Shootings on Southland Freeways

“Go ahead. Make my day.” A now famous line from a Clint Eastwood movie. We know what it means: “Give me an excuse to kill you.” With some stretch of the imagination, some can view this as an appropriate line in the context of the movie; with knowledge that, in fact, it is just a movie. Unfortunately, we more recently see this line on bumper stickers on our cars, and on the cute “yield” signs for our car windows. It’s beginning to lose its appropriateness. Along with other cute messages on our bumpers and windows (“Insured by Smith and Wesson,” or “.357 On Board”), we are continuing to give a message that we are more than ready to respond to others in a violent manner. Granted, most of those drivers carrying such messages do so in a manner of a joke. It’s losing its humor.

I felt nauseous when I read of the account of the driver shooting the passenger of another car on the freeway. The article pointed out that this was not the first time for such an occurrence to result in death. Further, news accounts of “drive-by” shooting have become common place in the Los Angeles area. Many drivers are more reluctant nowadays to blow their horn at another cutting them off, fearing possible repercussions.

The debate over the effect of TV violence may continue, but what of the effect of the messages we give to one another in our daily routine. There are some fools in our midst that take such messages seriously. They are carrying weapons illegally in their cars or on their person, waiting for the chance to use them. Bernard Goetz was found justified in his actions, by a jury that could relate to his fears. In the video tape following his arrest, Bernard Goetz mentioned that he felt like an animal, and subsequently acted like one. When do we cease feeling and acting like animals? When do we begin to take some responsibility as individuals and act like human beings toward other human beings? It often seems, as individuals, certain things are out of our control. The messages we give to others are not.

JEFFREY D. KOHN

Glendale