contents · the come-back kids easy targets boys will be boys this secret shame. introduction...

Contents

Children in Trouble: Guns in Schools

The occurence of gun-related violence in schools on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border has prompted once again questions about a "culture of violence" in North American society, which some say has become an integral part of the school community. It is quite normal for schools, as public institutions, to reflect changing values and mores in society as a whole, but increasingly they must also deal with the "acting out" of social ills and aberrant behaviour on their premises. This News in Review report examines the situations in Littleton, Colorado and Taber, Alberta and explores the role of popular culture--teenage culture in particular--in the role of violence in schools.

Introduction Littleton and Taber From A Distance Tough Questions A Culture of Violence? Alienation Behaviour Modification The Gun Control Debate Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions

Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.

Comprehensive News in Review Study Modules

Using both the print and non-print material from various issues of News in Review, teachers and students can create comprehensive, thematic modules that are excellent for research purposes, independent assignments, and small group study. We recommend the stories indicated below for the universal issues they represent and for the archival and historic material they contain.

Children in Trouble: Guns in Schools "TV Violence: Who Gets Hurt?" May 1993 "Violence in Schools: Zero Tolerance," April 1994 "The New Criminals: Trigger Happy," May 1994 "After the Crime: Is Justice Served?" December 1994 "Gun Control Law: To Stop the Killing," April 1995

Other Related Videos Available from CBC Learning

Does Your Resource Collection Include These CBC Videos?

When The Bough Breaks Whose Child Is This? The Come-Back Kids Easy Targets Boys Will Be Boys This Secret Shame

mailto:[email protected]

http://newsinreview.cbclearning.ca/

http://www.cbc.ca/television/

Introduction


The story has become frighteningly familiar. On April 20, 1999, two students at Columbine High School, in Littleton, Colorado, entered the school with weapons and opened fire, killing 12 of their fellow students and one teacher. They then turned their guns on themselves and took their own lives. The final death toll was 15, with more than 20 other students injured. The shootings at Columbine High resulted in intense media coverage. Television viewers saw startling images of students being evacuated from the school, traumatized, confused, and hugging each other, then later placing tributes to their slain friends on the lawn. Images of the massacre appeared throughout the media for weeks following the tragedy.

Tragically, the massacre at Littleton was not a unique occurrence; in the United States 14 children on average are killed by guns on any given day. However, as one reporter covering Littleton pointed out, this time the murdered children all happened to be in one place. The Littleton shootings in particular had a marked impact on many people, especially those who work in schools. Students in classrooms throughout North America talked constantly about the event and shared the latest details about the two shooters; everyone had an opinion about why the shootings occurred. In many ways, the killers could have been someone they knew. Almost immediately following Littleton, copycat incidents began. Throughout North America there were reports of students

plotting to take over their school, making bomb threats, or showing up brandishing guns. In the school of one News in Review resource guide writer, police dogs were brought in to do a sweep of student lockers after two boys were mistakenly accused of making bomb threats. A small group of students was also asked to stop wearing their black trench coats to school, out of respect for those killed in Littleton. The students complied with this request even though they had been wearing their coats since the previous September. One teacher in this school had a particularly difficult time dealing with the aftermath of Littleton because as a student she had lived through a shooting at her Brampton, Ontario, high school in 1975. After Littleton, she was having trouble sleeping at night and said that she could not avoid thinking about possible escape routes from her classroom and ways she could hide her students and herself if a shooting occurred. At the school of another News in Review resource guide writer, a SWAT team was called in when a report about guns in lockers was heard, and for the better part of a day the atmosphere at the school was one of a siege. At other schools, security drills were held to prepare students and teachers for potential shooting incidents. The anxiety, tension, and sense that "it could happen here too" was very real.

And then, just over a week after the massacre in Littleton, a 14-year-old was arrested and charged after a shooting in a high school in Taber, Alberta, during which one student was killed and another injured. The focus of many discussions among educators, parents, sociologists, psychologists, media commentators, and many others began to shift from what is wrong with the United States, to what is wrong with contemporary culture, to what is wrong with young people in general. And millions of children, who probably identified the most with the events in Littleton and Taber, continued to go to school.

Many analysts suggest that as a society we must examine the multi-factored nature of such violence: violence on television, the changing role of the family, gun control, general alienation among teenagers, social norms and behaviour patterns, and even the effect of our competitive culture on human behaviour. Teachers especially know that schools have always reflected social ills; but have they now become the repositories of social pathology?

Introduction Littleton and Taber From A Distance Tough Questions

A Culture of Violence? Alienation Behaviour Modification The Gun Control Debate Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions





Littleton and Taber From A Distance


Over 100 reporters went immediately to Littleton to cover the shootings, and the story became front page news throughout North America. CNN and other networks reported live from the area for several hours and followed up with coverage of memorial services for several days afterward. As well, the local police held briefings and press conferences every hour for several days in Littleton. When the shooting occurred at W.R. Myers High School in Taber, Alberta, the recent intense media coverage in Littleton prompted Taber's mayor to plead for privacy for the families and members of his community. Mayor Harley Phillips felt that the intense scrutiny by media would not be good for the students and parents in particular, but also for the town as a whole. He felt that it was also not in the best interests of Canada to encourage a sudden and powerful media presence in the small town of Taber.

Overall Viewing Discussion As with all stories, when tragic events occur, news organizations must decide the best way to cover the story. Mindful of the established principle of "the public's right to know," news directors and individual journalists must attempt to communicate not only the basic facts but as true a feeling or sense as possible of what has occurred. In terms of the Littleton and Taber incidents, what exactly do you think the public should have known and seen? Give specific reasons for your answer. To what extent do you think these

news stories merited the coverage they were given? How would you respond to Mayor Phillips?

Common Factors Assuming that increased public awareness and understanding can help prevent similar tragedies, it is important to determine to what extent Littleton and Taber were isolated incidents or whether each was symptomatic of a larger issue. A comparison of the two events would therefore be in order. As you watch this News in Review report a second time, make notes on possible similarities that existed between the Littleton and Taber situations. Are they related in any way? If you think you are able to make direct comparisons, suggest how your hypotheses could advance our understanding of these painful events. Use the following headings to direct your thoughts and discussion.

� Personality traits and general characteristics of the shooters � Family background of the shooters � Lifestyles, personal interests, and leisure activities of the shooters � Relationships between the shooters and others at the school � Attitudes of the shooters toward school and attitudes toward them by others in the school � Weapons used and their availability � Reasons for the shootings






Tough Questions


One would hope that the Littleton and Taber shootings were isolated events, aberrations, and the actions of very disturbed individuals. The issue is considerably more problematic if it is predictable behaviour that follows a pattern with definable cause and effect elements. Many trained observers, however, point out that although the overall crime rate has been dropping in the United States and Canada for a number of years, there has been a steady increase in the use of guns in the commission of crimes. Furthermore, if we focus on high-school shootings as a separate phenomenon, it is obvious that Littleton and Taber were not unique events. Consider the following:

� May 1998: In Springfield, Oregon, a 15-year-old boy kills two students at his high school, and his parents.

� May 1998: In Fayetteville, Kentucky, an 18-year-old male kills a classmate who was dating his ex-girlfriend.

� April 1998: In Edinboro, Pennsylvania, a science teacher is shot dead by a 14-year-old at a graduation dance.

� March 1998: In Jonesboro, Arkansas, four girls and a teacher are killed by two boys, 11 and 13, who pulled the fire alarm and opened fire as people ran out of the school.

� December 1997: In West Paducah, Kentucky, three students

are shot to death in a school hallway.

� October 1997: In Pearl, Mississippi, two students are shot dead by a 16-year-old boy, who also killed his mother. Discussion

1. All of the shooters in these incidents were male. Indeed, about 90 per cent of all gun violence in North America is by males. In your opinion, what are the possible implications of this?

2. When a tragedy occurs, we often want to assign blame. Blame or fault-finding is a way of making sense of a seemingly senseless situation in that it helps us begin to structure the event in our own mind, thus making it comprehensible. Much fault-finding occurred in media reports and public discussions following the Littleton and Taber tragedies. Examine each of the following reasons given as causes for the violent acts of the two boys at Columbine High School in Littleton. Explain whether, in your opinion, each has any real substance and substantiate your point of view.

(a) Bullies at the school taunted the boys, thus provoking their acts.

(b) Parents who spend too much time at work are either not aware of their children's activities or are unavailable to provide stable, positive socialization.

(c) Companies demand too much time of their employees thus depriving them of important socialization time with their children.(d) The glorification of violence in movies and other media adversely young people at risk of developing violent behaviour.

(e) Access to guns is too easy.

3. Dylan Klebold, one of the shooters in Littleton, lived in a $750 000 house. Eric Harris lived in a $300 000 house. They were obviously not economically disadvantaged, a fact emphasized by many media reports. What, in your opinion, is the relevance of this information? In what ways might the boys' socio-economic status challenge a stereotype of children who kill?

4. Rarely in modern North American society do people hunt for food. When hunting is not necessary for survival, what purposes do guns serve?

5. Should there be limits placed on media coverage of incidents

like those that occurred in Littleton and Taber? How might media coverage�the amount, the intensity, and the style�affect public perception of the events or even social behaviour in general? If limits should be imposed, who would do it, and how would the limits be defined?

6. Should the families, friends, and communities directly affected by tragedies like those that occurred in Littleton and Taber have the right to greater privacy in order to facilitate the process of grieving? If you watched the media coverage of these incidents, did you "invade" the privacy of the citizens of Littleton and Taber? Does this News in Review report provide a useful function in this regard or does it also perpetuate an unnecessary focus on these tragic events?

7. Writing in The Globe and Mail on April 28, 1999, International Affairs reporter Marcus Gee poses the question of whether popular culture contributed to the killings in Littleton. He states that "The liberal mind rebels at the idea. We like to believe that people are mature enough to decide for themselves what they read, see, and hear. So when critics talk about the corrupting influence of media violence, when they assert that cultural depravity is leading to moral decline, we emit a weary groan." How does Gee express a note of caution to the general public in this opening statement in his column? Locate this article from a library clipping file or an online source and read the entire column. Summarize Gee's overall position on the issue of violence and popular culture. Report your findings to the class.






A Culture of Violence?


British magazine The Economist, a reporter remarked that he could not understand why anyone would be shocked by the killings. To him, the United States had proven, time and time again, that it has a culture of violence. Yet despite this fact, most Americans continue to deny that this is so. As well, in a country where more and more people are killed by guns each year, the reporter could not understand why Americans continue to refuse to restrict the manufacture and distribution of guns. After studying the following information, express in your own words the importance of the concept of "culture" to this news story.

Preliminary Thoughts

1. Do you feel this is a fair criticism of the United States? Are Americans in denial about the violent nature of their country?

2. Record at least five factors that, in your opinion, contribute to violence in the U.S.

3. Despite the fact that Canadians and Americans share a distinct North American culture, statistically there is much less violent crime in Canada than in the U.S. Suggest some major differences between the two countries that might result in Canada being less violent.

When formulating the answers for questions 2 and 3 bear in mind that there are over 280 million people in the United States

and that comparing Canada and the U.S. may be like comparing apples and oranges.

Is Violence Normal?

North Americans are surrounded by violent images every day, sometimes in the most unexpected places. For example, fashion magazines feature female models with bruises around their eyes, or sprawling on the floor at the feet of men in mock-rape images. Highly rated "shock TV" shows like The Jerry Springer Show feature daily fist fights and public humiliation of vulnerable people. So-called reality-based cop shows are, in the opinion of many media literacy critics, simply vehicles for appealing to a public taste for conflict. Commercial-based news programs can also find themselves in the position of competing for viewers who are attracted, for whatever reason, to grisly pictures of war victims, violent crime scenes, or accidents. And although television broadcasters self-regulate to some extent by restricting nudity, sex, and gratuitous violence, one must question whether commercial television broadcasting in fact provides viewers with what they want. Some production companies in Hollywood and other film-making centres realized long ago that it is easier and cheaper to produce violent action films than it is to create thoughtful, socially relevant dramas and comedies. Some critics and social observers, on the other hand, argue that our violent culture does not make people violent. They point out that if it did, violent behaviour would be the norm and not the exception. Some have even postulated that fictional violence actually defuses potential violent behaviour. Other experts, however, have hypothesized that our violent culture does dull our responses to small acts of violence around us because pervasive and powerful mainstream media of all kinds, from T-shirts and bumper stickers to crime films, communicate the message that such acts are usual. Critics on this side of the debate also suggest that this subconscious acceptance of violence in turn makes us less likely to oppose violence or even recognize it when, for example, a child is being picked on at school or when a racist, sexist, or homophobic comment is made.

Introduction Littleton and Taber From A Distance Tough Questions A Culture of Violence? Alienation Behaviour Modification

The Gun Control Debate Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions





Alienation


One of the images that appeared frequently in media reports following the Littleton shootings was that of sullen young men dressed in black and wearing long trench coats. They were described as listening to "industrial rock" with suicidal themes and spending countless hours playing violent video games. As investigators tried to piece together what happened in Littleton and Taber, it became apparent that all three of the shooters were angry and bitter young people, and that each felt excluded from the larger school community as well as from the communities in which they lived. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had been saying for months that they hated the "jocks" and "preps" at the school, and that they were going to make the two groups "pay for treating them like dirt." Eric Harris' Web site contained the following disturbing statement: "I live in Denver and I would love to kill almost all its residents. . . . People with their rich snobby attitude, thinking they are all high and mighty. . . . I will rig up explosives all over town and detonate each one of them at will after I mow down a whole area full of you." In Taber, Alberta, the 14-year-old arrested for the shootings in W.R. Myers High School had dropped out of school a year earlier after what was described as "relentless teasing." An aspect of the shootings that many people may have difficulty considering is that the shooters themselves were victims. By acknowledging this fact, it does not mean that we excuse the horrific behaviour of the shooters. But by acknowledging that the shooters had been victimized by others, we can begin to explore

the nature of that victimization and the extent to which it might have led to or contributed to their violent behaviour. Understanding the roots of such behaviour can help us take steps to ensure that antisocial and potentially violent behaviour on the part of other young people who might be at risk does not escalate.

Being Different, Feeling Different Following the shooting in Taber, an article appeared in The Globe and Mail that was written by a friend of the 14-year-old charged in the shooting at W.R. Myers High School. The writer, Garrett Holstine, is also a friend of Matthew Lang, a brother of the student who was killed.

In his letter, Holstine questions why young people are pressured to "follow each trend to have an image of being �cool'" in order to be socially accepted. He also questions how one defines cool. Referring to the young man accused of the shooting at the school as his friend, Holstine describes him "as a very intelligent person" but one who does not have "the perfect teen image." He also describes him as "one of the unique people of the world." Holstine expresses a sense of guilt at not being as good a friend as he could have been when others were calling the accused "outcast, a psycho, or anti-social." Referring to how others treated the accused, Holstine says his friend "suffered from severe physical and mental abuse from the people around him and did not know how to fight back or to express his feelings to anyone but his closest friends . . ." Garrett ends his letter with the hope that others will see beyond the "misconceptions created by the media" and understand that a person "can hide pain so deep until it overflows."

Reflection 1. Using a library clipping file or electronic sources, locate a copy of this letter and read it in its entirety. Why do you think Garrett wrote the letter? Why do you think The Globe and Mail published it? 2. Think about how people are labelled as "different" in your school and how such labelling might affect them. What leads us to make such judgments? 3. Working with a partner, suggest how any large group of people will divide into smaller groups. Give reasons why this may occur. Be aware that the reasons may be quite legitimate and positive. For example, students in your school who share a common interest may gather together because doing so increases their enjoyment or perhaps skill in that common interest, whether it be a sport, an intellectual pursuit, or anything else. Without being judgmental, suggest what groups like this

exist in your school. Give examples. 4. Being part of a smaller group in what can be an intimidating, anonymous large school population can give an individual a sense of security and a sense of self. This also can contribute to a positive social dynamic. Give examples of this phenomenon in your school. Suggest how the "self" is enhanced in a small group. Why might the "self" need support? How can the larger group also support the "self"? 5. When does the dividing of the larger group into small groups become a negative thing? This is a fundamental question. To answer it, suggest when smaller groups actually hinder the well-being of the larger social group or the individual, and for what reasons. For example, if one joins a smaller group in order not to feel part of the larger group, this can be seen as a negative behaviour. Suggest why this might be. How might fear and insecurity, intolerance, excessive pride or vanity, and the tendency to be judgmental play a role in the splintering of a larger social group into non-productive smaller groups. 6. "Coolness" is an elusive concept. What is cool to one generation is not cool to another. Discuss the cultural implications of coolness. When is it simply amusing and fun to be cool? When does it become an inappropriate emotional need? When does it become threatening to others? How can coolness be exclusive as opposed to inclusive? What is the importance of these two terms? 7. When negative splintering of the larger social group occurs, in a school for example, what strategies or techniques can be used to counter it?

Victims and Victimizers Brooks Brown, a student at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, grew up with Dylan Klebold. In the May 10, 1999, issue of Time magazine, he commented that he feels badly about the treatment Klebold and Harris received at Columbine High School. Brown says that athletes at the high school routinely cursed, shoved, and threw rocks and bottles at Harris, Klebold, and other unpopular students. Seven months before the shootings, the sheriff's department warned the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners about growing violence in the Columbine area, including fighting by gang-like groups of athletes. Although many people are trying to determine the exact incident that pushed Harris and Klebold over the edge, Brown says, "I think they snapped a bunch of times. Every time someone slammed them against a locker and threw a bottle at them, I think they'd go back to Eric or Dylan's house and plot a little more�first as a goof, but more and more seriously over time. It's a theory, but it makes sense to everyone who knew them."

Bullying 1. What is bullying? Suggest how bullying can be physical, emotional, or cultural. Above all, how is it a power and control behaviour whose purpose is to diminish a person? Why is bullying important to this story? In what ways can bullying provoke antisocial behaviour? 2. What could be done to eliminate bullying in schools? 3. What parenting skills and strategies can parents use to teach their children the dangers of bullying? How can parents discourage their children from becoming bullies?

Exclusion and Inclusion Stoney McCart, president of the not-for-profit organization The Students Commission, which focuses on issues from the point of view of young Canadians, became so frustrated by what she felt was the poor analysis following the Littleton shootings that she wrote an open letter to The Toronto Star on May 3, 1999. In her letter she argued that all the experts were focusing on the wrong issues. She argued that to make schools safer we should not be looking at how to alter the behaviour of the so-called losers, loners, and outcasts. Instead, she argued that we should be changing the attitudes of the "in-crowd," those who do not respect and create a meaningful place for all. She said that as long as we have a society that labels some people "losers" and attacks their self-esteem, we are limiting their ability to function and interact in a healthy way. McCart also argued that dominant groups, by their very nature, never see the way they hurt and exclude others, whether it be on the basis of athleticism, fashion, intelligence, race, religion, money, gender, or sexual orientation. According to her, until we make the dominant groups accountable for their behaviour, more tragedies will happen.

Learning the Hard Way In her book, Battling the Schoolyard Bully, Kim Zarzour argues that if bullying is not addressed in the early grades of elementary school, it can develop into more dangerous behaviour that is very hard to stop at a later date. Zarzour points out that when bullying is not stopped at an early age, children internalize three significant but socially problematic concepts:

� might means right � there is strength in numbers � the adult world will not, or cannot, help

By high school, she says, some bullies begin to carry weapons, and at this point it may be too late to change the behaviour.

Statistics show a correlation between bullying behaviour among young children and later criminal behaviour.

Follow-up Discussion 1. Give real examples in contemporary society that, unfortunately, teach young children that indeed "might means right," "there is strength in numbers," and "the adult world will not, or cannot, help." In what ways does the adult world send mixed signals or present double standards to children in terms of these three concepts. 2. For each of these concepts, suggest an alternative version that, in your opinion, should become part of effective parenting skills. 3. What are "parenting skills" and why are they crucial to the discussion of bullying and dominance behaviour? How are parenting skills taught in your school?






Behaviour Modification


In North American society today, there are a number of innovative programs being implemented to address the root causes of violent behaviour and to create a less violent society. As you read about the programs below, consider how such programs could benefit your school.

Men Working For Change The Halifax-based group Men For Change formed in 1989 in the aftermath of the killing of 14 female engineering students at the École Polytechnique in Montreal. The group began meeting with the intention of better understanding the confusion and violence that often characterize male-female relationships. Men For Change has become involved in social action in a variety of ways: through hosting a film series, speaking in schools and churches, writing letters to the editors of newspapers in the province, and creating The Healthy Relationships Curriculum to promote non-violence in grades 7, 8, and 9. This curriculum project is intended to help students explore cultural values that influence violent behaviour, and to understand the psycho-social dynamics of male violence. Over 3000 copies of Healthy Relationships had been sold by April 1999, and the curriculum has been implemented by school boards in Indiana, Oregon, California, Florida, and Israel. After the Littleton and Taber shootings, the organization was swamped with requests for the curriculum. The purpose of the lessons in Healthy Relationships is to help

students face facts about the pervasive problem of violence in society, and also to present them with models of healthy relationships. The developers of the curriculum believe that helping students analyze the culture of violence that condones abusive behaviour is the first step toward empowering them to create a violence-free culture. Highlights of the curriculum include: lessons on exploring and expressing emotions, dealing with rejection and disappointment, managing stress, banishing bullying, exposing gender stereotypes, reading between the lines of fairy tales, analyzing the roots of homophobia, exploring the links between sexism and violence, and learning about personal boundaries.

Creative Drama Programs Across the country, a number of schools have developed drama programs to help students cope with bullying. The drama program at Woburn Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Ontario, sends the message that bullying is not acceptable and that children do not have to put up with it. High school students at Woburn have written a play that depicts a number of realistic scenarios. In one scene, students throw gum at Mike, a long-haired, poetry-writing loner, and his books are being stolen. The audience gets to see how Mike and the other characters resolve their problems. The play tells young students that it is all right to tell a teacher about bullying incidents, and it addresses the fear of repercussions. Flora Wellsman, Drama Co-op director, reports that there has been a decrease in bullying and an increase in reporting of bullies at the schools the drama company has visited.

Mediation Programs Many schools are also implementing student mediation programs as a way of better resolving conflict within their schools. Mediation programs bring students together who have a conflict to explore the conflict, and to try to generate a solution. Often, conflicts develop out of a misunderstanding or incorrect information that has passed between students. For example, one student hears that another has said something insulting about him or her. Before the conflict escalates into violence, the students are brought together, and the conflict is defused or resolved through talking. Mediation programs, like the one being used at Streetsville Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, are discreet and confidential, and are usually totally in the hands of students. Student mediators are trained in peer mediation techniques, and consult with staff advisors. Mickey Bonham, a guidance counsellor at Streetsville Secondary School, believes that the mediation program has had a very valuable effect in the school by offering an alternative to physical violence.

Native Traditions Programs Some schools are trying to help their aboriginal students succeed by implementing programs that focus on native traditions, thus emphasizing self-esteem and a positive collective identity. Although social programs are not confined to aboriginal groups, a significant percentage of young aboriginals are trapped in a cycle of poverty that may include violence, substance abuse, and teen pregnancy. Children of the Earth High School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, have started a girls-only class to help young women at its school. Teachers and administrators at the school became concerned about an increase in gang violence among girls at the school and decided to implement a traditional aboriginal practice where young men and young women are segregated when they reach puberty. The young women are taught by a group of female elders who focus on developing the girls' inner strength so they can become future leaders.

Follow-up Discussion What do each of the behaviour modification programs and strategies described above have in common? What programs or strategies exist in your school that accomplish similar purposes?






The Gun Control Debate


The British magazine The Economist reported that, in 1996, handguns were used to murder two people in New Zealand, 15 in Japan, 30 in Britain, 106 in Canada, 211 in Germany, and 9390 in the United States. As well, a 1997 study found that the firearm-related death rate among U.S. children under 15 years old was nearly 16 times higher than that among children in 25 other industrialized countries combined. In the U.S., the right to "bear arms" is protected by the Constitution, and the pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, actively discourages any tightening of controls on access to guns in the United States. Not surprisingly, people on both sides of this debate believe passionately in their arguments. After reading the following quotations and perhaps researching the issues using the suggested Web sites, write a one-page editorial in which you summarize the anti-gun debate. In your editorial, try to indicate not only how the two sides differ but also what principles or beliefs they have in common that could be the basis on which greater understanding could be achieved.

"Tuesday's horrific incident in Littleton, Colorado . . . will not be the last�other calamities are sure to happen�as long as guns are readily available to those who mentally snap or simply feel the urge to kill for some slight, either real or imagined, or act through some misguided belief. There is no need whatsoever for civilians to have weapons. The excuse that they are used for harmless target practice or to enjoy the �sport' of hunting doesn't wash any

more. If it's real target practice they want, then try shooting hoops with a basketball. Anyone who thinks hunting is a sport should put themselves in the place of the deer or ducks for a day to get the feel of lead hitting flesh." � Harry Currie, former army officer with both Canadian and British forces

"Gun control punishes law-abiding victims, rather than make schools a safe haven for the law-abiding. Gun control has actually given criminals a safer working environment by disarming their potential victims. Moreover, decent teachers and school principals are forced to break the law if they want to possess a firearm to defend their students. . . . Who knows how many lives could have been saved in Colorado if just one teacher had a gun? If teachers had a choice other than just hiding under their desks? Guns save lives�even in schools." � John Velleco, Director of Media Relations, Gun Owners of America

Pro-Gun-Control Sites The Centre to Prevent Handgun Violence, www.handguncontrol.org PAX: The Movement to End Gun Violence, www.pax.usa.org

Anti-Gun-Control Sites The National Rifle Association of America, www.nra.org Gun Owners of America, www.gunowners.org






Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions


1. Guns are big business in the United States. Making a Killing: The Business of Guns in America, a new book by Tom Diaz, explores this billion-dollar industry and how weapons have become more lethal in the last 15 years. The book was published in 1999 by The New Press, a not-for-profit publisher whose goal is to make sure important, educational, or cultural works are published. Find a copy of this book, read it, and present an oral report.

2. Visit the Web site of the Halifax-based group Men For Change at http://fox.nstn.ca/~healthy and consider whether The Healthy Relationships curriculum could be implemented at your school. If you think it would benefit your school, start a campaign to get the program started.

3. Following the shootings at Columbine High School, both U.S. President Clinton and Tipper Gore, the wife of Vice-President Al Gore, gave passionate speeches about gun control in the U.S. Locate the speeches and determine why they were so effective. Explore the language used, the images created, and the tone of the speeches. Then write a speech of your own based on an issue you feel passionate about. Clinton's speech was excerpted in The New York Times, May 21, 1999, and Gore's can be found in Time, May 10, 1999.

4. Critics of gun control blamed people like Bill Clinton and Sarah

Brady (the president of the Centre to Prevent Handgun Violence) for "shamelessly climbing over the bodies of the [Littleton] victims to further their gun control agenda." What does this criticism mean? Why would some people be offended that the issue of gun control was being linked to Littleton?

5. An article appeared in the July-August 1999 issue of the journal World Watch. This article analyzed Littleton from the perspective of the lack of "community" in America. One of the intriguing concepts explored in this article is that Littleton was not a community at all, it was simply a place where people lived together. According to the author, children rarely played outside on the street. There was no pool, no ice rink, no town square in the area around Columbine; just large tracts of new houses occupied by people who had come from somewhere else and knew nothing about the people around them. What makes a place a community? How can urban planning be changed to make our towns and cities more personal? What does the issue of community have to do with guns in school?

6. In the Globe and Mail article mentioned on page 8 of this guide, Marcus Gee says that North American popular culture "romanticizes violence, makes a hero of every outcast, and legitimizes revenge." Write a written response to this statement.






contents · the come-back kids easy targets boys will be boys this secret shame. introduction...

Documents