Violence is Infectious

Duh! Scientists once again chase the obvious. The 'civilized' nature of man in this generation is a far cry from what was considered 'civilized' in all prior generations. It was only in the 1970's that corporal punishment started loosing favor as the discipline of choice for children. Mass deprivation and killing were common, legitimate means of enforcing government rule in centuries past, and is still practiced in some countries today.

In this country many of us struggle to comprehend how some peoples of this time and before can be so brutal. But, violence has always bred violence. This is nothing new. What is being overlooked is the growing stratification of understanding. Violence is so alien to some people these days that it no longer has meaning is the sense that violence is something "sane" people are capable of.

Just Getting Along

This article at Science Blog is interesting because it says what we already know, but in a way that explains what we might not understand. With regard to being young; the word I recall most associated with youth is, "idealism".

An idealist might be described as a person who absolutely, in no way, is capable of comprehending that there may be more than one viable answer.

Sometimes I long for younger days, but I no longer yearn for younger thoughts.

I'm Going to Tell On You!

Words that every child knows, and every child fears. When we were children and we used those words we would march to a parent or adult with righteous indignation at the unfairness we'd been dealt, often the offender clinging and begging for mercy. When we heard those words because we had done something (wrong) we became the clinger and the beggar. But sometimes, if we thought "they" were weak enough, we would force them into submission and no one ever found us out.

There are adults that still play that game, only the stakes are much higher. Yesterday was 'World Press Freedom Day' and journalists around the world marked the day with protests in many countries against government censorship and jailing of reporters.

The act of harming people to prevent discovery, or because the truth they carry is unwelcome, is ages old. The saying, "Don't shoot (kill) the messenger" dates back to Sophocles in 442 B.C. Years later it was penned by Shakespeare in 'Henry IV, Part II' (1598) and in 'Antony and Cleopatra' (1606-07).

I don't know if I would have the courage to persevere against the same consequences that many journalists have faced. I for one am thankful to those strong enough to set the truth free.

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