Re: Pacifism (was Re: dvd-burning)

[steef <steefvanduin@zonnet.nl>]

Ron Johnson wrote:

> On Fri, 2005-02-18 at 12:21 +0100, steef wrote:
>  
>
> > Ron Johnson wrote:
> >
> >    
> >
> > > On Thu, 2005-02-17 at 21:36 +0100, steef wrote:
> > > [snip]
> > >
> > >
> > >      
> > >
> > > > there is some enlightenment now about what to use to burn a dvd of 
> > > > <world of warcraft>  for my youngest son of fourteen under sarge.
> > > > these are heavy times for an old-fashioned pacifist hippie like me.
> > > >   
> > > >
> > > >        
> > > But it's just a game.  It doesn't mean anything or affect your
> > > son in any way!  <snicker snicker ROFLMAO>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >      
> > yeah, guess you 're right.
> >    
>
> Does that mean you *do* believe that video games and TV can affect
> the behavior of children, or not?
>
>  
>
> > however: he has got an unalienable right on his own ideas.
> >    
>
> The "right"?  How can someone be prevented from having idea?
>
> He can not have the right to *express* his ideas, though: "No, 
> son, you may *not* fly a swastika on the wall in "your" room in
> *my* house that I pay for.  When you pay your own rent in your
> own abode, do whatever you want.
>
> Sincerely,
> Ron
>  
that last point of yours is in my opinion right, ron. to educate is to 
give basic security. in some cases that means , according to my 
judgement, to say 'no'.  if he would have the intention of putting 
swastika's on the wall of his room; one minute later they would had been 
gone forever.
maybe more important in most cases is to ask what went wrong when 
children of 12, 13 or 14 indeed do fly swastika's on the wall.

on the point of videogames or tv-violence: there is some psychological 
research that concludes in certain cases to a bad influence. so it seems 
that tv or videogames can affect the behavior of some children.

and, of course nobody can be prevented of having ideas. and in our 
democracy we value freedom of speech. so anybody has the right to 
express any idea, even if I personally detest those ideas completely. 
this is a very actual political discussion in my country nowadays.

my last point : I did not criticize sarge on this occasion. it is the 
only unix-distro that gives me the freedom I want.
and, I am not sure if a discussion like this belongs on these pages. 
thanx for your interesting comments,   

sinc. yours,

steef

groningen, netherlands