Mr. Speaker, last week two teenagers killed 13 people at a high school in Littleton, Colorado, in the U.S. Those who say it cannot happen here in Canada should remember December 6, 1989 when 14 young women were killed in Montreal.
Television, movies, computers, video games and the Internet, all these modern developments are leading to a decline in empathy among today's youth. Contact with machines is no substitute for human interaction. Technology firms and research groups must reconsider the impact of the various mass media on our humanity.
It is time for government to introduce more public awareness programs through community groups, schools, police and volunteer organizations aimed at helping youth get in touch with their feelings and the feelings of others.