What Makes an Overreaction
The essay collection “What Makes a Man” was inspired by Rebecca Walker’s 11-year-old son’s commenting, “Maybe girls will like me if I play sports.” The statement starts Walker ruminating about the paths that have been laid out for American boys. “And then there was the final and most chilling thought of all: A bat, a ‘joy stick.’ What’s next, a gun?” This might strike some as a hypervigilant parent’s overreaction; to others, however, given the murder rate (to mention just one fact of American life), Walker’s alarm seems quite reasonable.
Yeah, baseball to murder. A perfectly sound leap. Murders exist, and thus any conjecture about their cause is reasonable.
Hey, it worked for Bush with terrorism and the justifications for the war in Iraq.
Besides, guns are inherently evil, and Have Only One Purpose. If we hide the knowledge of them from children, they will never ever play cops and robbers, or the like, with their fingers, which leads to thinking of violence as natural.
And children would never be inclined to violence if it weren't for being given the impression it was acceptable. Violence is otherwise unnatural.
And I am Marie of Roumania.
Posted by Gary Farber on April 7 2004 06:16
Actually I almost agree. The baseballbats-guns idea might be a bit off. But, they're both part of the popular culture that children are formed by. If Rebecca Walker's son is being influenced by the "sport is macho and girls like it" side of the things, he most likely being influenced by the "casual murder" side, too.
But then, it's the parent's responsibility to deal with that.
But then, I'm pro-gun and Pro-war...
Posted by Dolores on April 9 2004 02:34
Actually I almost agree. The baseballbats-guns idea might be a bit off. But, they're both part of the popular culture that children are formed by. If Rebecca Walker's son is being influenced by the "sport is macho and girls like it" side of the things, he most likely being influenced by the "casual murder" side, too.
But then, it's the parent's responsibility to deal with that.
But then, I'm pro-gun and Pro-war...
Posted by Dolores on April 9 2004 02:34