We, you and me, society are a collective, have absolutely got to stop glamorizing violence – be it TV and movies, video games, etc.

I know there are a lot of folks who dismiss the notion that violence on TV, in movies, and in video games begets violence in real life. I have one message for them... WAKE UP! Go onto chat rooms and blogs and you will see that people, kids and adults, believe an incredible amount of what they see on TV, in movies, in video games, and on the 'Net. I visit a couple dozen websites and deal with young people every day at work, and I assure you, what I see is absolutely scary and appalling.

This need for psychological trauma healing shold be addressed within the insurance industry. If a person does not have insurance then there needs to be care made available through the communities, free of charge.

For anyone who is a victim of a crime, they should check with their local police to see if there are any community based victim assistance programs. They can also contact the National Crime Victim Information and Referral Hotline to get asistance in dealing with their trauma.

The commentary above, as stated in the first paragraph, is about the inner city, populated primarily by blacks and Hispanics.

Strange, then, that the only person holding a weapon on the cover of the book is a young white man.

"Violence represents a true public health emergency."

This makes it sound like an epidemic of disease, descending on people from without, with no moral dimension or personal choice involved.

Victoria wrote:

"If a person does not have insurance then there needs to be care made available through the communities, free of charge."

Would you extend such coverage to, say, uninsured women who have been raped?

The problem is WAY TOO MUCH FREEDOM in our spoiled, liberal country. We are all so fanatical and obsessed with our so-called "freedoms," that we can't see all the problems and violence they create. We need more police to *smack down* stupid, self-absorbed "it's all about me" Americans who think that laws are for other people. I live in California and the disrespect and disregard for traffic laws is FRIGHTENING!! The roadways out here are *DANE-JURE-USSSS*!!! We need to STOP ALL TV VIOLENCE and movies also. Smack down the whiners and complainers who will surely object to their "freedom of expression" being infringed upon/violated! No more *liberal parenting*–spank, spank, spank those unruly, ADD-prone little trophy kids-brats-punks!! Smack 'em down! Back to the good old "Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child"!!! RE-INTRODUCE THE WORD *NO* into the national vocabulary for all! BAN ALL GUNS AND RIFLES, period! Only law enforcement and military will have firearms of any kind. Smack down the NRA when they protest and whine and cry outrage! And, NO MORE PC (political correctness)!! Tell it like it is! More jails and prisons for the criminals. "Lock 'em down!"

If I think of anything else/more, I will re-post. Did I miss anything?!?

I agree that violence is a public health emergency.

Violence is also a significant and integral part of our collective thought and culture. We celebrate violence, we are entertained by it, we even use the language of violence as part of our courtship rituals and other social interactions, our commercial activities, our civic affairs, and our public policy,.

Although we profess to fear and deplore violence, we accept violence as inevitable and use a wide array of convoluted rationalizations in our refusal to collectively accept responsibility for it.

We usually look for ways to operate the levers of violence in our favor, and only occasionally test other ways to resolve conflict. As long as we consider violence effective and gratifying, we need not be bothered with thinking about why we do not mind the cost.

Banning firearms won't fix anything. If anything, it will make things worse.

"Would you extend such coverage to, say, uninsured women who have been raped?"

Mike in NYC. I don't get what you were trying to say.

Why wouldn't the answer be 'yes.'

I don't get the inference or sarcasm.

John, banning firearms would mean that thieves and other petty criminals and even the police won't shoot immediatly when something unplanned happens as they don't have to fear that a civilian pulls out a submachine gun.

Why isn't Al Sharpton helping stop the violence instead of promoting it?? Someone needs to stop him.

Christian

I understand where you come from but the criminal mind may not work as you think, most of the guns they have were not purchased legally and most of the crimes are not long, drawn out verbal confrontations. Rather they are quick, violent and over before you or anyone could call the police, why do shootings at schools end up so bad, gun free zones means you have a good 20-40 minutes before you'll be stopped