OUTLINE
The Lonely Cell My home is the shadowy cell of a prison. I have been in my dark cell for 16 years now and I never plan to get out, unless I break out of course. I never plan to see the big blue ocean again. I never plan to play on the sandy beach with the bright sun shining on me. My life is gone but that is all right because I took many other lives and I deserve it but no I don’t deserve it because it wasn’t my fault and the psychiatrist agreed with me and he is right about everything that goes on in peoples minds so I will trust him and what he said is that the Television influenced me. That’s right! It is all the Television’s fault!Concrete Details Joe sat hopefully on the road with his radar gun in hand. This was his most promising year. The year that he would sprint home to his wife with the free toaster cradled in his arms. A long seven years using the same rusty, old antique toaster can put a police officer in this mood. Waiting patiently, "Beep, Beep, we need all police officers fast to 500 north, 900 East. Repeat, we need all officers to 500 North, 900 East." "Dang!" That was all he needed. This was his last chance to beat arrogant Jonny, who had about ten new, sparkling toasters sitting in his cupboard waiting to be used. Joe flipped his white Ford in gear and took off to a place that had definitely ruined all his chances of winning the beautiful toaster. 900 East, 300 North…, 400 North…, 500 North. Joe jumped wildly out of the car. He had never seen so much commotion in such a beautiful neighborhood. The sun was just beginning to set, it was supposed to be a relaxing evening, but then he saw it. Two elderly bodies being drug out of their house on stretchers. Blood soaking through the blankets that covered them. The bodies were a horrible mess. "These murders are just like that show that was on television the other night. The one about the kids taking off on a trip to kill as many people as they could in a day." My fellow officer Jonny told me. "Jonny, how could kids just take off wanting to kill people? How old are these kids?" Joe asked still trying to get over the sight of the bleeding bodies that just glided past him. "I caught the kids about ten miles down the road. It was horrible how they bragged about what they had done. The fourteen year old kids said that they were supposed to "kill em’ all." Said it was a TV show that was on the other night." Joe had seen it all. On one of the loveliest evenings he sees the murders of an elderly couple because of a television show. What could be next. Contention in the Family "I’m Leonardo!" "No way! I’m Leonardo!" "You’re always Leonardo, it’s not fair. I’ll go tell mom!" Seven year old Jake and five year old Pete loved the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and never missed an episode on the television. "If you tell mom I’ll hit you," said Jake as he lifted his wooden sword above his head, ready to take a swing at his younger brother Pete but not knowing that their mother was nearby. "Jake, you give me that sword right now! Never do that to your younger brother again, you hear me?" As their mother took the sword from Jake and left the room, Pete sat on his bed making faces and sticking his tongue out at his older brother. "Ha, Ha, Ha!" Pete couldn’t stop laughing. "Shut up Pete. It’s all your fault!" "You got your sword taken away and now you can’t be Leonardo cause you don’t have a sword!" "Oh yah! Give me your sword," said Jake as he eyed the sword in Pete’s hand "No!" "You better!" "It’s mine!" "Not any more Petie!" As Jake rushed towards Pete, Pete stood up and took a swing. Whack! The swing landed across the face of Jake. Jake lay on the ground not moving, with blood pouring from his nose. Violence as an Illness Trying to find out why there is so much violence in the United States is like trying to find out why so many people end up dying of cancer. Many scientists have studied the causes of cancer and have come up with many conclusions. The scientists have found out that radiation definitely causes cancer. Radiation is a part of our every day lives. Certain kinds of lights and various electrical appliances put off radiation. But how much radiation must be taken into your body before you get cancer? When people study for the causes of violence, they find that violence on the television does cause a more aggressive personality and attitude, which can lead to violent acts. More and more studies taken, and the increase of crime in America, prove that the television does cause a part of this violence. But how many violent television shows are watched in order to increase aggressiveness and violence in kids? Studies found that radiation indeed causes cancer, and that violence on the television does cause aggression, but the question is how much of each is the deadly dose? Attacked It was a most peaceful walk to the store. I walked in and picked up the few items that I really didn’t even need. I had just decided that I wanted to take a stroll in the late afternoon of the nice spring day. The sky was as blue and clear as the ocean, and the air had a perfectly nice warm breeze that perfected the temperature. I had never been so relaxed in my life. I walked slowly past the park watching the young kids playing around on the toys, while I dreamed that I had some kids of my own. Maybe this was the night that Bob would ask me to marry him. He was the perfect guy for me. As I turned the corner I could see my small blue apartment building in the distance. The sun was setting and Bob would be there to pick me up in, I looked at my watch, ten minutes. I had completely lost track of time and I can’t be late. "I’ve got to hurry!" I almost said out loud. As I began to walk faster I heard something behind me. Probably just a cat or dog or something. I heard it getting closer. "Don’t worry, your almost there." I said to myself. Within fifteen feet of my apartment, I turned around to see what it was I was so scared of. It was too late. I saw a kid. A young kid in his teens. He hit me with a bat. Again and again. The pain was everywhere. He took my purse and ran. I was knocked unconscious and barely alive. "Why did my beautiful night have to end like this," I thought. It was like a horrible movie. Studies In October of 1996, there were results released of a study taken by the UCLA Television Violence Monitoring Project. This project is financed by ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. In 1994, out of the 114 television series examined, fourteen of them used violence in a very bad way. In 1995, out of the same 114 television series, only five of them used violence in a questionable way. When films were shown on television, 29% of the movies presented violence in a bad way. Jeff Cole, director of the project, stated that these shows contained "extremely sadistic and mean-spirited acts of violence which never show consequences." The good part of this study is that it showed that there was a drop in the number of TV series that presented violence in a questionable way. The shows that still raised concern were:
It is Only a Cartoon Splish splash, splish splash. Five year old Paul was watching his favorite television show, "Beavis and Butthead." Beavis polluted mind had just given him the genius idea of lighting your couch on fire with gasoline. "What a good idea," Paul thought to himself. That would be the most exciting thing he could do on a boring day after school. Paul had drenched his couch in gasoline. He had found the gasoline out in the garage. He had seen his dad use it all the time for the lawnmower. If Beavis was allowed to do it, so was he. Paul sprinted into the kitchen. He yanked open every cupboard. Where would the matches be. He had to hurry, his parents would probably walk in soon from work and his awesome idea that he learned from Beavis would have to wait. Finally he found the drawer. A perfect book of matches. Paul then began to think. He had never set anything on fire before. This would be the most entertaining time of his life. Strike, poof. The couch was bursting with bright orange flames. Paul slashed for the door, locked, and too high for him to reach. He didn’t know what to do. He ran to the kitchen, also locked and too high to reach. Paul then bolted up the stairs and into his parents room. The telephone was right next to the bed. Now what was that number, "911", yeah, that was it. "A fire!" exclaimed barely four-year-old Paul, crying and barely being able to tell the sympathetic operator what was wrong. Paul then hopped on his parents bed and hurled into a tight ball waiting for someone to save him. He new he shouldn’t have listened to Beavis, what a terrible idea. What to Do On the average, American children watch three to four hours of television daily. It can be a powerful influence on the children who watch television shows as much as the national average. So what are your children watching? What should you be doing to not let your children become victims of "Television Violence?" Here are some things that will definitely help.
If you do these things, it will definitely help your children grow up to be less aggressive and all around better kids in the future. The Verdict The courtroom was full. The jurors were in. The verdict was set but no one knew yet. The spectators sat with their faces in their books, only guessing what the outcome would be. The kid had killed a person. A living human being. He blamed it on the television and especially one show that he watched. A show that was on NBC. He blamed it on the television when television is supposed to be good. Supposed to help people, not hurt people. He now prosecuted NBC. He had no reason, but wanted attention. He sat with his head held high. No one could see why. He was the Criminal. NBC had edited the movie. It was fit for television. But "not fit enough," said the prosecutors. The defense was good. Trying to prove their innocence. Giving their best effort. They were not the criminal. They did not kill. But only time could tell. The Judge was out of his seat. The courtroom was quiet. No words or sounds. The Judge began to read. "Not Guilty." Two words stuck in everybody’s minds. But why? Not guilty for reasons that the kid chose his own actions. People were disappointed and some enthused, some happy and some mad. But it was the actions of the kid that got himself in trouble, not the actions of NBC. |