Jonesboro, Ark. Two teenage boys, 13 and 11, are accused of gunning down four students and a teacher in an ambush-style attack outside their middle school.

Paducah, Ky. A 14-year-old student allegedly opens fire on a prayer group, killing three and injuring five.

Pearl, Miss. A student allegedly kills two students and injures seven in a hail of bullets.

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Marion a student brings an weapon, although unloaded, to a high school to threaten a teacher.

All of these incidents, plus numerous more reports of students threatening teachers and classmates with violence, from idle threats to actual confiscation of firearms, have invaded our televisions and newspapers recently.

This rash of violence in our schools is out of control, and it is taking precedence in our political affairs. Several states have introduced legislation, and even President Bill Clinton has taken a role, asking Attorney General Janet Reno to look into the problem.

Unfortunately, the only legislation or ideas being promoted are gun-control laws. Although gun control, to an extent, is a great idea in solving the problem, it is far from the ultimate solution. Gun control is an easy out for many politicians afraid to address the other problems encompassing this situation.

Would these incidents have occurred if there were stricter gun laws? Yes. Would they have been as severe? Who knows.

The questions asked should not be what can be done to stop these incidents from occurring, but why are they occurring in the first place. These kids are not just seeing a gun and deciding to kill, these kids are reaching a point where they feel they have to kill. The same incidents would have happened whether these kids used a knife or a bat. If the root causes of these outbursts are addressed, children and weapons will not need to be addressed.

Gun control is not the only issue that needs to be addressed here. The issues range from the influence of entertainment to funding of public education to the workings within the home. The children that commit these crimes do them based off of their need to be accepted or gain attention.

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The current state of home affairs has produced a generation of latch-key kids. Some fear rejection and do not know how to handle it when it happens. Some just want to be acknowledged. These issues have been brought up to a degree before. Most politicians never mention there is not a strong parental influence in most children’s lives. The issue of personal responsibility is never mentioned.

Destroying the medium will not extinguish the problem. We can get rid of all the guns, censor all the music and television we like, and put as many police officers in school as you want, but it will not make a difference. What will is a collective effort by us as a society to hit the source, whatever that may be.