In today's society, we see violence every day; on the news, on television programs, in movies, in music, and even at school. It has become a daily occurrence to witness violent acts, causing people to become unaffected by them.

When someone becomes desensitized to violence, they think that is okay, and may think it is all right to act violently towards another person.

Forty years ago, people would have been appalled by shows like Jerry Springer, but we allow it to be shown at times of day when it is easily accessible for children to view. They see it, and think it is normal to behave that way, so they do.

Forty years ago, there was no gratuitous violence in movies. Nowadays, it is hard to find a movie without it. People are entertained by violence.

Today's music even contains violence. Bands such as Marilyn Manson, Korn, Wu Tang Clan, and many rap artists freely sing about guns and killing. It seems ironic that two popular rapping artists who sung about these things, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., were both shot to death in drive-by shootings.

Perhaps the most disturbing violence is the kind that occurs in school. Recent studies show that every day in America, three children will be killed at their school. Their killers will be charged as minors, and will continue their violent acts when they are let free.

Every night on the news, there are stories of murder and killing, and people have grown accustomed to this. Society has become desensitized.

Violence is a virus, and society has contracted it in a big way. And as with all viruses, we have built up our immune system.

~CL

Entrance test for English II Honours

Written on June 15, 1998