FEAR, PAIN, DISBELIEF

Editor’s note: The Review-Journal received dozens of letters from Palo Verde High School students last week in response to the newspaper’s coverage of the Feb. 15 fatal drive-by shooting of a student a block from the campus, a Feb. 21 shooting near Bonanza High School and a Feb. 25 shooting outside Gibson Middle School. These five were chosen for publication.

To the editor:

As a junior attending Palo Verde High School in Summerlin, I am surrounded daily by the youth violence issues that have recently surfaced in Las Vegas. After reading John L. Smith’s Wednesday column on involvement in youth gun violence, it’s unmistakably clear that our community is at a loss for a solution. Experiencing the death of a student from my own school has awakened many of my fellow students to the growing tension that was overlooked until these tragedies took place.

It’s obvious people as a whole find comfort in blame, and are tossing up drugs, race and family as to why this random violence is occurring; and a toss-up is exactly what we’re left with. Each occurrence of violence is rarely instigated by the same issue, and we continue to point the finger at whatever comes easiest to blame.

What students and authorities alike need to realize is the fact that random violence can be triggered by anything, and cannot be stopped by force. A growing police presence will not solve underlying anger and prevent naive teenagers from harming one another.

What causes this violence is not the weapon in a child’s hand, but the how they feel in their heart. People need to stop their accusations on why this violence is occurring and start showing more compassion to the students who are just trying to make it through the day.

TRACY SHULTZ

Trying to scare?

To the editor:

In regard to your Feb. 26 article, “Second teen charged in fatal shooting”: At the end of the article, it is reported that suspects told police they were just trying to scare the kids, who were supposedly flashing gang signs.

If you are going to pull a gun out, aim into a crowd and fire, I don’t think that you’re just trying to scare some kids. If you fire a gun, the bullet will hit something, and it’s almost naive to think that a gun fired into a crowd won’t hit someone.

ALEX SANCIANGCO

Not a hate crime

To the editor:

In response to the Tuesday letter by Ernie Mathews, “Political correctness”:

I disagree with his claim that race was a possible aspect of the Palo Verde shooting. Two of the people who were shot at were black, one was white and I am Hispanic. Although all the suspects are black, there is other material that excludes this as a possible hate crime.

ENRIQUE A. MELENDEZ

Shooting over nothing

To the editor:

It’s sad how kids in our society want to solve their problems with weapons. Why do kids feel it’s necessary to go to this level to settle a difference or make a point? The increasing frequency of the shootings around schools has mobilized the leadership of area law enforcement and the Clark County School District.

You won’t solve anything by using a weapon. If you are going to fight someone, don’t do it with a weapon, or you’ll realize that small problems could end in big deals.

BRYAN VELEZ

Stereotypical society

To the editor:

As a Palo Verde freshman who knew the victim of the shooting, I strongly disagree with letter writer Ernie Mathews (“Political correctness”). The shooting was not a racial hate crime.

There were students of all nationalities in the vehicle and walking with the victim. Obviously, Mr. Mathews does not know what goes on in Summerlin, on account that he lives in Henderson. Palo Verde has never had any racial problems before this accident; it was a random act of cruelty toward a fellow classmate.

Race was not an “aspect of the incident.” Just because an African-American boy shot a white boy doesn’t mean it was racial. Although, one aspect of Mr. Mathews’ comment I do agree with: If a white boy had shot and killed an African-American boy, the issue would have been bantered about a lot more because of our stereotypical society.

JESSICA PASZEK