Posted on 09/17/2001 3:16:15 PM PDT by watsonfellow
Local teens shrug off terror attacks
Many say they feel little loyalty as they can't rely on government
By Paul T. Rosynsky and Jane Rochmes STAFF WRITER
OAKLAND -- While much of America is uniting to fight the evils of terrorism, many East Bay high school students said Friday a war is not theirs to wage.
As hundreds gathered on the steps of City Hall Friday to remember those lost Tuesday during the dev astating terrorist attacks in New York City and the Pentagon, high school students came together in stead to talk of weekend plans and the latest gossip.
The wave of patriotism across the country hasn't reached many area teen-agers who questioned Friday the need to retaliate and vowed not to fight if called upon for duty.
With the terrorist attacks occur ring more than 3,000 miles away, teen-agers had trouble making a connection to the tragedies and a harder time finding a reason to care.
"It didn't happen in Oakland, it could have but it didn't, so I don't feel scared or nothing," said Hieu Le, 15, a student at Castlemont High School. "Why should I go fight in a war and die for nothing."
Similar feelings were echoed throughout the blacktop courtyard of McClymonds High School and corridors of Berkeley High.
Although many said they felt sym pathy for the victims and those who had lost loved ones, when it came to risking their own lives to fight for America, most said they would try to find a way out.
"I'm not risking my life for that, I love myself too much," said Amir Kellogg, 17, as he sat with friends during lunch. "If they came after me I would have to run."
Their lack of desire to defend freedom comes, they explained, from a lack of confidence in the government to help their own communities. Many blamed the U.S. relationship with the world as reasons for the attacks and said they don't want to help because they have not received help in the past.
"How are you going to defend a nation if that nation can't defend against things like homelessness," asked Jamaal Germaine, 15, a sophomore at McClymonds High School. "I'm not in a rush to help our country because our country is already messed up."
Students instead said any war waged by the country against ter rorist states of the world would only worsen the situation, setting off an infinite series of retalia tions.
"I think the United States deserves it," said Berkeley High senior Pat rick Rizzo. "It's pretty sad for the poor people, but the United States does the same thing. We're prob ably going to do the same thing after this. We're not going to send anybody into the country, we're just going to bomb them like they did us."
Added senior Phillip Chan: "I don't think that going and attacking a specific country is going to solve anything."
And with the only exposure to war coming through television high lights of the Persian Gulf War, teen-agers said they see no need to risk human life when the country can instead depend on technology to fight evil.
"If there is a war, it won't be a war like we're used to in the past," said Antwonn Smith, 17. "We got too many missiles to use. We're not even going to have to send people out there."
Jane Senemen is news editor of the Berkeley High School Yellow Jacket.
No, these kids are just @ssholes. They remind me of the kids from Ridgewood, New Jersey who were interviewed after Amy Grossberg and the father of her kid (his last name was Peterson, I think) killed her newborn baby and tossed it into a dumpster.
The kids in that town were outraged -- they couldn't understand why those two were arrested.
F#cking morons.
They, and too many of our young people, also have never learned that with liberty comes responsibility. And not understanding that principle leads to the "me, me, me" syndrome.
My granfather (born in Greece) earned his American citizenship by serving in the U.S. Army. He earned it the hard way. He saw combat in WWI, and received a Purple Heart.
Also, the Canadians listed on the Vietnam Memorial total in excess of 1000 I am told.
If you are serious, call a recruiting station near where you live (what -- 75% of Canada's population is within a hour's drive of the US border), and tell them what you want to do. They can answer all of your questions for you. I suspect they will tell you to drive across the border, and sign up.
Actually they are defying natural laws.
For 40 years they have been playing with a one sided coin: "citizens" with rights, but no responsibilities.
That never worked before...
As for me, to hell with safety and security. What good is liberty if you aren't willing to sacrifice your life for it? It becomes an illusion, something 'nice to have' but easily discarded. Not for me - I say better to die in the battlefield than to live as a coward in chains.
:-)
On the contrary, our enemy will stay as far away from these people as they can. The terrorists would view these people as potential allies who could be recruited to their cause.
You are absolutely correct, and I appreciate your saying it.
And as you say, that never works. It is the root of decadence.
I hope this is a isolated incident.
Unfortunately, this is the same area where the school-children who were taken on a field trip to see the Spielberg movie Shindler's List starting cheering as the Nazi's were slaughtering the Jews. The teachers were horrified, and they quickly followed up with some more education. Spielberg even came out to talk to the kids during an assembly.
-PJ
I was on a college campus today, and what a heartwarming sight -- the cars were loaded with American flags and homemade signs saying God Bless America.
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