Emotional response to Darryl Town's death in Albom's article

¶ … Death of Darryl Town

Three emotions experienced during the readings

There were a number or emotions and feelings that I experienced on reading this article. At times these feelings were closely interrelated and one tended to impact on the other. The first or the most dominant feeling that I experienced from a reading of the text was a mixture of regret, frustration and even anger. The fact that a young man of this caliber and potential had to die in these circumstances is in the first instance something that leads to a feeling of dismay and indignation and even a sense of disbelief.

A part of the text that refers to this aspect is; "This is the kid who makes you say, 'Man, if they could all be like that one, the city would be a better place." (Mitch Albom's Dreams Deferred '99) in other words, the death of someone of this character and potential for no reason is devastating. There is also a certain amount of irony in the above statement, as it is precisely this type of individual who could help uplift other youngsters by setting an example to his peers - the last person who should be killed for absurd reasons. As the author of the article states, "This is your son, Detroit. This is the kid you want to raise. A Good kid. A trouble-free kid. A kid who went to school, listened to his mother, was embraced by the neighborhood..."(Mitch Albom's Dreams Deferred '99). These are qualities that every city and community wants in their young people. The fact that a person like this dies in a petty argument is simply unacceptable.

This initial feeling is compounded by a feeling of deep sadness for the relatives and especially the mother of Darryl Town. The author of the article makes this aspect very clear in his evocative description of the intensity of the mother's reaction to the death of her son. "Annette Towns, 46, sits as her kitchen table, holding a picture of her son in his basketball uniform"... his body was still warm and I held him and kissed him..." (Mitch Albom's Dreams Deferred '99). There is a terrible poignancy and sense of loss in these words that adds to the impact of the tragedy.

The initial feeling of shock at this report leads to and is linked with a feeling of frustration and a search for reasons for the death of the young man. There is a sense of indignation as well at the fact that an event like this could have occurred. It must also be remembered that there are many other similar incidents involving guns and violence among young people, many of which are not even widely reported. This search and the need for answers are reflected in the frustration and bewilderment evident in the words of Annette Town. " I mean everyone loved Darry, the whole neighborhood knew him. I don't understand. These boys were his friends! Why would friends so this?" (Mitch Albom's Dreams Deferred '99). I felt that these words are at the heart of the problem and emphasize the feeing of the senseless waste of life. This also leads to the need to understand why an event of this nature should have occurred.

All of the above feelings culminate in an overwhelming feeling of anger and also a sense of powerlessness. This feeling is intensified by the section of the article that deals with the causes of the tragic event and the events that led up to the shooting. It was a silly fight over the playing of basketball in Darryl's yard that was to lead to the incident. Darryl refused a request by some friends to play on his basketball court as he was instructed by his mother not to allow access to one of the boys. As the article is at pains to explain, the incident was a simple and mundane petty squabble among friends and certainly something that should not have led to the tragic death of a human being.

As the author of the article states, the fight was "foolish" but not unusual. The author describes the shooting in terse and sharp terse. " My brother shot him....Darryl died. And that's the end of the story" (Mitch Albom's Dreams Deferred '99). However, what caused the feeling of anger and frustration is that the death of young Darryl Town should never have happened. The problem and the real cause of the violent action that day must lie elsewhere. As the writer emphasizes, "kids fight. They always have. Had there not been a gun involved in this story, there might not be a story. There would have been black eyes and bruised egos and nothing more" (Mitch Albom's Dreams Deferred '99).

One central cause for the death

As the above quotation from the article stresses, the crucial fact that guns are so easily available in our country is certainly a contributing and possibly a leading factor in the events that led to the death of Darryl Town. As a recent report on the problem of guns in America states,

It shouldn't take a school shooting or an inner-city neighborhood shooting to make us realize that American children are more at risk from firearms than the children of any other industrialized nation. In one year, firearms killed no children in Japan, 19 in Great Britain, 57 in Germany, 109 in France, 153 in Canada, and 5,285 in the United States

The contribution of the media

The media is an extremely powerful force in developed countries like America where there is hardly any area of life that is not influenced by the media in some form. The media uses a number of communication mediums to "infiltrate" and influence our lives. Beside the television and newspapers, there is the high degree of media influence through the pervasiveness of the Internet and mobile devices. We are never far for the influence of the media. Therefore it stands to reason that the way that the media presents various social and cultural aspects will have a far-reaching affect on our lives.

In this regard there have been many studies and reports on the way that the media promotes an acceptance of violence as "normal "to a certain extent. This can be seen in many popular films that have become increasingly violent and graphic. The promotion of violence as acceptable is increased when violent solutions to problems are associated with popular figure and " heroes" in films, who elicit admiration and emulation for the youth.

One particular area of the media that has been criticized for increasing violent behavior is online and offline video games. While a video game is just fantasy, some modern games have become increasingly realistic and this can suggest to the younger player and viewer that these actions are acceptable in real life and are sometimes acted out. This perception is often tragically translated into real actions. This may well have been the underlying cause of the death of Darryl Town.

At the same time it would be incorrect to place the blame solely at the door of the media. While the media certainly plays a role in the stimulation of violent behavior and its social acceptance, it should also be remembered that we live in a society where freedom of choice and individual decision making is a valued part of the culture. People should bear in mind that in the final analysis we are to blame for our actions. This means that there should be a balance between the excessive exposure to violence and the need to accept responsibly for our actions.

In conclusion, the causes that led to the death of Darryl Town are complex. However the fact that a decent young individual of great potential should die for no real reason is a great tragedy that cannot be allowed to occur in our society. Therefore, efforts should be made by those in power to make people more aware of the influence of the media and the consequences of the use of weapons. There is also a good case for stricter gun controls and the restriction of the sale of guns to young people. The tragedy of Darryl Town's death is something that should waken an awareness of the high degree of aggression in out society and the danger of guns and weapons in the wrong hands.