Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Violence

The news is overbearing these days. Some days, the ostrich ‘head in the sand’ idea seems like a good one. I can remember (and I am not that old … only 48) when the story of violence was the odd story on the news. I was born in the late 50’s. It was a completely different time. I know I was a different person then as well. I was not as knowing, not as watchful, not as interested in the world. (If it didn’t happen in the house, yard, or church dad pastured, it didn’t involve me.

Still, I can remember the reaction of my parents to bad or violent news. It was from the newspaper or radio. We didn’t get a TV until I was around 9 yrs old. Even then, I can recall my parent’s reaction to the growing news of violence.

I paid some attention in High School to my history. I remember Gandhi and his passive resistance. I can remember how effective it was, even though he was met with violence. I know the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. I know the great men that have stood for what is right in the right way. I know of the works of Flavius Josephus.

I know there are times for ‘right by might’ when a tyrant must be stopped with the very violence that is his/her tool. I readily agree that war is a necessary evil at times. This, however, goes far beyond the dictates of war.

The murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. ignited a wave of violence in our country. White Supremacists used violence as did slave owners of our past to keep their power base intact. It was the undercurrent. It was the hidden, behind the curtain, in the dark, work of such groups.

Today, it is splashed across the news nightly. Is that because of the abundance of our media? Is it because we are in more places with our ‘prying’ eyes? I say yes, but it is also because there are a growing number of people, seared to the effects of their violence. We are growing a generation, numb to the effects of violence. The sound of the gun and the spray of blood are little more than the detailed effects of some video game driving into their brains.

Are the games the problem, or just another symptom? They are both. They are part of the problem and a blazing symptom. They desensitize our youth, and point to our fascination with gory death.

This is not about the games. This is about the violence. When we, as parents, turn our heads to what is displayed on our TV’s and Gameboys, we are silently nodding in agreement. When we allow evil to prosper in silence, we abet it. We must, if nothing less, oppose in our homes. We must oppose violence where ever we can. We must learn from our past or we are destined to repeat it.

Violence begets violence. We will never cure the rage of our society until we learn to control it in ourselves and stop it’s influence in our lives.

Just the tip of the iceberg ...

1 comment:

TammyJ said...

Honey... It was only the tip of the iceberg?.. that is what the Titanic hit too ya know.. I can't wait to see/hear the rest.. I love you