Jon Katz

In the following viewpoint, author and media critic Jon Katz contends that the spate of schoolyard killings is not due to violence in the media but to the ease at which juveniles can obtain guns. Although the media has broadcast increasingly violent imagery, the rate of juvenile crime has been dropping for years, he maintains. Ultimately, the blame for these tragedies lies with the gun lobby that makes it easy for children to obtain guns, he argues.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How do the media contribute to the illusion that the media and entertainment industry are responsible for violence, in the author’s opinion?
2. How many people were killed and wounded in school shootings in 1998, according to Katz?
3. How many children are abused by their families as opposed to children who...