School Bells – Current Affairs – Grade 8 – Week 32
Today should be a particularly interesting discussion. The question of whether more weapons keeps one safer is certainly one about which many people feel passionate. These young people will be among those future leaders who will have to make decisions about such issues.
The future leaders are now arriving.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. No cookies?
Me: No, I am sorry. Seems as if I have time to make enough for every other week. I will do my best to make some this Easter weekend.
I am eager to hear what you and your family members think about the question of whether more weapons keep individuals, communities or nations safer.
Will: Martin Luther King Jr. believed that a non-violent approach was the most effective.
Will: Can I read a quote from something he wrote Mr. Jim?
Me: Yes, please do Will.
Will: “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral; begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So, it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” (1967, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?. p. 67.)(patheos.com)
John: But what if the person or persons who hates kill you and your family or threatens to kill? You have to stop the bad person.
Will: I agree that it is very confusing. I asked my dad and he said that sometimes you do what is right even if people die.
Ann: Will, are you suggesting that we should not have used violence to stop Hitler his troops? Do you think that the president of Syria or Russia is going to be nice if we are nice?
Will: My mom says that if we refuse to be violent that something will change – maybe not immediately.
Me: What is the difference between being passive and being non-violent? Was Martin Luther King, Jr. passive? Does everyone know what I mean by passive? Let’s review the definition. Paul, will you look it up please?
Paul: Here it is Uncle Jim. It says:
1. Accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance.
2. Denoting a voice of verbs in which the subject undergoes the action of the verb (e.g. they were killed as opposed to the act form he killed them).
3. (of a circuit or device) contacting no source of electromotive force.
Me: Could it be said that Martin Luther King, Jr. was offering resistance?
Will: He was very clear that it was important to stand up against injustice.
Ann: But didn’t people still get hurt and die?
Amena: My dad thinks that just having lots of weapons but not using them will stop some of the violence.
Me: If one person or nation has lots of weapons do other individuals or nations then decide that they need more weapons?
John: My mom suggested that having a president such as Mr. Trump who wants more weapons and might use them makes more people afraid and likely to use their weapons first.
Abdul: It seems as if the more violent the terrorisst are the more violent we and other nations are.
Tom: Is the choice between not being violent and dying and being violent?
Will: I have another quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. May I read it?
Me: Yes, please do.
Will: (reading) “Cowardice asks the question – is it safe? Expediency asks the question – is it politic? Vanity asks the question – is it popular? But conscience asks the question – is it, right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right.” (From a speech, A Proper Sense of Priorities, February 6, 1968, Washington, D.C.) (patheos.com)
Me: Can anyone think of an author who suggested the same thing? We have studied this author.
Susie: Was that the one about the African American man, Bigger Thomas?
Me: Yes, the book was Native Son by Richard Wright. What do you remember about Bigger Thomas?
Ann: The police thought he had killed the mother and were threatening him.
Me: Do you remember what he said?
Ann: Something about it not being a big deal if they killed him?
Me: Very good Ann. As I recall he said: “Ain’t nothin you can do except kill me and that ain’t nothin.” Why did he say killing him was nothin?
Paul: Because we are all going to die anyway?
Me: Precisely. Of course, the suicide bombers can use the same logic. They think that Allah will be pleased if they kill the infidels. The Reverend King would say that no matter how they justified violence it would just cause more violence.
John: My uncle is a member of the group called The Oath Keepers who believes that people such as Martin Luther King, Jr. just want to keep guns away from citizens so they cannot defend themselves. A man by the name of Elmer Rhodes who started the group is reported to have said that Hitler could have been stopped by police and military if they had refused to obey orders.
Me: So folks such as those who are members of The Oath Keepers and even some members of the National Rifle Association think non-violence is a way to make the ordinary person more vulnerable/unprotected.
Tom: What about Gandhi and the Salt March? That was non-violent and some believe it was very effective in helping to stop British Imperialism.
Me: Where did you read that Tom?
Tom: We were looking at a web site called (he reads off a card) “wagingnonviolence.org”
Me: I am again impressed by how much thought and effort you and your families have devoted to this topic. Obviously, we have not proven that one method is the best approach but we have demonstrated that there are very thoughtful, good people who are thinking about and discussing this topic.
Ann: My mom keeps saying that she is proud of us for learning to ask questions and to really think about issues.
Me: I agree with your mom. Time is nearly up. For next week I am recommending that we spend time with our families talking about what we would do about gun violence if we were the mayor of Chicago? Susie please pass out the papers with the assignment on it. Thanks.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Me: Have a good week everyone.
Class: Goodbye Mr. Jim
Written April 12, 2017
Today should be a particularly interesting discussion. The question of whether more weapons keeps one safer is certainly one about which many people feel passionate. These young people will be among those future leaders who will have to make decisions about such issues.
The future leaders are now arriving.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. No cookies?
Me: No, I am sorry. Seems as if I have time to make enough for every other week. I will do my best to make some this Easter weekend.
I am eager to hear what you and your family members think about the question of whether more weapons keep individuals, communities or nations safer.
Will: Martin Luther King Jr. believed that a non-violent approach was the most effective.
Will: Can I read a quote from something he wrote Mr. Jim?
Me: Yes, please do Will.
Will: “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral; begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So, it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” (1967, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?. p. 67.)(patheos.com)
John: But what if the person or persons who hates kill you and your family or threatens to kill? You have to stop the bad person.
Will: I agree that it is very confusing. I asked my dad and he said that sometimes you do what is right even if people die.
Ann: Will, are you suggesting that we should not have used violence to stop Hitler his troops? Do you think that the president of Syria or Russia is going to be nice if we are nice?
Will: My mom says that if we refuse to be violent that something will change – maybe not immediately.
Me: What is the difference between being passive and being non-violent? Was Martin Luther King, Jr. passive? Does everyone know what I mean by passive? Let’s review the definition. Paul, will you look it up please?
Paul: Here it is Uncle Jim. It says:
1. Accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance.
2. Denoting a voice of verbs in which the subject undergoes the action of the verb (e.g. they were killed as opposed to the act form he killed them).
3. (of a circuit or device) contacting no source of electromotive force.
Me: Could it be said that Martin Luther King, Jr. was offering resistance?
Will: He was very clear that it was important to stand up against injustice.
Ann: But didn’t people still get hurt and die?
Amena: My dad thinks that just having lots of weapons but not using them will stop some of the violence.
Me: If one person or nation has lots of weapons do other individuals or nations then decide that they need more weapons?
John: My mom suggested that having a president such as Mr. Trump who wants more weapons and might use them makes more people afraid and likely to use their weapons first.
Abdul: It seems as if the more violent the terrorisst are the more violent we and other nations are.
Tom: Is the choice between not being violent and dying and being violent?
Will: I have another quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. May I read it?
Me: Yes, please do.
Will: (reading) “Cowardice asks the question – is it safe? Expediency asks the question – is it politic? Vanity asks the question – is it popular? But conscience asks the question – is it, right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right.” (From a speech, A Proper Sense of Priorities, February 6, 1968, Washington, D.C.) (patheos.com)
Me: Can anyone think of an author who suggested the same thing? We have studied this author.
Susie: Was that the one about the African American man, Bigger Thomas?
Me: Yes, the book was Native Son by Richard Wright. What do you remember about Bigger Thomas?
Ann: The police thought he had killed the mother and were threatening him.
Me: Do you remember what he said?
Ann: Something about it not being a big deal if they killed him?
Me: Very good Ann. As I recall he said: “Ain’t nothin you can do except kill me and that ain’t nothin.” Why did he say killing him was nothin?
Paul: Because we are all going to die anyway?
Me: Precisely. Of course, the suicide bombers can use the same logic. They think that Allah will be pleased if they kill the infidels. The Reverend King would say that no matter how they justified violence it would just cause more violence.
John: My uncle is a member of the group called The Oath Keepers who believes that people such as Martin Luther King, Jr. just want to keep guns away from citizens so they cannot defend themselves. A man by the name of Elmer Rhodes who started the group is reported to have said that Hitler could have been stopped by police and military if they had refused to obey orders.
Me: So folks such as those who are members of The Oath Keepers and even some members of the National Rifle Association think non-violence is a way to make the ordinary person more vulnerable/unprotected.
Tom: What about Gandhi and the Salt March? That was non-violent and some believe it was very effective in helping to stop British Imperialism.
Me: Where did you read that Tom?
Tom: We were looking at a web site called (he reads off a card) “wagingnonviolence.org”
Me: I am again impressed by how much thought and effort you and your families have devoted to this topic. Obviously, we have not proven that one method is the best approach but we have demonstrated that there are very thoughtful, good people who are thinking about and discussing this topic.
Ann: My mom keeps saying that she is proud of us for learning to ask questions and to really think about issues.
Me: I agree with your mom. Time is nearly up. For next week I am recommending that we spend time with our families talking about what we would do about gun violence if we were the mayor of Chicago? Susie please pass out the papers with the assignment on it. Thanks.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Me: Have a good week everyone.
Class: Goodbye Mr. Jim
Written April 12, 2017
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