Paul Pavlik (pavlik@telusplanet.net)
Tue, 5 Oct 1999 09:37:26 -0600
From: "Paul Pavlik" <pavlik@telusplanet.net> Subject: Re: "Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill" Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 09:37:26 -0600
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Violence affects us all, so let's put things into perspective.
Subject: "Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill"
Thanks to the people who posted - as expected fine words of wisdom on this
subject seem
to be coming from the usual sources - north of the US border.
'Stop Teaching Our Kid to Kill' is like making our schools safe by
transforming them into high tech jails with ID's, security cams, armed hall
guards, etc. If our schools are like jails - the results will be like
ex-cons - grads proficient at dealing with security devices. Prove me wrong
here?
I am going to add another dimension to this hysteria:
Who Tells our Kids To Kill?
The average age of the Vietnam US Soldier was 19. The average age of the
sub-Saharan gun holder was 14 (reported in an article in Time magazine for
the turmoils that took place with horrific tolls). Most were recruited at
age 9 and 10.
I was brought up with out even a plastic cowboy gun to play with, I was
never allowed to box, wrestle, play 'stick soldier' games, nothing. In
fact, I was not even allowed to raise my voice (it was no use anyway - all
siblings were sisters).
The only training I got with a gun was when I was in a teens' club devoted
to fostering 'loyal, helpful, friendly, trustworthy' - yup, the good ol'
Boy Scouts! We also got khaki B.S. uniforms, did lots of marching,
saluting, and 'Yes, Sirs!". (pun intended)
My whole life had been focused on one thing - helping others. The
government then, when I was all done my education, decided to do the wisest
thing with me : order me to become a killing machine.
So - lets teach the governments not to kill.
Where's the Bucks?
When governments spend 20 billion on ONE project (and most of these, like
the Patton Troop Carrier - a HUGE waste of $$$) and pennies on education,
they are telling our youth something. Who manufactures the small arms and
the landmines, the nukes and the missiles? What would $20 billion do to the
education infrastructure world - wide (just one Space Shot To the Moon to
prove one color Flag is prettier than someone else's) ?
Is it not the kids.
Since the beginning of time youth were taught to fight, glory in being
warriors, to always think of their community first. This was true in almost
every society. There was NO runaway violence in small community societies.
So what is the difference today.
In the small communities around me, the little kids (and this is fast
getting 'modernized' thanks to 'civilized influence') are the tools of
community and family sharing. When adults - the 'uneducated bush person'
always shares with everyone else first - food, cigarets, etc.
Then they were taught to protect their family - but to always think of
others first.
I am sure everyone understands this distinction.
Is the above mentioned book a result of horror at who is doing most of the
killing world wide - child soldiers?
Or, is it out of fear of walking down an unsafe street on the way to the
store?
Helping Our War Ravaged Neighbors
So we have all the pleas for money and food for Kosovo, etc. Here is my
reaction: I know the price of ammo. One rifle shell costs $.50 to $1.00. At
least. All these people have/had PLENTY of ammo to throw around. Where did
all THIS money come from? Where is it coming from still? So, if they are
hungry, they got three choices:
1. Tell all the people sending bullets to send them food instead.
2. Sell off all their old guns, ammo, etc to get food.
3. Trade in their guns for food.
So if all the bleeding heart wannadogooders really want food/money/help for
places like this let me see ALL the guns and ammo in a BIG pile first.
When I see guys walking down the street with a small gun that cost $500
bucks or more and $1000 worth of ammo strapped to his body, and someone
else is asking for food money, one or two alarm bells go off in my feeble
brain. Most of the guns I see there cost $1000 apiece.
To me it is pretty simple : Guns vs Food. They make the choice.
I agree with Marc below. There are other factors in the violence. Let's
teach our governments not to kill. Then let's teach our kids to help each
other instead of feeding their own id with gratuitous video violence. Even
better, lets show them by example that we are not going to put up with
war-goodies for profit anymore. In video games AND in real life.
We all have to SHARE the blame and not try to foist if off on 'other
factors'.
(c) 1999 Paul pavlik@agt.net
> I'm not certain of the context of the passage Glenn Ralston quoted:
>
> > It seems especially disturbing to me that
> > some academic theorists may unthinkingly
> > exaggerate our
> > reasonably cautious civil liberties posture
> > to assigned or assumed responsibility."
>
> I share a concern that our research and statistical methods fail to assess
> certain dimensions of this problem. However, I also understand why a
system
> of law and civil liberties must be rigorous in assigning blame for damages
> caused to third parties with whom they have no direct contact. When does
> responsibility for behavior go beyond the individual actor?
> Marc A. Pembroke
> Directeur, Institut Auguste Lecerf
> Canada
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