Americas Youth And Todays Violence Essay, Research Paper

America?s Youth and Today?s Violence

The media believes every child is capable of what happened at Columbine. Therefore, when a person picks up a paper or turns to his or her favorite news channel, all they learn about is how schools are enforcing new rules and regulations to control violence. People hear about the media blaming everything as a part of today?s violence in schools. The media blames different groups of people, as a part of today?s violence in the schools. The incident at Columbine was a freak act of violence, and there are hardly any children that would have anything to do with violence of this nature. The media thinks there may be someone to blame for why kids turn to violence. They blame TV, movies, music, and even athletes. The media could blame parents.

The media blames high school athletes for the violence in schools. For many youth, their role models are athletes, but for others, athletes are their worst nightmares. In my high school, athletics was everything. Many of the athletes would pick on the little guys or under class men. The athletes at my school were bullies, but to my knowledge no one wanted to come in and shoot an athlete. How many students go into schools and just start shooting and being violent. Most students of today do not promote that type of violence. In fact, many athletes of all levels inspire youth to do better in school, to work as a team, and to try harder to give their all. Some examples of professional athletes that inspire youth are Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, and Chamique Holdsclaw. They all encourage youth to do their best. And since Athletes encourage positive actions and do not promote violence, athletes should not be the ones to blame.

Athletes encourage kids to stay in school and motivate them to make good grades so that they can participate in sports. When children are participating, they stay out of trouble. Children play sports because they want to be the next Joe Montana or the next Tiger Woods. Children are motivated by their heroes. I know throughout my grammar school years, either athletes would be compared to professional athletes or they would compare themselves to them. Therefore, as long as their heroes set good examples, kids tend to stay out of trouble.

Sure, some athletes of today exhibit violence. However, this is also true among the general American public. Some of the violent athletes of today may include Mike Tyson, O.J. Simpson, or even your own high school quarterback. However, all of the crimes these athletes have committed happen numerous times everyday. We just hear more reports about their violence because they are celebrities. If anyone is in the public spotlight, yes, they will get more exposure. The athletes get this exposure through the media. Reports given by the media give children ideas of violence.

In my high school, athletes would make fun or bully everyone, even the new freshman on the varsity team. At my high school their was a zero tolerance policy, so not many kids got picked on as badly as at other schools. I have heard stories of students getting squirted with water hoses, being duct taped to the ceiling, having their lunch money taken, and even having there pants pulled down in front of the student body. Children should feel safe when they walk into school. For the most part they do, but during my freshman year, I learned quickly which ways to walk to class and which ways to avoid. I had to avoid the upper classmen that my sister told to pick on me, but not once did I think about killing them. The guys that picked on me the most are some of my best friends now. Common sense tells anyone that children feel safe when they are comfortable. Although some kids were picked on in my school and probably felt uncomfortable, but to my knowledge come into the school and kill the people that joked with them. I remember this one kid, Ryan Ownby, that was being picked on in my high school when we were freshman. One time he was being bullied by two upper classmen. So I took the chance to look cool, and I started picking on him also. Then the upper classmen thought I was picking on them, and I got a black eye from it. Well back then, Ryan probably could not lift 50 pounds, but now he could probably beat me up. High school athletes tend to think they are better than the average student, even though they are on the same level.

In no way should a person blame high school athletes for violence in schools. The acts of foolish recklessness that occur in high school in no way should lead a child to murder. Do not blame the athletes. The athletes are just playing stupid harmless jokes intended for laughs, not intended to hurt. The media needs to leave the athletes alone because there is no evidence to show that athletes are to blame. Athletes want to reach for the top in their sport and do their best. They just want to be successful in their sports, not promote violence. Why not blame the violence on the most influential people in a child?s life, their parents.

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