VIOLENCE APLENTY We talk a great deal about how to deal with the problems of "violence" in our society, but I sometimes wonder if we really understand the situation and actually intend to "do" anything to try to eliminate the costly condition.
I don't know that violence is any more pronounced in the present era than it has been at times in the past. We hear that saids a great deal and it is more apparent, to some degree, because of the tremendous advancements made in our systems of communications in recent years. It is "closer" to our daily lives even when it is removed from us, physically, by miles, oceans or space.
I remember crime being present in my own three-quarter of a century awareness of such a thing. I think the "violence" of my early years could be said to have been pretty much in line with that of today with with subtle differences as the degree of cruelty involved, and different attitudes concerning the "rights" of others about us. I don't think we really knew what was going on, either. We have, in the past year or so, experienced some changes in our view as to the nature of violence in the military services.
Society, I'm sure, has never been without "violence". The very first time a human encountered another human who got in his way or disagreed with him in the simplest action resulted in violence of a sort, I am sure. Violence, one might say, has been done the word itself in that it now encompasses not only dire doings involving physical harm, death, dismemberment or combat. but, in the mind of many, verbal violence and
threats against the well-being of others.
Different people see violence in a variety of ways. Many people live by violence of some sort and have little genuine desire to conform to rules which might eliminate it. The theory of The Dominant Male in our civilization has often led much to be desired in fairness and equity in the home, in business and in religious observances, as well. His shoulders, his stamina, his inventiveness and his determination are all needed to maintain his forward movement and if anyone impedes his path that enemy has to be dealt with. For that reason, and others of a like nature, we tend to think of violence as a Rambo-like, he-man, super-male thing which is only the more obvious manifest ion of it, really. Man is not alone in doing violent things. Women are right in there doing their share and children, too - acting so often in imitation of their parents or other leading adults. We need to study our social structures before we can expect to make any worthy progress in the ease some of the stress of lawlessness in our lives.
To violate the basic rights of society is just as destructive as the physical action we tend to cloth violence in before we deal with its ravages. The seeds of underlying violence may been slower, and much more subtle- even go unnoticed. Think about some of the nasty, little things which occur almost daily in, our lives - then we are beginning to see how deeply it is implanted as a part of our culture.
There is no easy, band-aid treatment.
A.L.M. April 22,2005 [c562wds]
