Brainwashing begins in CA:Students get lesson on effects of gun violence

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Students get lesson on effects of gun violenceA two-hour program for eighth-graders seeks to prevent gun use among teens.By Mark Burgan -- Neighbors Staff WriterPublished 5:30 a.m. PST Thursday, Jan. 31, 2002A group of eighth-graders at Rio Linda Junior High School last week tried to guess how many people age 19 or younger are killed by gunfire each day in the United States.The answer is 10, according to figures presented by the county district attorney's office."Since it's 10 kids every day, then at some point, that means one of those kids is maybe going to live in one of our neighborhoods," Ruth Young, community prosecutor for the county district attorney's office, told students Jan. 24.Young spoke during the first Gun-violence Information for Teens program, which will be given through May at county schools.The two-hour program, which was developed in Seattle, is designed to educate eighth-graders about the medical, legal and public safety consequences of gun violence and to prevent gun use among teens.The county district attorney's office worked with the Sheriff's Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento City Fire Department and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District to establish the program in Sacramento County."Here's some myths, based on what you see on television: Gunshot wounds will either kill a person, or they will completely recover from their injuries," Chris Greene, a paramedic for the fire district, told the students. "Isn't that what we see in the movies? That's not true at all. For every person who dies, five other people will have sustained lifelong injuries, and they will not recover."Randy Johns, a school resource officer for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, showed the students a picture of a man who accidentally had shot himself in the leg."This person will be lucky if he ever walks again," Greene said.About 70 percent of gunshot wounds are self-inflicted, Johns said. Some bullets are designed to expand after entering the body, some are designed to ricochet inside the body and some are designed to go through metal."Aren't you guys afraid of getting shot?" eighth-grader Sione Fuapau asked Johns."Yes, of course we are," Johns answered.Young asked the students how to keep a disagreement from escalating into a shooting."Words," said Eric Gonzalez."Walk away," said Amber Travis.Tell an adult, other students answered.A shooting affects the courts, the district attorney's office, law enforcement, medical personnel, insurance workers, family, friends, teachers, staff members and schoolmates, the team of presenters told the eighth-graders."Hundreds of people are affected by one pull of the trigger," Greene said."Think about how you'd feel if someone in your family was shot," Young said.And for those who use a gun in the commission of a crime and end up in jail, Johns described prison cells as cramped, as well as lacking in privacy and privileges.Prisoners at the county jail on I Street get only two pairs of underwear a week. Clean pairs, yes, but previously worn by other inmates, Johns told the students.At the end of the program, the students were asked what they learned from the presentation."I learned that when you shoot a gun, there's no turning back," said student Jonathan Hunter after the presentation.Johns said he thought the first presentation went well."The kids learned something, and by giving the presentation, if we saved one or more kids from getting hurt, that's the goal," Johns said.Student Shannon White said, "I learned I'm scared of guns." http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/neighbors/north/story/1556343p-1632634c.html