Every day in our newspapers, there are more and more tragedies and trauma concerning our kids killing, maiming and hurting each other. Are we listening? Do we realize we can stop this madness? Are we willing?
Working with young children, I am bearing witness to constant elevations of disrespectful behavior towards each other. And if a mother is told her son is misbehaving, the usual response is: “He is just being a boy.” Being a boy? What does that mean? We allow them to be disrespectful and say it is cute? We allow them to hit and say, “Oh, he didn’t mean it, he was just being a boy,” and we allow them to play with guns and say it is harmless? We allow total disregard for structure, peace and respect, because it is the status quo to allow boys and men to be “boys”?
The ruling tyranny of the Eurocentric patriarchy has allowed boys and men to think they are untouchable. And we are all to blame. We have allowed fear to rule our thoughts of what is right and what is good.
What does it take for the meaning of “boy” and “man” to mean peace? When does divide-and-conquer no longer take the front seat?
And our girls—our girls, wanting to be like the “boys”?
Help us help our kids! They are literally starving: for love, peace, positive community, knowledge, comfort!
Please come out, all the caring, role-modeling, not-afraid-of-the-kids adults!
Our schools, our social systems, our parenting are all failing the needs of our children. When do we say “enough”? Enough to the greed of a nonworking “every-child-left-behind” act. Enough to training children to learn how to test rather than be able to think or be creative and responsible. Enough to allowing the children to decide their behavior! Enough to the fear that social services will intervene. Enough to children having to raise themselves! It is just enough!
When do our children matter more than the economic, greedy, devouring machinery of sports and war?
Merged voices, change happens! Anyone interested?
— Ariel Harris
Asheville
