Violence: The Art Of Destruction

In today’s day and age, violence almost seems like a way of life. Aggression is the way to solve a problem, and the only way to make someone listen is to yell louder than them. Today is a day when it is alright to show a cold blooded murder on television or in a film. People enjoy seeing cartoon characters (namely Japanamation) kill each other and have graphic sex. Violence is everywhere and is almost impossible to escape and even more difficult to keep out of your life. However, in these times we must learn to live as part of society, and make meaningful contributions rather than just adding to the same heap of hate and aggression that animals are prone to and people should be above that stage in their life. People need to use reason to think out things before they say them and think even harder before they do some thing. Too many people do things in the heat of the moment. They hit their wives and children, shoot their classmates, give the finger to a car as it drives by, mindlessly watch murder and destruction on TV and in the theatres, and say things that they don’t mean in the passion of the altercation. These behaviors are destructive and bring about even more hate and nothing ever gets accomplished. War never came without a price. Far too many men were killed who never got to see their families again, and we are still so caught up in ourselves that we don’t see the suffering of the people around us. We get mad and angry and lash out with violence and hate because it’s all we know. Although we were taught from the dawn of our existence that violence isn’t the way to go, that doesn’t make it the less natural way to go. It is so much more natural to just punch the loser who hurt your feelings instead of turning the other cheek and walking away and being the bigger person. Being the bigger person is always harder, because it means maintaining dignity and pride even though you didn’t fight back which is what society has come to expect from us.

School Violence

What seems to frighten me most lately is school violence. I am almost afraid to come into school because some kid my get the wrong idea and do something that they’ll regret. I feel that the school should be a safe place where one feels that they are safe and secure and not where they feel that their hall ways could become a battle ground any moment. These recent school shootings have also left me a...

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..., it’s only a matter of time before that person will stand up for themselves in the only way that they know how to protect themselves, and that is with a gun.

Stopping The Violence

As one can see, there are many different kinds of violence. So what does one do about it? This is simple. Just live and create. If you see destruction, create over it. If you see violence and hatred, mend it and manipulate it into love. Where there is barrenness, make something grow. Especially, where there is love, embrace it. Share it with as many people as you can. Violence can only persist if we let it. Lets have one more World War, the War against violence and hatred. Instead of bombs we can use smiles and instead of guns we can use acceptance. The earth will be a battleground for God and the emblem on my shield will be Jesus. He started the battle, now lets finish the war.

Works Cited

The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness – Erich Fromm

Aggression: A Social Learning Analysis – Albert Bandura

Breaking the Cycle of Violence – Richard J. Hazler, Ph.D.

Violence in America – Stephen Goode

Reason and Violence - Sherman M. Stanage

Bully/Victim Conflict: An Overview for Educators – Beverly B. Title, Ph.D.