THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 11, 1994 TAG: 9411110086
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E14 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: TEENSPEAK
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
IT'S NOV. 9, THE ``morning after'' for electoral politics in the United States. Imagine seven Manteo High School students among the 35 newly elected members of the U.S. Senate.
They know precisely the issues they would tackle first, and it wouldn't be health care.
For 17-year-old junior Tashia Tillett, violence would take priority.
``I think it's pretty drastic how you'll see on the news how a 15-year-old burned his 5-year-old brother and then threw him out the window,'' Tashia said, ``or how crime is at some schools, with guns and knives, and students killing other students, and friends killing other friends. I think violence is the big thing I would try to attack.''
Homelessness and hunger are on the mind of 17-year-old senior Charles Berry. But education would also be a priority.
``I would put up food pantries all across the United States so that people who needed it would have warm places to stay and food to eat,'' Charles said. ``The second issue would be keeping taxpayers' money here instead of sending it to other countries.''
Charles said he would use the money for education instead.
Homelessness is also high on the list for 18-year-old Brandy Charity.
``It doesn't make any sense for people to be out on the street. It's not their fault,'' the senior said. ``It makes me mad when I see on TV that Bill Clinton gave people in (other countries) money for the things they need, and yet we have people in this country who need those things. Why not build homes for them? Why not make new jobs for them so they can work?''
Along those same lines, 15-year-old Jennifer Perciavalle, a sophomore, would cut out wasteful spending and aid to other countries in order to help the less fortunate.
``America spends its money very wastefully,'' she said. ``We give money to all these other countries when we need to be concentrating on this country. A lot of people don't have jobs and don't have homes. We need to set up organizations to help those people who don't have what they need.''
Three 17-year-old seniors, Erin Noone, Jason McLaughlin and Steve Johnson, would streamline the judicial system and limit the appeal process for those convicted of drug-related and capital crimes.
``It drives me nuts to see murderers sitting on death row for 10 years through appeal after appeal after appeal when you know they're guilty as sin,'' Erin said. ``They're wasting money trying to keep a scumbag alive after he's committed murder.''
Erin believes one appeal is fair.
Jason would work to see that punishments are carried out more swiftly following a capital conviction.
``You see these people sitting on death row for months, and even years,'' he said, ``but nothing ever happens. They talk about the electric chair and the gas chamber. . . . At some point, he's executed, but it takes so long.''
Steve would make all drugs illegal and toughen existing anti-drug laws.
``I think when they arrest someone who's doing drugs, they should put them in there (jail) for a long time, and make sure they don't do it again,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: Photos with each quote
I think it's pretty drastic how you'll see on the news how a
15-year-old burned his 5-year-old brother and then threw him out the
window. Tashia Tillett, 17, junior
I think when they arrest someone who's doing drugs, they should
put them in there (jail) for a long time. Steve Johnson, 17, senior
I would put up food pantries all across the United States so
people who needed it would have places to stay. Charles Berry, 17,
senior
It doesn't make any sense for people to be out on the street.
It's not their fault. Brandy Charity, 18, senior
It drives me nuts to see murderers sitting on death row for 10
years, through appeal, after appeal, after appeal. Erin Noone, 17,
senior
I'd push to see that (capital) punishment was carried out. Jason
McLaughlin, 17, senior
We give money to all these other countries when we need to be
concentrating on this country. Jennifer Perciavalle, 15, sophomore.
by CNB