Photo "gummy murder 1" by John Carleton via Flickr
I just got back from doing a cool show at The Comedy Studio. Sundays are run by Erin Judge, and she's got some people together to do sketches every few weeks. Tonight, one of the pieces included essays on a theme we had written from our childhoods. I really wanted to read "The US Propaganda Machine" which I wrote in 7th or 8th grade, but I couldn't find it, so I went with "Violence: An Historical Perspective."
Given time constraints, I had to cut a lot out of the original, but the basics are all still there. I'll try to get and post the video in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, enjoy the virtually printed words...
Violence: An Historical Perspective
With the current frenzy over violence in America, people are blaming TV, music, movies and even journalism for its proliferation. It is important, though, to stop and examine the causes and effects of violence throughout history.
The British arrived in South Africa on their way to Asia, but they decided it wasn't enough to simply rest there. They wanted to own it. Along with the Dutch, they used automatic weapons to subdue the Africans and get the land.
Columbus stumbled across America looking for India. After discovering the vast natural resources here, he and other Europeans decimated the native population with disease, slavery and wars.
During the 1940s, Hitler and others wanted Jews out of Germany, so they killed them. As a result, most Jews died or fled, thus Hitler achieved his goal.
It's not the news or video games or the media. History proves that violence works.
That's why, when I saw Wendy had a nicer lunch than me, I hit her in the head with my backpack and took it. I learned it from history.