BANG!Patricia Smith, “Undertaker”

If you are an average18-year-old in the U.S. …

… you’ve seen40,000 murders

on TV.

… you’ve seen40,000 murders

on TV.

About half the video games you buy

show killing and violence.

Every two and a half hours

in the United States, …

… a young person is murdered.

COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL MASSACREAPRIL 20, 1999

If you are young and African American, …

… you are more likelyto die by homicide

than any other cause.H

omic

ides

0

1

0

2

0

30

40

50

Deaths Caused by Homicide(per 100,000 people)

White Hispanic AfricanAmerican

43.9

15.7

6.3

Victims (age 15–34)

LOS ANGELES HIGH SCHOOL GRID STAR GUNNED DOWN BY GANGBANGERSMARCH 2, 2008

There are 270 million registered

and unregisteredguns in the U.S. …

There are 270 million registered

and unregisteredguns in the U.S. …

… for 300 million people.

The U.S. has more guns than many other nations.

0

20

40

60

8

0

10

0

Guns per 100 people

Australia Canada United Kingdom Germany Mexico United States

Num

ber o

f Gun

s

And there are moremurders in the U.S. thanin many other countries.

0

1

2

3

4

Gun Homicide Rate(per 100,000 people)

Australia Canada United Kingdom Germany Mexico United States

Gun

Hom

icid

es

VIOLENCEWe’re surrounded by it.

Is violence the solution—

or the problem?

Is there violence in the headlines where you live? • “Three Teens Charged in Youth’s Beating Death” • What do people in your school fight about? • “Boy, 15, Dies in School Shooting” • What would you do to make your community a more peaceful place? • “Gang Rape Raises Questions About Role of Bystanders” • Should violent video games and TV shows be restricted? • “Flash Mobs Take Violent Turn” • Describe a time when violence touched your life. • “Racial Slurs Preceded Deadly Attack” • Is there violence in the headlines where you live? • “Three Teens Charged in Youth’s Beating Death” • What do people in your school fight about? • “Boy, 15, Dies in School Shooting” • What would you do to make your community a more peaceful place? • “Gang Rape Raises Questions About Role of Bystanders” • Should violent video games and TV shows be restricted? • “Flash Mobs Take Violent Turn” • Describe a time when violence touched your life. • “Racial Slurs Preceded Deadly Attack” •  Is there violence in the headlines where you live? • “Three Teens Charged in Youth’s Beating Death” • What do people in your school fight about? • “Boy, 15, Dies in School Shooting” • What would you do to make your community a more peaceful place? • “Gang Rape Raises Questions About Role of Bystanders” • Should violent video games and TV shows be restricted? • “Flash Mobs Take Violent Turn” • Describe a time when violence touched your life. • “Racial Slurs Preceded Deadly Attack”

Is violence the solution—

or the problem?

put your voice on recordRAWWRITE