DEAR ABBY: I am a 12-year-old girl. Recently a boy I know was shot while standing in front of a movie theater with a bunch of us kids from school.
We didn't know that a gang member was standing close by him. Suddenly, a car came speeding by. Members of a rival gang opened fire on the gang member, aiming an automatic weapon out the window of the car.
Not only did the spray of bullets kill the gang member, but the gunfire also went beyond him and hit my 12-year-old friend, who had no connection whatsoever with either gang.
Not long after the attack on the World Trade Center, I heard someone from another country say on TV that Americans don't know what it's like to have a war going on in their own country. Those words made me furious.
I think someone should take that person to the spot where my friend was gunned down. There are still bloodstains on the sidewalk.
We Americans know all too well what it's like to have a gang war going on in our streets. It has been going on for years -- and is still going on, even as I sit here writing this letter. Just sign me ... FURIOUS IN TENNESSEE
DEAR FURIOUS: I wish there was a simple answer to the problem of gangs and violence, but there isn't. The causes are complex and varied. However, this nation needs to pay more attention to -- and allocate more funds for -- youth programs that strengthen the family. I know it's not the answer, but it would be a good start.