.
-Carla Ronny
Dear Carla,
Not only is nothing wrong with your paper, but
you’ve hit the nail right on our head.
-SP
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT VIOLENCE
By Carla Ronny
September 18, 20000
Mrs. Henderson
One of the biggest problems
facing modern society is violence. Crime has been steadily rising
for decades now, and is inversely linked to the quality of working
and living conditions. This essay will give evidence for the increase
in violence and some reasons why it is increasing.
Not too long ago, it was safe
to walk at night pretty much anywhere in my hometown of Irving,
Texas. This is no longer true. For example, I was going to the ATM
last November, to get some money out, when I heard a very ugly-sounding
voice call me a “slut.” Before I could turn around, this tall, skinny
guy was standing over me and trying to grab me. It was lucky I had
taken a self-defense class, or I might have been hurt or killed;
instead, I was able to throw the man over my shoulder and mace him
before running away.
You almost never feel safe
in contemporary America, even if you got out with friends,
even at the popular teen hangouts. My friend Jamie and I
were accosted at a dance club this winter, by three older girls
wearing the same black leather jackets. We tried to mind out own
business, but they wanted to pick a fight. So I riblocked the black-haired
one and cracked the blond in the chin with my knee. The other girl’s
hair was brown, and it fell over her face when Jamie grabbed her
by the shoulders and I delivered a swift arrow-kick to the ear.
Someone nearby was yelling “Cat Fight!” so I took him down with
a leg sweep and drove my elbow into his sternum. Everyone totally
shut up after that, except the little black-haired bitch, who was
sobbing loudly.
The causes of the upsurging
violence are nearly as numerous as the incidents themselves, but
one of them is certainly the lack of positive role models for young
people. Everyone knows who Kid Rock and Eminem are, but ask if people
have heard of Thomas Paine or Mahatma Gandhi and you will get blank
stares. I asked a man at a restaurant if he remembered Martin Luther
King’s “I have a dream” speech, and he couldn’t. I got so ticked
that I smashed his eye in with the butt of my .44.
In conclusion, the rampant
crime infesting our society must be dealt with by celebrating more
positive influences for our children and by reducing the violent
content of television and other media. As Shakespeare said, “Now
is the winter of our discontent.” But together we can work for a
warmer, kinder world and stop the constant killing.
