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Local Teens Shrug Off Terror (Lee's District...apples not far from tree)
Alemeda Times Star ^ | September 16, 2001 | Paul T. Rosynsky and Jane Rochmes

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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
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To: jothamdorn
If you can go to prison for growing the "wrong" flowers in your garden you're not free.

Maybe he and ALL his fellow Libertines would prefer to live under Islamic rule and enjoy the freedoms they have then. Stupid if the little jerk doesn't realize this thing is about us losing our country, they didn't plan to kill the president and our congress and completely disable us and then not move in. Idiots would deserve an Islamic takeover.

41 posted on 09/17/2001 3:45:23 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: watsonfellow
Yep, these are the kids that support homosexual 'marriages' overwhelmingly! Any questions?
42 posted on 09/17/2001 3:45:57 PM PDT by FormerLib
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To: watsonfellow
"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."

I wish I had heard this stupid kid say this, he wouldn't have to ever worry about going anywhere to fight, and would die for the "Freedom" of this great nation!!

43 posted on 09/17/2001 3:46:10 PM PDT by vettr
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To: watsonfellow
"I'm not risking my life for that, I love myself too much," said Amir Kellogg,

I see the little darling has had his self-esteem class today.

44 posted on 09/17/2001 3:46:32 PM PDT by thesharkboy
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To: watsonfellow
If I said what I think about this but I couldn't bear the charges of "intolerant" & "bigot" that would surely follow.
45 posted on 09/17/2001 3:46:38 PM PDT by skeeter
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To: nmh
FORGIVE ME FOR SAYING THIS, BUT I THINK AMERICA'S YOUTH HAS LOST IT'S SOUL...:( I only wish I was younger to enlist!
46 posted on 09/17/2001 3:47:41 PM PDT by RoseofTexas
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To: jothamdorn
If you can go to prison for growing the "wrong" flowers in your garden you're not free.

Yeah, it's all about drugs.

47 posted on 09/17/2001 3:47:55 PM PDT by Jim Scott
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To: watsonfellow
These whining bastards will learn soon enough. It is an indictment of the education system and the mores of the families involved. This represents the triumph of victimhood and entitlement thingking. My 14 year old son wants to enlist. And I have never been prouder of him. (I guess I could suggest we let the feminists deal with it.)
48 posted on 09/17/2001 3:48:35 PM PDT by Faraday
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To: watsonfellow
I remember an incident involving some liberal student jerks when I was in high school where they sued the school (with ACLU support) because they wanted to print basically trash (homo/anti-homo/whatever agenda) in the school paper. The real press came out to interview these jerks, (only about 4 of them) and didn't even bother to talk to the hundreds of other respnsible, 'good' students that supported the school administrations policy of letting the faculty have final editorial decision on paper material.

Point being, media what it is, this is probably only a small, selfish, arrogant, childish, liberally brainwashed minority. Lets hope....

49 posted on 09/17/2001 3:49:21 PM PDT by Magnum44
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To: watsonfellow
"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."

This little fool has been taking too many Self-Esteem courses in his politically correct high school.

50 posted on 09/17/2001 3:49:42 PM PDT by Gritty
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To: watsonfellow
My 20-year-old son signed-up to join the Air Force upon graduation. He is an EE at UT-Dallas. He is taking the long view because he thinks this war will run 3-5 years. He thinks that an engineer two years from now would be worth more to the Air Force than an uneducated nerd today.

My 15-year-old son has begun working out and getting himself into shape for his 18th birthday, when he can join up.

I am proud of both of them. We have a lot of others like them in our country, many who can join up now, and are doing it. I prefer to focus on them, rather than these pathetic head cases in the Berkely Blue Zone. My pride is tempered only by the sadness that some of our brave youth will die to keep these Berkely cowards from getting raped or killed.

Then again, give these California kids some time. Pacifism lingered in Oxford during the late 1930s until after Britain entered the war against Hitler in 1939. Maybe these kids will come around soon, too.

51 posted on 09/17/2001 3:49:57 PM PDT by No Truce With Kings
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To: Timesink
I understand your rage at these immature and misguided comments, but let's not throw out the entire Bay Area because of the exteme pockets of brain-free zones. I admit there are *many* here, but there are also many God and Country loving people. I've seen flags everywhere I go in Marin county and Sonoma county. I can't say what's going on in San Francisco, but head just about any direction away from liberal ground zero and people are fighting mad.
52 posted on 09/17/2001 3:50:36 PM PDT by willshaker
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To: watsonfellow
It is obvious from the responses that the students are getting straight A's in ebonics. Oh, if only anything else were taught.
53 posted on 09/17/2001 3:50:43 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell
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To: watsonfellow
I don't wish any death on them but it would be hard to come to the defense of people who apparently are so flippant about the death of thousands of American citizens.
54 posted on 09/17/2001 3:51:14 PM PDT by Paul Atreides
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To: watsonfellow
There are some good people (friends of mine) in Sonoma and San Rafael, perhaps I should tell them to move eh?

Collateral damage if anything happens then, sorry. They're in a major-league hate zone. There is near-evil there. They need to recognize that.

And yeah, maybe they OUGHT to move, on general principle if nothing else. I know I wouldn't want my family being raised in that environment, nor would I want to be providing a single penny to the local economy. I don't care how pretty the scenery might be or that the weather is oh-so-perfect 365 days a year. As far as I'm concerned, this is little different from people who build huge trophy homes on the edges of major forests, and then have complete nervous breakdowns (and expect the taxpayers to give them handouts) when the INEVITABLE forest fire comes along and burns the houses to the ground.

Remember, around the time of the Gulf War, the "peaceniks" in the Bay Area RIOTED when they didn't get what they wanted.

*sigh* This post is rather disjointed, for which I apologize. But this REALLY pisses me off.

55 posted on 09/17/2001 3:51:24 PM PDT by Timesink
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To: watsonfellow
We should start the draft.
56 posted on 09/17/2001 3:51:35 PM PDT by Knightwing
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To: watsonfellow
this is sickening. but i have to say that this (hopefully) is not indicative of my generation. i am 19 and in college, but if the draft comes, then i will be more than willing to put my life on the line to defend my freedom. i just regret that it would be to defend the freedom of these wastes of human flesh.
57 posted on 09/17/2001 3:51:41 PM PDT by zoso82t
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To: ppaul
I believe you are right about the ebonics idiocy.
58 posted on 09/17/2001 3:54:09 PM PDT by Right Face
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To: nmh
You nailed it! This is what you get from a godless, athesist school system that teaches kids that the only thing that matters is their own self interests. This article should be passed around congress and then maybe we could get a voucher program. I'm sick and tired of having to pay taxes for these athesists and then having to pay tuition for my son to get a proper education!
59 posted on 09/17/2001 3:54:15 PM PDT by lockeliberty
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To: watsonfellow
This is really sad. I hope these kids aren't representative of California's teenage population...they certainly aren't of Virginia's. On my way home from church yesterday, while stopped at a light a 16-17 yr old kid ( a black kid at that) jumped out of his car and ran up to my window. I thought, oh crap...what's this all about, but all he wanted to know was if I'd tell him where I'd gotten the flag on my car window. He'd been looking all over town and couldn't find one. i told him exaactly where in a KMart he could find some that I knew were stll there.

I feel pretty good about the Virginia teenagers I've talked to in the last week.

60 posted on 09/17/2001 3:54:30 PM PDT by pgkdan
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