VIOLENCE: IS IT CHICKEN OR THE EGG?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- So what is wrong with today's society? Why do we have so many kids carrying weapons to schools? Why do these kids find that killing fellow classmates is the answer to their problems? Where is the discipline that could have prevented such actions?

Are the problems we see recurring with the upcoming generation's behavioral obscenities derived from a lack of discipline, or is there just something wrong with the mentality of high school teen-agers?

It seems like this could be a case of the chicken and the egg. Is the problem the chicken -- the lack of parental stronghold over the delinquent behavior or teen-agers -- or is it the egg -- the mind-set of the teen-ager?

I think the problem we see occurring over and over again is a case of the chicken smashing the egg. I believe the newest generation invading high schools across America are more violent, because they know they can get away with belligerent actions like carrying guns to school. This is a mind-set that needs to stop in order to make our schools safe again, especially when our own generation starts to have children.

Let's face it, our youths are exposed to more and more violence every day. Each morning we wake up to see the latest destruction of mankind in the United States and around the world. Chances are 90 percent of the movies you have to choose from will be tagged with R ratings. It is almost a joke nowadays to be seen walking into a PG movie unless you have a 5-year-old grasping your sleeve. Was it this bad when we were younger? I don't think so. What will it be like for our children? Much worse, I am afraid.

The future may seem bleak, but I think we can combat this misfortune with some common sense and acknowledgment that violent images are not going to disappear into thin air. You can buy all the V-chips and filtering systems your pocketbook will allow, but you can't protect the innocent eyes from the world and all its mishaps.

So what are we to do? I think the strongest weapon we possess is strong communication and constructive discipline. As we enter parenthood, we are going to have to teach our kids that the violence they see is not normal, everyday activity. Taking a gun to school to settle a misunderstanding is wrong and not a rational way to handle the problems of everyday life. Parents need to take back the upper hand. Otherwise we will continue to slide down this self-destructing spiral of violence and hatred.

It is not up to the lawmakers to raise our children. It is up to the parents. You can't eliminate all the evil that exists. And you surely can't take away the freedoms of speech and press as a way to protect children.

But what you can do is teach youngsters how to handle our society, how to learn right from wrong and provide them with the tools necessary to use their own common sense before acting on a violent whim. Parents need to be parents, not just their children's best friend. Parents should be bad guys once in a while. Otherwise, how will their children learn to respect their parents and recognize the difference between good and bad behavior? Children tend to respect and appreciate those who rule the roost, even if it seems unfair at the time.

Because whatever we are doing isn't working, a new tactic needs to be pursued toward raising America's youths. I think the tactic is smacking us in the face. We need to focus less on endless laws that seem to lack efficiency and turn to the real solution: parents. It's time to get tough with kids who think it is cool to kill other kids.

It must start with the chickens who hatched the eggs.

Samantha L. Brown is a Cape Girardeau native and Central High School graduate. She is graduating in May from Vanderbilt University with a a communications degree. She is the daughter of Mike and Dianne Brown.