Crime and violence are the No. 1 issue in the minds of Americans. A crime bill to put more police on the streets and the Brady bill to regulate sale of hand guns are small steps-but not the most important ones.
Violence is learned behavior, sociologists and psychologists agree, and is most often learned at an early age. How children are treated and how they see others treated are fundamental factors.
What choices are being made on a daily basis in thought and conduct-for supporting and disciplining children, for selecting forms of play and entertainment, for resolving disputes?
Condoning violence at sports events, renting brutal videos, and patronizing ultraviolent films are choices that have consequences.
As Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize winner and Nazi death camp survivor, has said when asked about the West’s inability to respond to Bosnia and other crises of deep import, “We have failed to teach our children that man is not an animal.”
