"Come, Let Us Reason Together" The Third in a Series Addressing Public Violence

            The problem of public violence is modern society's Hydra, the creature of Greek mythology with reptilian features, which had many heads. As with the Hydra conquered by Hercules, the cutting off one of the heads of ours gives rise to two more until more than one individual takes strong, quick action. Hercules had his nephew Lolaus to aid him. We have no super hero, or person with super human powers to kill our Hydra as in myth. We have to do it ourselves, and our only weapon is each other.

            Over the previous two weeks, we have identified two heads that need addressing, gun control, and mental health. A third head is the pervasiveness of violence in our society. It is everywhere.

            Watching TV for four hours one night last week, I witnessed twelve murders, some of which were so heinous that my stomach turned. You may say that I am watching the wrong shows, and I will not argue with you, but the majority of American viewers don't agree. These are the top rated shows on television.

            I did not watch these shows from beginning to end. I was switching back and forth from the NFL playoff games where I was able to view even more violence, sanctioned violence, violence that makes football the number one sport in America. Following this bombardment of murder and mayhem offered as entertainment, the local news served me a dose of reality with a story about the murder of an infant, and stories of robbery, and muggings. The national news escalated the violence to war in almost all parts of the globe. There is no escaping it.  

            I do not play video games, and most likely never will, but I have seen their results. In the late eighties, and early nineties, "Dungeons and Dragons" was popular, and became an obsession with many teens, so much so, that two young men that I knew, who were close friends, became so enthralled with the game that it became reality to them. One day they fought with swords from one of their father's collections, and one killed the other. In the aftermath, the survivor told his father that his friend wasn't really dead, but would come back to life tomorrow when they started the game again.

            Video game violence has progressed from "Asteroids" where you shoot invading alien warships, through "Pac-man" where a cartoon head eats things and can be blown up, to now where you can steal cars, mug, rape, murder, and do a host of other violent crime in virtual reality, and the more violent the act, the more points you are awarded. Although the games are rated "M" for mature, they are advertised on TV and available to be rented online by highly impressionable teens.

            I have written here before that violence has been good to me. If I were not more violent than the other guys, I wouldn't be writing today, or anything else for that matter. It would be nice if our fellowman would respect us and leave us alone to pursue happiness as we see fit, but that is the wish, not the reality. Violence is unavoidable in many cases, and after exhausting all diplomatic courses, whether it be in a playground altercation, or one involving nations, there comes a time where we must be willing to fight. I was taught at home to never pick a fight, and to not fight until you have to, but when one comes your way, fight. Such teaching and attitude has served our nation and me well.

            Being willing to be more violent than a tyrant, and to sacrifice all, won our nation's independence, and has protected that hard won freedom, and freedoms of lesser nations for over two centuries. We do not speak German, or Japanese because of our willingness to stand up to bullies and whip them until they leave us alone. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

            What do we do about the cancer of violence that eats away at the soul of our society? How can we curb it, and not glorify it? There is a way to kill our Hydra, but it will take more courage than our nation and society have ever had to display. We have never backed down from a problem, and public violence has a solution, and it is a simple, peaceful one, but it will require change, and we fear change.

            Next week, in the final offering in this series, we will explore the root of this problem and the very simple solution to it. I don't think you will be surprised as to what it is. Many of you are already doing it, and doing it well, some are not, but all of us will have to do better, and I warn you, it may be simple, but it is the hardest thing I have ever done.