Will Enforcing Curfews for Teens Stop Gun Violence?

Gun violence amongst teens is spreading at a rapid paste. In the schools, in the streets, and even in the homes. Innocent youth are being gunned down by their peers. Schools now have to have students walk through metal detectors, and they have to be searched to ensure that weapons are not being carried into the schools. Some cities feel as though a curfew forcing teens 17 years old and younger to be off the streets at certain hours will decrease the gun violence. Others argue that this is a violation of their rights, as they have the right to travel. What will be the outcome if such as law is passed.

Who will be responsible for enforcing it and what will be the consequences for those who break this law, and who is responsible for the punative damages the parents or the youth? Do the police have enough manpower to patrol each area, what if a youth is out past curfew and is confronted by an officer? Will the youth cooperate, will they run, and if they do cooperate what next? Will they be arrested, will the parents be arrested? What if the youth's parents are at work and are unaware that their child is out after curfew? Are the police prepared and trained to handle situations such as this? Are there programs in place for teens who have nowhere to go, a place for troubled teens who are being abused and neglected at home, and are in the streets because they fear to go home. Are there programs in place to help parents who have teens who are rebellious, or out of control? What about the teens that are non violent honor kids who are responsible and have the trust of their parents to be able to be out at certain hours? Should we punish them too with this curfew? How do we set a time to keep teens off the street preventing them form acts of viloence, not knowing when they will occur? A bullet has no respector of persons, nor time. We need to look at this from a broader spectrum. Why is there so much violence and hostility among our youth? What are they lacking? What's going on in the homes? Have they been educated on the consequences of their actions? Do they have any realitization of the impact, the life long impact. Are they aware that the are ruining their futures? Waht are we exposing them too. Who are their role models? Look at TV one of the most powerful weapons of influence.

Every show just about involves guns or some type of violent behavior. The music they listen to condones what the TV shows. We write it off as freedom of speech but at the same time they are bound. Bound to an image. They want to mimmick what they see. Rappers have the bling, bling, and the cars, and the money. They look powerful, and are well respected because of the image they promote. Our young girls are already degrading themselves because of the image that women in the videos are promoting. They try to justify it by saying it's all about the money. Most of them are not geting paid but they do get exposure, and two minutes of fame.

We banned the ads that the Camel cigarette company was running because the image they were using to promote their product was attracting the wrong age group. But we've allowed other images to leak out and are now polluting the minds of our youth. A curfew is not the answer to this problem it's just a mere suggestion. W e have to get to the source of the problem to find and create reslolutions. All communities big and small need to get involved and help our youth. They are our future. It takes and entire village to raise a child we are our brothers/sisters keeper.