Tuesday, October 28, 2008

"Save Our City"


Ryan Anderson
Senior
UPREP High School

As a Detroit citizen, I experienced a lot of violence. I reside on the east side of Detroit where just walking to the corner store can be life threatening. It is imperative that we addrees the issue of gun violence. There has been a lot of young people killed this year over little or nothing. It seems like it's not safe to go anywhere anymore. There was even a lady killed in a church. It is for these reasons that I support the "Hugs Not Bullets" Campaign.

I have been in situations when guns have been pulled out on me and I didn't know what to do. Gun violence has been going on in Detroit for so long that it has been accepted. I feel like it's terrible that this has been accepted and is normal in Detroit. Gun violence shouldn't be accepted anywhere.


If gun violence is not addressed and stopped, the city of Detroit will just get worse. It seems like everywhere you look a young male or female is wearing a "Rest In Peace" shirt or hat. Young people are dying because it has become so normal that it has turned into fashion. A lot of the time teens are killed at events like parties. A shooting or fight is usually how a party ends and I find that terrible. I find it terrible because a party is supposed to be fun. You shouldn't have to fear for your life when you come to have a good time.


All of these issues can be stopped if gun violence or just violence is stopped in Detroit period.

Let's Find A Better Alternative To Violence


William Brown
Senior
UPREP High School

Why are people so quick to be violent towards one another? There are so many reasons why people can be violent but one of my issues is teen violence. Teens can be so quick to react to what a person says about them but we won't help one another in time of need. The main thing is that we must find a better alternative for this problem.

Since last week, two boys where fighting because they were "repping" there "block" and they had a "beef" with one another. So the two of them fought and one boy breaks the other's nose. I feel that exact moment proved that the fight didn't need to take place because they were in school and they should have been in class. So the boy with the broken nose gets his boy with a gun and come backs to the school to find out were the boy was. They find him start to argue shoot in the air, then shoot him in the leg and in the neck. The boy dies. So that issue could have been prevented from ever happening by the two young men not speaking to one another or even just walking away.

So how many people you know have a gun that is theirs or someone elses that used it or say they will use it on some one? These are some of the reasons why we must be careful, because that person can be very dangerous. It starts with the teens today and we can't have this going on.

Teens today have it hard just living their normal lives day to day, but now that can't be the case when teenagers start endangering other people's lives. I think I can find a way to keep teens from having guns and not be as violent towards one another. I have to get this message out to all those that want to make a change with me. So join the Hugs not Bullets campaign and please help make that change.

Negativity of Gun Violence


Chelsea Thomas
Sophmore
UPREP HIGH SCHOOL

Gun violence is becoming more and more popular with teens and young kids. The reason is because guns are just out there. Most young kids know where to go and buy a gun(no questions asked). People don't really care as long as they are making their money. Also, guns are just being left around as to where anybody is capable of getting to the gun.


Most shootouts or any type of gun violence are carried out by teens. You hear about adults shooting or getting shot, but it is more so the teens. I feel that the Hugs Not Bullets Campaign is good to get teens out of the habit of always going to get a gun. The campaign just needs more activities and more advertisement. If we can build up this campaign more, maybe we can get more people to listen to us.


The shooting at Henry Ford was a big deal. It's a shame that most people were not shocked by this act. It might have hurt a lot of people, but no one was really shocked. Why? The reason is because of the fact that it happened before and that really is an issue. We can't just have teens out here killing everytime they have a problem. Too many lives will be a stake if that's the case.


In conclusion, kids should be taught in better ways on how to deal with gun violence and violence period. Something has to be done about gun violence, because we are losing our people. And it's not getting any better. If it's not better now, what's going to happen later? Are we just going to continue to watch our people destroy and kill others or can we do something about this issue now?

Guns in the Hands of High School Students


Alexander Ussery
Senior
UPREP High School

Gun violence is a major issue today. This issue is a national and local issue. The national issue is that minorites are being killed at an alarming rate. The local issue is that youth in my own community are dying every day. One of the main reasons is because guns are so available.

Half of the students in high school can get a hold of a gun or have or had one already. I feel action has to take place to change this problem.
Some ideas I have are stricter gun laws. Strict gun laws will decrease the amount of people who are willing to risk jail time. Also we can do some thing about the pawn shops and gun shows selling guns with out. I think most teens end up with guns that were purchase illegaly in the first place. The reason I say this is because they would be less likely to sell the gun to them if it's registerd to them or some one they know.

I have been affected by gun violence. I have lost friends and family to senseless violence. In conclusion, I think if the guns were harder to come by the amount of people hurt or killed by them would decrease dramaticly.

Speak up and Speak Out


Kieshia Muhammad
12th grader
UPREP High School

BAM BAM, are the loud sounds that I hear at night when Ii lay to rest my head at night. While the noise disturbs me I lay and wonder how can people find any joy in shooting someone? Why do we make people feel like they have to resort to violence in order to make a point. So many people in my life have been affected by gun violence. So many that I can't help but be affected by this issue.


I have watched my brothers being carried away in police cars all because they decided to help take someone's life. My mother was a vicitim to gun violence and my father was the one who shot her because they couldn't agree to disagree. I have been a witness to my cousin crawling around begging for god to just give him another chance at life because he has been shot messing with the wrong people at the wrong time. Even though he didnt die his life will never be the same.


I think so deeply about this issue that sometimes I just cry- not because the people in my life are being hurt by this visious crime but because the issue of gun violence just doesnt seem to be getting across to the people in the world. It is as though people are afraid to press the issue. Kids my age are being killed over nonsense. Family members are being murdered just because the can't agree with one another and it's sad.


The press and the people of the world talk about what happened at Henry Ford High School. They talk about how crazy the situation was and how the people were killed over something so silly, but they fail to talk about how a 16 year old boy got a firearm without any trouble....... and how could a 16 year old boy be so angry to kill someone? Sometimes I wonder how people can be so mean and selfish. How could they kill someone not thinking about how their life affects so many others. This issue is big and it is something that needs to be stopped............. but the only way that it can happen is if we speak up and speak out-not just for your friends to hear but so that the world can hear that its time for a change and that change starts with you.