Peace on earth, good will towards men


Even though the old expression, "Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men", meant all of mankind, if you take it literally today, it's a worthy goal. A world where men don't kill each other, or hurt each other, is a good goal for mankind. And of course we must start with our children.

When I was a kid, children were taught that it was OK to hurt other children. Games were organized that encouraged pushing other children, and hitting them. Adults put children in uniforms and cheered at the brutality. It made me to ill to think of it then, and it still does. Because in my lifetime nothing has really changed.

Sure, bare-knuckled fist-fighting is a thing of the past, and we cringe when we imagine crowds of people standing around and cheering as the opponents got bloodied up and bruised.

No, I don't have any children, and they would probably be embarrassed by their old man's wimpy attitude towards violence. And no, I wouldn't go and protest against violent sports, children don't notice that. But I would do the one thing that children do notice, I wouldn't support violence. I would ignore violent sports. Because when children see adults watching violence, and cheering, the message to them is that it's all right.

But it's not all right with me. Nor is torturing animals, or committing violence to women, or other men. There are so many other things that men can do other than hurting each other. They can spend their time being good fathers, brothers, sons, and husbands.

When people ask me why I don't support wars, or bloodsports, my question to them is always, "Why do you?" And the answer is always the same - because it's always been that way in the history of the human race. But history can change. There's a better world there in the future, and it will be peace on earth, and good will towards men.

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