Violence - Education and the Media

Recently, a violent massacre of school children in Germany by a seventeen year old former student was all over the media. It was reported that the seventeen year old had the same sort of violent media games on his computer as perpetrators of other similar massacres in the past.

However, just as on earlier occasions there has been no concrete move to ban the sale of such violent games by the concerned authorities. There is a case for banning such games and the banning of violence from other media such as TV and movies as well. The human mind is conditioned by whatever it is exposed to. Most are able to distinguish reality from games but there are others who cannot. These few are enough to perpetuate violence on others.

It is time that violence in all forms is banished from the media. There is far too much of it in society as it is. Humans can reach the next level of evolution only when they can overcome all forms of physical violence that lurks in their psyche from their animal origins. Cases of rape and road rage are a daily occurrence in most countries of the world and recently the media in India has reported the death of students in a professional college due to violence perpetuated by other students. Any form of education is of little value unless non-violence as a primary human value is inculcated. There is a need to include the teaching of non-violence in educational curricula. Schools and educational establishments that have suffered violence need to ask themselves if they had included such education in the character building programs for their students. If not, are they not partly responsible for the consequences ?

Various spiritual ideas have been discussed in this blog but the beginning of virtue is the abandonment of violence and the cultivation of the opposite virtue of compassion and universal love. Those who cannot eliminate physical violence from their behaviour must undergo therapy programs designed specifically for the purpose. Perhaps the only conditions where violence can be justified is in self defence against violence besides the violence humans are compelled to commit on the plant and animal kingdom during the production of food. There is a need to ban violent sports as well such as boxing, wrestling, bull fighting etc. At one time humans entertained themselves through far more violent fights such as in Roman Gladiator sports. Since then, extreme violence has been eliminated in sports. However, even the modern human has not fully overcome this tendency to be entertained by violence. Humans will become fully human only when they outgrow such tendencies. Until then they are undoubtedly still partly like a evolutionary lower animal, more fit for the forest rather than civilized society.

Dr. Deepak Chopra, the reknowned Spiritualist has recommended the following vow

" I Deepak Chopra, vow non-violence in my thoughts, in my speech, and in my actions. Please Join me"

He goes on to say that a vow is a sacred commitment and do that only if you are honest and sincere in your intention and then go on to encourage atleast two other persons to take that vow. That way the message will spread to millions.

Taking the vow does not mean that we will never react with anger due to old habits. It simply means that we have decided that it is a poor way to react and will make a conscious effort to change that habit. One must believe at all times that reacting with physical violence is a very poor and inhuman thing to do not just in actions, but also in speech and thoughts.