Violence in the media and adolescentsA "hot topic" of discussion today is the issue of violence in the media. After reading the topic, I am convinced that media violence negatively affects the viewer. The most sensitive are young people. John Grisham wrote a powerful essay titled “Unnatural Killers.” After writing the essay, he received some criticism from reviewers in light of his novel A Time to Kill. In this novel, the "good guy" kills. The points he made in his essay, however, still hold true. "Unnatural Killers" tells the dramatic story of the killing spree of Sarah Edmondson and Benjamin Darras. Sarah and Ben killed one person and seriously injured another. Sarah testifies that the inspiration for this horrific act was a movie, “Natural Born Killers” (Grisham 346). Grisham describes the film: ...a loathsome story of two mindless young lovers, Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis), who make their way across the Southwest, killing everything in their path and becoming famous. According to the script, they indiscriminately kill fifty-two people before being captured. There seem to be many more. Then they manage to kill at least fifty more while escaping from prison. They break free, have children, and are eventually seen happily wandering down the highway in a Winnebago (346-347). According to Sarah, "Ben loved 'Natural Born Killers,' and as they drove to Memphis he talked openly about killing people, at random, just like Mickey Mouse talked to Mallory" (Grisham 347). Clearly, if Sarah's testimony is true, the film had a profound and negative impact on Ben Darras. "Natural Born Killers" inspired many other copycat acts. A 14-year-old boy in Texas told police... mid-paper... that it's a harmful problem. When will Hollywood and video game producers catch on? Works CitedCenter for Media Literacy. "Violence in the Media." URL (December 5, 1999). Grisham, John. "Unnatural killers." Kirszner and Mandell 343-351. Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell, ed. The Blair Reader. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999. Leonard, John. “Why blame TV?” Kirszner and Mandell 351-356.Levine, Madeline. "The media and the adolescent". Kirszner and Mandell 357-364. Malcolm, Teresa. “Adolescent Violence: Does Violent Media Create Violent Children?” National Catholic Reporter May 28, 1999: 2-3pm.Roper Center at the University of Connecticut. Survey. Accession number 0327641. Application number 001. May 19, 1999. The Freedom Forum Online. "Oliver Stone and the Natural Born Killers." URL (December 5). 1999).