| The following column appeared in The River Reporter on April 16, 1998. |
Is it because we, the parents, have gone wrong?
By Bert S. Feldman
The Recusant Reporter
Thursday, April 16, 1998
Nowadays, when we read the news or watch it on the TV, stories about our children are the headline items. And not because they have done wonderful things. No, it is because they, our children, have committed acts of sheer horror. Whether in Jonesboro, AK, or in many other locales, stories of children with firearms seem to be on the increase, and the use of the guns usually ends in the death of schoolmates or teachers.
There is obvious exposure to the image of violence all around these, our children. Television programs and video games that hold our children's attention are permeated with shootings, fights, and car crashes. Even the animated cartoons show characters who pound each other with clubs, explode the bad guys, and otherwise violently destroy each other.
Monkey see, monkey do. Children are great imitators. Did you ever see a little girl all gussied up in her Momma's high heels, with lipstick smeared all over her face? Or a little boy wearing his Daddy's hat over his ears and carrying a briefcase? The urge to be grownup is part of a child's search for the benefits of being an adult.
When I was a little boy, way back when the dinosaurs roamed Rt. 17B, my companions and I played Cowboys and Indians, or Cops and Robbers. We would point a finger, or a stick, or capgun if our parents were prosperous, and shout "Bang! Bang! You're dead!" at one another. A boy would fall to the ground, waving his legs in the air. Then he would get up and rejoin his playmates.
The boundary between truth and fiction is somewhat blurry to the unexperienced mind of a child. If the bad guy gets shot on today's TV show, he may appear in a few weeks in another role with no obvious harm done. It's like that little boy squirming on the ground after he was "Bang! Bang" shot.
Americans love violence. Do you think that the most popular sports seen on TV are hockey and football, the most violent of all sports, purely by coincidence?
Other factors must be considered. The two kids who ran amok in Arkansas and murdered several classmates and a teacher got their firearms and ammunition from someplace. Their grandfather had left his firearms in an open cabinet. Here is a man who should be punished as an accessory to homicide.
Televised violence can be controlled by parents who give a damn about what the kids are watching. Just a few letters to a show's producer and/or sponsors, and you'll see the difference.
From a historic viewpoint, I think of the Roman Empire, which lasted over 700 years. Strong empire builders, makers of engineering feats that still amaze us, they ruled the then-known world. Then they grew bored and blasé. Instead of fighting a war themselves, they hired gladiators to fight it out before an audience in the coliseum. The government of Rome had a phrase used to indicate how to keep the populace happy - Panem et circenses - "bread and circuses." Keep the people amused and fed, then they won't give us any trouble. Instead of maintaining love and marriage, they attended public orgies.
By the time of the reigns of Caligula and Nero, Rome had reached its peak of decay. And when the northern tribes came to the gates of Rome, there was no one to lead a resistance. And Rome crumbled into dust and memories.
