Book Report: Kids and Guns by Ted Schwarz

      In this book I read, it tells about daily headlines of teens/preteen violence and use of arms. The author touches on subjects that have to do with the issues of fire arms such as, the history of guns and their use, control and safety when using a loaded gun, the common causes of violence along with special programs that help children and teens with anger-management. One important topic Schwarz explains is what students can do to protect themselves, friends and even their peers.

      In the beginning of the book, the chapter says "When Guns Come to School." Imagine that, a young kid bringing a loaded weapon to school and letting them hold your life in their hands. At any second they could lose their temper and lash out killing anyone in the way. Hundreds of kids around the world are charged with bringing weapons to school and some are never even caught. In October 1997, a sixteen year old boy by the name of Luke Woodham arrived at school early with a shotgun in hand. The anger and bullies pushed him to far and he snapped. Seven kids in Pearl Mississippi, were wounded and two students were killed on sight. He isn't the only case though, in March 1998 a fourteen year old boy named Micheal Carneal brought five loaded guns to school: a pistol, two rifles, two shotguns, and 700 rounds of ammunition. Crazy enough? I think not. He was later accused of killing ONLY three students.
       How does this happen you ask? There are actually quite a few factors that could be a part of the cause. One could be that the student doesn't have a good home life or isn't particularly "popular" at school. Maybe they get abused or bullied at school. Another factor could be the media and popular T.V shows. On television, both sex and violence have a huge visual impact on their viewers that's why it wasn't unusual to find that 14,000 sexual T.V encounters are witnessed by teens every year. By age 18, he/she will watch 40,000 murders and 200,000 other acts of violence. Also another reason could be for those little toy guns we always thought were so innocent. Remember playing with those as a kid and pointing them at your friends while you played army guys or ect? Those thoughts carry on with us as we age. Finally there can also be the music, advertising, the internet, and more.
      How do we protect ourselves is very important in the matter of life and death. You should always assume the gun is loaded. This is necessary because guns can be mistaken as being unloaded. You should always keep arms away from children and locked safely. The safer they are the safer you and others are. If by chance you see someone handling a gun in the wrong way, call 911 fast; this could save the lives of the people he could be putting at risk. Other ways to protect yourself are: to never touch a strange weapon, never bring a gun to school or if you know someone who brought one call 911, and NEVER let someone with a gun think you are impressed. Its for attention and the more you give them the more they think they are in control. Kids can be unpredictable and when they are you don't want to be around. Leave the situation fast and tell an adult or call 911.