Violence and Stuff Like That

I'm always slightly bother by people bringing up the idea of desensitization of violence, as if such an idea is an undoing of morals and a bringer of our own doom. Now, that doesn't mean I don't believe it exists, but on some level it is an awareness of the violence, an acceptance that such violence exists, and I do not think that it is a bad thing. I am reminded of the viewpoint people had before World War I started, that it was going to be a romantic affair, glorified war, and it turned into one of the messiest, horrible wars we have ever had. Perhaps then, some understanding of violence can be an enlightening thing.

And then, perhaps in a cliche manner, history comes to my mind. I think most of the Romans, the gladiators and their fighting to the death. Yet, guns have made war messier and more horrifying than swords and shields, or perhaps we glorify that ourselves.

Of course, I see the way the world currently views violence, with more action oriented movies, more action oriented video games, clips of war and crime on the news every night. Yet, part of me feels like I lack the ability to comment on the world 10 years ago. I am young enough that I have matured with the way the news and movies and video games are today, and part of me views my desensitization of violence as growing up and accepting the world as it is.

The only thing that I fear such desensitization will do is create indifference. That is half the fear and distaste that people seem to have towards the idea, and I agree with them. Never should we lose our believe that we can do something, change something, making something better, or less violent. We should not become indifferent to the body count, to the faceless graves, to the people who die but we say they are only one out of so many, we should not care. If I had to define desensitization of violence, it would not be the getting used to, the accepting of such a violent world, but the indifference to its existence and the lack of desire to try and create change.

I do not know if my viewpoint really adds anything to you reader's viewpoints. Even though I wish people wouldn't be desensitized I easily see the symptoms in myself. I say it's easier to be indifferent because caring is hard when the world is so large. Or perhaps you are so exposed to it that you do not see how the world could ever be any different. Or you think that the best way to make your way in the world is to accept it as it is and work with the system, not against it.

Well, I suppose all I have to say is that we live in a desensitized world, and that when our lives can be neat little boxes were the television is as close to violence as it gets, we have to fight to care that we could change it. Yeah, I usually hate the person of interest stories on the nightly news, but they are there to keep us from being completely desensitized.