My "Here's Why" List

People have asked how something like Littleton could happen, and they are looking for some single cause that could be highlighted so that something like Littleton could never happen again.  They should remember the axiom that many of us learned in geometry class back when academics were still studied: "The whole is equal to the sum of its parts."  And the cause of the Littleton tragedy is equal to all the things that contributed to it, not just one "cause."  People need to look at the whole picture and see that many things contributed to it, not just one thing.  I'll list a number of causes that all contributed to the tragedy:

In Schools, death education and graphic sex education have been forced onto captive students for close to ten years.  Parents who pointed out what was going on and the harm that could come of it were ridiculed by school administrations and shown the door as fast as possible.

Open campuses have permitted students to wander in and out of school buildings at all hours of the school day.

Students have been taught in drug and alcohol "education" that they can make their own decisions, there is no right or wrong, it's only what students decide is right for them.

Juvenile Offender Laws, which have prevented publication of names of youthful offenders when they commit crimes.  That isn't to say that jail terms should have been given to all of them, but the publicizing of the names of youthful criminals would have been a deterrent to further commission of crimes.

The media has over-promoted youth, and youthful activities, to the detriment of publicizing needed information on other things.

The entertainment culture has targeted the youth market and saturated it with vulgarity, sex and violence, and they make their money from targeting that audience.

A lack of awareness of what goes on around them, on the part of most parents and taxpayers.

Parents living vicariously through their kids, encouraging adult behavior while the kids are still in rompers, for the satisfaction of the parents, while they are putting adult stresses on their children.

Biased media, which not only presents one side of news to fit their agendas, but also ridicules and excludes any "leavening" conservative viewpoints to help people get a grasp on news and events.

Multicultural education in schools, which presents every culture but American culture in a favorable light, and excludes any teaching of what has made this country great.

Parents lack of responsibility in raising their children.

Intervention of social welfare agencies and taking over raising of children from the parents, often when such intervention was not warranted.

Lack of respect for life — the elevation of the culture of abortion and euthanasia.

Overemphasis of sports throughout the culture.

A marketing economy that focuses on profit at any price to those to whom the products and ideas are marketed.

Others can likely add other causes.  But, we must not let the country get hung up on the idea that guns caused the violence, or that suspending students will prevent another Littleton.

Joan Battey

New York

© April 1999

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