Prior to the first chapter, Ishmael describes a brief conversation he had with his high school friends in New York City. How do you feel about his friends' response that seeing people running around and shooting each other is cool? Do you think that response is an expected one for students here in the United States? If so, what do you think has attributed to thinking things like that are cool?
In addition to your own reflection, please take time to critique one of your classmate's comments. Remember that good comments justify, specify, argue, extend, question, explain or elaborate!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I feel that the kids think that running around and shooting other people is cool. Kids here in America, in his situation, would've loved shooting other people. They would not have thought of the consequences that could happen during a war.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the reason most Americans think that violence is cool is not that they're desensitized by the violence on TV and video games, but rather that war stories or just some media has romanticized war. Kids think that being in a war is cool and that you just shoot some bad guys and come back home with a couple of medals. They don't understand the trauma an average person goes through when they kill someone, or how tragic the death of a friend can be. Only those that have actually experienced war and have come back can truly retell what it is like. The simple fact is that most people believe, including me, that war is not noble it is sad and dark, why else would people so desperately avoid it otherwise?
ReplyDeleteLike Jason, I also agree that video games and TV show violence. I also believe the music a lot of kids listen to send bad messages that are burned into these kids minds. Another possibility is the fact that Americans have never been around such violence so they don't know how serious it can be. Also teenagers are at the age were they act braver than they are, so it could very possibly been kids trying to act tough, that would make them say that. I think this behavior is terrible and if the kids had known a little more about the effects of this war they would never have said that. Unfortunately Brandon I strongly disagree with your opinion. I feel as if kids say things based off lack of knowledge and stubbornness. When I put myself in these kids shoes, I think that I could never kill someone. If I was Ishmael I would have probably punched one of those kids in the face, thinking they were accounting for all of the dead people who died because of that war.
ReplyDeleteI agree very strongly with Trevor and Jason. I think the media has gotten so surrounded by the idea of wars that it has made it look glamorous and like war is not something you can die from but something you can become famous from. But I do disagree with Brandon's statement about kids in America not thinking about the consequences and about the fact they could die, because many kids do think of that, but they feel like it would not happen to them, like they are invincible. You see so many kids today going around and doing so many stupid things, like smoking pot or drinking, that others thinks it is okay and even though they know the risks, because they have seen so many people doing it, they do not realize that just because someone else does not die from some stupid choice they make does not mean they won't. But most kids would not think it is cool, neccesarily, more like they would think it is something to be proud of that you fought in a war because of the, like Jason said, "romanticized" image of the war. I play those video games myself, Call of Duty, Battlefield, they all show different parts of a war and different ways of killing but I do not think it is cool a child was put in the army and killed someone and got to shoot a gun that could have hurt someone. Those games are rated for a reason, and most people that are not the age that they are supposed to be to play those games are not mature enough to handle them. My friend's little brother watches us play Call of Duty, even though he is not allowed, and now he wants to be in the Marines and thinks its cool to hurt people. When in reality it is not at all. You don't come back to life, you don't get a second chance, you die. You give your life for something and if you die in the army, you're dead, forever. Which is why I think those kids thought it was cool, because of the misconstrude view of those games and the media and how they look apon others.
ReplyDeleteI think that what his friend said was a perfect example of ignorance in the United States. People watch movies where people are getting shot at and killed and therefore think it is cool. Especially kids dont take the time to actually learn about what is really going on. And many times, no one tries to teach them about what is going on either. People here about guns and shooting and they think, cool, Rambo, Terminator, not little children in Africa being killed. People have a very strued perception of what life is like in these African countries. If they would take the time to learn about what was going on and not be so ignorant about it all, they would not make comments like that; uninformed, uncalled for comments.
ReplyDeletechildren running around shooting eachother wouldnt be cool. if some kids survived that were doing that they probably regretted in the near future because they realised what they had done. many of they people in sudan and many other countries that face problems with children being taken is that the kids are taken at a young age and influenced by the people around them. i think that most of the american children wouldnt like to go around shooting people. but for the few who would think it is cool, are probably influecned by people around them or saw it in a movie and would think nothing would happen to them. i wouldnt ever think going around shooting people is a cool idea. i think it would be terrible to see all the injuries and sadness of the people i had hurt.
ReplyDeleteThe kids probably know violence good from their video games. I mean, maybe their being bullied or having problems themselves and often feel like as if virtual shooting and killing people would make them feel better. Well, in many cases it really IS relieving stress and frustration, for example if a bullied kid imagines him shooting his harasser. SO with the time some kids might just think violence solves their problems with hurting the "bad people". Some other kids might be so into their games and little own world that they think war and fighting would be normal and maybe even cool. Some wuld maybe be proud of saying "I killed someone". But I think if they would really have to kill and be a soldier, they would miss the past and realize how stupid it was to talk like that. They would face the truth about war and death. I think after that every kid must be pretty messed up.
ReplyDeleteThe kids from the NY school probably think that way, at least some of them, when Emmanuel said how they all have their own problems.
I also agree with Jason. I think that is expected response of students in united states. Most teenagers play games;most of the games are first person shooting games where you run around, shooting people. I think this is a reason why students think shooting people is fun. Go listen to war stories;they are horrible; you don't have multiple lives. If you get hit, your dead. Also you have to think about the consequences. Think about how much stress you will get and the guilt of killing people.
ReplyDeleteSome might think its cool but i don't think immature children killing people's right.
I believe teenagers in the U.S. don't know how good they have it and also they will never experience the type of dramma a normal kid in uganda will. Its probably easy to shoot a gun but i'm pretty sure its hard to kill a man or child. life would be terrible if kids just shot people for what ever reason. The only time people should use guns is during war or if someone looks scary.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea that teenagers don't consider the war as the war is, but make it like a kind of fun in their mind, just like the violence movies and games. I sometimes watch violence movies,too. And I also play the game God of War, there is truly a lot of fun, but I can find the difference between games and real wars.
ReplyDeleteChina had been in a tough war for 8 years through 1938 to 1945, this is one of the most important parts in our history text books. Teacher showed us many pictures and data to show the war's tragic points. We also visited couple of museums and saw that part of history intuitively. All the pictures of dead bodies, enemies' laugh, and people's heads without bodies shocked us. We all know clearly that wars are not like movies, in which there can always be a hero saves everybody.
Sometimes it is hard to imagine that, a person who has lived in the world for over 20 years, suddenly loses his life just because of a little bullet. And I don't think killing a person is cool.
I feel like the kid who said that running around and killing is cool is a future murder. Also the music that's out these days talks about drug dealing and killing and things in that nature. Also us Americans probably think that killing is cool because they probably feel like they're in a video game. Because there are alot of violent video games out. I think that a kids view about killing would change once they went into an actual war. Because it's not just you shooting at them, they're also shooting at you.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Jason and Trevor with the video games and tv because those are the two main reasons why mostly anybody think that violence is cool. But I really don't like violence that much because 1) you'll have to live with killing for the rest of your life and 2) it is just WRONG. I mean I understand why people would like violence because of call of duty or Rambo because those are like the best game and the best war movie in America. The only thing that I don't understand is that why is violence the most seen theme of wars because I thought war was all about trying to figure out a solution for freedom between two or more countries expectually between African countries.
ReplyDelete