Lawrence Journal-World

Culture of Peace

Charlotte Ostermann

Indianapolis is the first city to concern itself with the culture of violence that surrounds kids – starting by limiting their access to violent video games. I applaud the Journal-World for letting us know of the pioneer effort to turn the tide. I hope the article in the July 18 issue will influence local citizens to rethink the wisdom of allowing children a steady diet of virtual decapitation, dismemberment, mutilation and maiming of human beings.

It would strengthen our position as parents, leaders tribal elders if we confessed that the ACTUAL decapitation, dismemberment, mutilation and maiming of tiny human beings is also abhorrent. Once we’ve begun encouraging youth toward higher, nobler, purer, more mature behavior by our own example, the sky’s the limit!

They could learn that the strong have a responsibility to serve and protect the weak; that the solution to one person’s problem cannot be the destruction of another person’; that the thrill of violence is an illicit pleasure and a dangerous appetite to cultivate in an individual or a society. A culture of peace can only be built upon a foundation of reverence for life. Please pray and work for the peace of our children, our families, our schools, our city and our nation.