This is written by Briana...it's actually a novel available at Barnes and Noble. Here's a tiny excerpt. READ IT, it made my cry. It's amazing.

(in response to reed cowan: ABC)

Dear Reed Cowan and ABC news,
You recently recorded a very ignorant video about the spread of the 'emo culture' throughout America, urging parents to look under their children's bracelets and into their closets for signs of a fad that could, according to you, very likely, result in self mutilation and suicide.

As you can probably tell already, I strongly disagree with your broadcast of information that lacked both truthfulness and connection.

First and foremost, I would like to establish the thing that is most important to me and most of the people who would be considered "emo" to you. Music.

I see you chose My Chemical Romance for the first musical appearance in your video. This is completely and utterly unnecessary. Not only do I feel obliged to stand up for this band, but I feel obliged to spread the fact that they are by far the farthest from self harm promotion that you can get. Take this from someone who's been a loyal fan for 3 years, seen them 6 times, and who knows people who have seen them 82; no lie. I cannot begin to explain how frustrating it is to see MCR in that video, let alone the song Famous Last Words. Just because MCR have become the unofficial poster boys for "emo" online, doesn't mean that they are, and it doesn't make you sound the least bit intelligent as you sit there and think to yourself: Why this My Chemical Romance that everyone talks about, why don't we put them in this nifty little video of ours and everyone will just have to agree that this band is bad news!
Wrong. Wrong, WRONG.
I doubt that any of you at ABC News have ever listened to the lyrics of that song…and if you have, I think its great how you left out the chorus, which basically sums up the meaning of the entire song.
I am not afraid to keep on living, I am not afraid to walk this world alone. How emo does that sound to you? I am not afraid to keep on living. Are you really using this band as an example while you try and tell parents that their children may be thinking of suicide? Excuse me if I'm wrong, but that just doesn't sound correct to you, now does it? You're throwing these extremely intelligent people, with a bunch of overlooked, so-called "revealing" references. This band has done nothing but help the kids who listen to them, through the rough times that they may be in and create a safe haven during a live show for the dystopia outside the venue that most of them find when they leave. This band has saved lives despite the fact that you may not want to believe it. Here, let me leave you some quotes you may be interested in:
Gerard Way (singer) – "Don't piss away your life on suicide – it's a bullshit way out."
Gerard Way (singer) – "Suicide is a serious thing. And if you know anyone who is suicidal, you need to get them help. No one should be in pain. Everyone should love themselves, like I love you all."
Gerard Way (singer) – "Sometimes you get frustrated. It's a frustrating world. Sometimes you get depressed, things are depressing. Sometimes you get desperate. There's lots of people you can talk to. You can find a teacher, best friend, parent, therapist, anybody...the guy workin at the Dunkin' Donuts, I really don't care but one thing you guys never ever do…and I'm sure you all know this, but I'll say it anyway- You never resort to violence!"
Does that last one look familiar to you? Well it should. It was emailed not to long ago by my very good friend, Taylor Raines. We were both there, two feet away from Gerard, to witness that quote. And now I sit here and watch a video that plain out criticizes that man.

It makes me sick to think that people are getting the wrong impression of amazing people like those 5 men, just because of ignorant broadcasts such as this one.

As you all are very aware of, this is not the only band that you mentioned in your broadcast. The bands that were either heard or shown, include: AFI (A Fire Inside), The Used, Three Days Grace, Death Cab For Cutie, and Fall Out Boy.
If you knew anything about these bands you would know that the entirety of AFI is made up of strait-edge (anti-drinking/anti-drugs) vegans. You honestly cannot be afraid of a band like this? Many of the AFI fans are mature enough to look past the morbid songs of the band, which you cannot seem to.
What surprises me the most is that you included Fall Out Boy. Like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy are continuously categorized with emo although there music differs drastically from the other bands that you listed.
FOB's three albums are made up of songs about past relationships, lack of motivation (or being jaded), and self consciousness. Not one song is about suicide, self mutilation, or depression. Any fan, someone of the right mind, or even my own mother could tell you that.

Emo has, in a way, become the new "gay". And by that, I mean a derogatory term for "shitty" or "stupid" which is where Fall Out Boy usually comes into place from the opinion of many bloggers and online youtubers.

Alas, emo is not only a derogatory term, or a chocked up stereotype. It was and still is a serious type of music which was in the industry for years before it ever became used offline and to classify a group of people. All it was meant for in the musical industry was to classify the bands that were more emotional, harder, faster, and complexly screamo. No where in the 10 commandments of good music was it written that the goal of these bands is to promote depression, self harm, violence, or suicide.

All in all, if you absolutely had to use a band or lyrical phrase in this video you should've chosen something that was straight up and in your face. Let me suggest to you Ohio is for Lovers by Hawthorne Heights. The song states: Cut my wrists and black my eyes, so I can fall asleep tonight, or die.
I do not suggest you attack this band or any other for that matter, but when in search for something that will really leave a harmful impression on children, you might as well find
something that does so, not just go with the flow on what is supposed to be "hip" and "emo". You simply should not be blaming Death Cab for Cutie for suicide, while Marilyn Manson is out there singing about guns, sodomy, and the Anti-Christ.
Plain and simple: do your research.

I think Ive clearly established my view on your musical information; let's move onto some other comments and references that you made throughout the video.

You make the quote, unquote, emo nature seem like some kind of cult. Using words like "advanced emos" and "teen phenomenon" just make it seem even more out-there and inhuman than you already are. I doubt any of you enjoy being told off by someone you'd call "just some kid" but I do know what Im talking about, and I do have to tell you this:
There is no such thing as an emo death cult like you make it out to be. There is no such thing as "advance emos" or "pain points". The individuals who revert to cutting themselves do not do it because they are part of a group of emo people, but because they have serious psychological problems. Because they are obviously in a rut of some kind and because they have no other way to express themselves other than act out the way they do. I myself have found comfort in music. I don't have a picture-perfect life, either. The life that you are making everyone else outside of the emo culture sound like they have. Ive found an alternative that many teens have not found when they are frustrated and unidentified in a way that can make them go crazy. That same alternative is who you are accusing to cause things like self mutilation. Believe it or not, the kids who cut themselves are the kids without any other outlet, like music. It's all a gigantic misconception that most people, unless they are put in the same position as a troubled teenager in this day and age, or have one of their own, don't understand. You have to realize that the people in these positions are the ones who hurt themselves because they have no confidence in who they are and what they want to do with themselves. They are like walking zombies, people who are in need of something solid, but can't find it within themselves first, and so they revert to anything that they think will identify themselves. That is where you went completely wrong.

There was a book that you mentioned titled: Everyone Hurts. You mentioned how it talks about how to dress and identify yourself as an emo kid. I hate to break it to you, but this is all propaganda and joking. The man who wrote that book also runs a site called: Yourscenesucks.com. On the site you can see that he "critiques" (mocks) the style and musical interests of some of the common stereotyped labels such as "goth", "emo", and even the "myspace whore". He has worked with some of the bands that you have mentioned (The Used, Fall Out Boy), yet he still disagrees with the "emo" culture.
Unlike ABC news, he does not state that people who dress this way are bound to suicide or self mutilation, he doesn't even blame the musical aspects of the scene for this, but rather thinks of it as a stupid fad that has gotten out of hand simply by the way that the kids are dressing. The over all point of this is that the book that you used as a serious example, was in fact, a joke.

Not only the book that you used as an example, but the quiz as well, was not accurate and rather a mocking way to entertain kids with nothing better to do than sit on their computers all day, read up on what's trendy, and pretend life has nothing more to offer than what they've chosen for themselves. You made it seem like the quiz was the only one out there, while in reality just a quick visit to quizzila.com will prove you very wrong. There are millions of quizzes just like that one with the same joking demeanor most likely written by 11 year old girls.
Anyone who takes those quizzes seriously is not enough of a troubled teen to harm themselves, I guarantee you.

Another very big mistake that you made is bringing things like the extremely popular, Spider Man 3 into view. Are you trying to go for kids not being able to even go to the movies without worried and over-dramatic mothers who don't know any better? The movie is an action movie. There's going to be blood, there's going to be anger, and there is going to be fighting. Just like every other action/suspense/super-hero movie out there. But all this is not what made people call the movie "emo". It's the main character, Peter Parker's (played by Tobey Maguire) hair. One little flip to the side and today's youth start calling it "emo". Nothing more and nothing less. It was unnecessary and extremely pathetic that you would try to prove a point about such a "serious problem" with an example of a hairstyle in a fictional movie that no one takes seriously anyways.

Another small bit of your video used a line from the Emo Song. The Emo Song was created online by some teenage boys who decided to mock the "emo" culture. If you listen to the lyrics the song is obviously not serious, and I think you'd agree with a matter like this jokes are unnecessary and shouldn't be used even the slightest bit. I'd hope, of course, this was a sad attempt at a joke and not a serious attempt to prove a point.

I found your "gender bending" comments particularly ridiculous as well as offensive. Boys or girls can experiment with bi-curiosity without being labeled "emo" or "suicidal". All those pictures you showed were jut examples of nothing other than (gasp) homosexuality! Are gay and bi people supposed to be categorized as emo just because they like to kiss? There's nothing wrong with love between the same gender! What are you trying to prove here anyways? I thought this was a warning about self mutilation and suicide rates? Not a chance at classifying homosexual youth and experimentation as something dangerous. The way I see it, you're just promoting homophobia amongst peers and parents. Girl jeans and makeup are a form of expression and shouldn't in any way be classified with guys making out. Before you know it parents aren't going to let their kids hang out with "those emo kids" because "they're going to turn you gay". The way you look does not reflect or change your orientation.

The incident that most reflected the ignorance of the research and knowledge of the presenter was the boy who showed the camera his cuts on his left arm. (I'd take a shot at spelling the name, but I'd probably get it wrong). You tried to make a point while all you did was exploit the poor thing. Let me tell you something: When a child runs away from his home, and commits self mutilation, this is not because he wants to "join the emo culture" or because he wants "pain points", but because his home and family life is seriously screwed up and down the drain. Running away from home usually points to one thing: abuse. For all you know or care, his father could've beaten the crap out of him every day. The kid that you tried to use as an example of emo, could now possibly have committed suicide do to the humiliation you must've caused him with your report. And that, my friends, is not emo; that is complete ignorance and unwillingness to study the whole situation before taking action.

Last but not least, you made some comments at the end of your broadcast about checking under bracelets and cover-ups for scars, or emo proof. Chances are, the mothers and fathers that need to physically check their children's wrists are the ones that are most likely going to find something. Anyone who is out-of-touch enough with their own child, that they actually need to question the state of mind that they are in, are a perfect example of why some of these things are happening in teenage youth.

Emo is nothing more than the outcome of a lack of caring society.

Let me ask you something. Is it really self mutilation and suicide that you're after? Or is it the actual "emo culture" and its difference in society? Is it the clothes, dark over light? The music, grunge over hip-hop? The kids, strange over plain? Or do you truly want to solve the hurt and suffering that troubled kids are going through? Taylor, the friend that I mentioned earlier brought up a very good point in her email. There was a "preppy" girl that went to her school, A+ student, lots of friends, a member of school clubs, a smile on her face every day. She tried to kill herself. Her underlying symptoms were ignored all because of the fact that she was not part of this "emo culture". It's people like this who are the ones who truly need help. Kids who go unnoticed because they simply aren't pestered by everyone around them because of their 'emo' look, are the ones who could end up dead.

The only thing that you are doing here is increasing the barrier between the emo culture and those outside of it. You are increasing stereotypes and excuses to taunt and blow off kids that dress like what you've described. You've given parent's that could have perfectly fine children, reason to worry. My friends and I dress to some extent what you would classify as "emo". We have no cutting problems, we have no suicidal thoughts; we are creative, expressive, and free-thinking individuals with a love for our friends and love for music, life, and laughs. We live life to the fullest and try to make a difference. Most of us want to save lives. And it's not just my friends and I when I say that. It's the better half of the culture. Yes, I agree that the black and the makeup is expression for a rough past, some things that are bothering someone, a longing for something that someone can't find in themselves, I mean, if you are having emotional problems then you are obviously not going to want to wear pink shirts with bunnies on them, or dance around singing If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!
In the end, the majority of the kids who dress this way have the ability and will within themselves to change the world. Change minds, change life as we know it. For the better. The stereotyping that you are introducing to your viewers is only worsening the incorrect and negative thoughts about people who dress like us.

The response I have written to you may seem very defensive, which in a way, it should. But it is more here as a future reference to what you are dealing with. Something as serious as self mutilation and suicide records should not be glanced at and thrown away as another "emo" fad. It should be analyzed and seriously looked at through the eyes of whomever may be the troubled person, despite age, gender, race, height, language, musical taste, and especially, clothing.

To sum up this letter, I'd like to conclude with this quote:
Frank Iero (guitarist of My Chemical Romance) – "If you don't listen, you're never gonna learn"

I wish you luck on your next attempt to help the nation,
Briana Barry
Orlando, Florida
Age 14