Violent youth merely following our example
Contrary to what clergymen and policemen believe, gentleness is biological and aggression is cultural.
~Stefan Themerson
While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
~St. Francis of Assisi
“No, no, no,” I grumbled disgustedly as I tossed aside a December 7, 1999 newspaper editorial entitled “Latest school shooting should redouble efforts for solutions.” Written in response to the latest youth-initiated gun play, the editorial trotted out the usual remedies—school uniforms, school resource officers (i.e., armed guards), teaching courses in values, et cetera.
Look, it’s not that difficult; we have the solution readily available. And it’s not school uniforms, metal detectors, or armed guards at our schools. It’s not even increased training and vigilance for school and law enforcement officials as proposed in the previously mentioned editorial. It’s not teaching values and principles in our schools. It’s not posting the Ten Commandments on school walls. And it’s not stronger gun control laws, though making guns less accessible certainly couldn’t hurt anything.What must happen for our children to become less violent and more loving is for us, each of us, to become less violent and more loving. It’s as easy as that.
As long as children see their parents, teachers, preachers, and political leaders practicing and supporting violence—from belittling fellow human beings because of their sex, religion, skin color, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status to bombing innocent civilians in faraway nations—they will follow our lead.
As long as they see us mouthing the words of the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule, but living contrary to those holy precepts, our children will not do what we say; they’ll do what we do.
As long as we permit any child anywhere to go hungry, we foster violence in our children.
As long as we refuse to say a resounding “No!” to the excessive brutality and bloodshed on TV, in movies, and in video games, we foster violence in our children.
As long as we spend more time working for material wealth than we spend nurturing our children, we foster violence in them.
As long as we abuse and neglect our children—physically or emotionally—we foster violence in them.
As long as we continue to elect politicians who put the needs of special interests before the needs of our youth, we foster violence in our children.
We can point our fingers at gun manufacturers. We can point our fingers at teachers. We can point our fingers at Democrats, Republicans, the NRA, religious leaders, atheists, whomever. But the truth is this: While we continue the blame game, the death toll mounts. If you must point your finger at someone, turn it around and point it at yourself. You are responsible for this violence. I am responsible for this violence. And we can stop it anytime we damn well please.
Wednesday, December 15th, 1999No Comments »
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