To the Editor,
On Friday, we experienced another terrible school shooting by a young man in his early 20s. This letter is not about gun control or freedom of speech rights, this letter is about the majority of American people — people who believe in God, discipline, training our children to respect others, kindness and love.
We have been silent too long and have allowed the few to take prayer and discipline out of our schools, to not allow any mention of God or even the singing of Christmas carols. We have allowed Hollywood, video-game makers and so-called singers to fill our homes, our cars and our children’s ear-phones with hate and violence as never before in history. Without fail, we find out after one of these shootings by a young man, that he is a devoted fan of violent video games.
How can we expect kindness and love from a young developing mind that has been filled with violent garbage? Garbage in … garbage out. A recent study by a university found that after three days of playing violent video games that behavior changed; this did not happen with non-violent games.
It is time for the vast majority of Americans to stand up against this type of entertainment, to say no to the one person that claims to be offended by the mention of God and prayer. How have we come to the point where one person or small group can tell the majority what they can and cannot do? Where have we lost the practice of the beliefs and training that made this country great?
We can no longer remain silent when it comes to the destruction of our young.
Evelyn Smith
Lumberton








The United States is a Republic, not a Democracy. You might want to read up on it.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." ~Thomas Jefferson
carry on humans.
home there would be good parenting
Rap is destroying many young minds because it teaches them that you can take what you want and can go about life the easy way out.
It does not teach the youth that hard work and seizing each opportunity will lead to a successful lifestyle throughout the duration of your life. Therefore music does not kill. A gun has the potential to kill if a finger is on the trigger.
Yes, there are many kinds of degenerative music, but Ross brought up rap, so that's what my comment was about. To suggest music and guns are one in the same is absurd. To suggest any kind of music should be outlawed, even jokingly, is ludicrous.
You also think Herman Cain would never listen to country music, don't you..... Be careful, you are exposing your true beliefs.....
Whether he listened to it or not, the lifestyle glorified by most rap/hip-hop music has a degenerative affect on our culture.
You keep denying it, sooner or later it(crime) is gonna sneak up and bite you in the rear. You just keep your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears and maybe, just maybe it'll go away.......