COMMUNITY COMMENTARY -- Sandra Kaszynski

I was recently sitting with four first-grade teachers who were

lamenting, in shocked tones, that most of their students were talking

about, emulating and, of course, watching the latest “Chuckie” movies.

For those as ignorant as I, they are slasher movies. First-graders are 5

and 6 years old.

I am amazed that society is so shocked by the recent events of child

brutality. One child used a car to kill, one his bare hands and another a

gun. We like to think that we are so civilized and beyond the barbarism

and blood lust of the past, but we are indeed the same people who sat in

the Coliseum of Rome and pointed thumbs down.

Most of us have felt the cruelty of junior high and high school and

are more than a little glad that it is over. For those who suffer that

humiliation today, the voice of society says that violence is OK or not

really real. And hey, it feels real good to get even. Don’t we cheer the

victor? We are savages and we should educate ourselves and our children

to overcome this animalistic part of our genetic makeup.

When these images are put into the mind of a 6-year-old and then

constantly reinforced throughout his or her life, how should we

reasonably expect an only slightly less than controlled person to react

to humiliation? What have they been trained to do?

The advertising industry says that given enough of an audience for a

long enough time, they can sell us anything. They have pretty much proved

this. Conversely, the entertainment industry says that they are not

responsible for, but reflective of, society at large. Which is it?

Depends on what you are selling.

We have been paying for and supporting an increasingly violent media.

It is not guns or cars or hands that are the problem. It has been more

than 30 years since children have been exposed to these scenes and look

where we are.

Our new Federal Communications Commission leader, Michael Powell, sees

no reason to intervene. He says to let the market decide. Well, the

market decided on gladiators and real blood. Unless we revolt with

vehemence, our cash, our time and letters to Powell, nothing will change.

Kids will kill kids with cars, guns and their bare hands because we don’t

have a strong enough voice to do what’s right and turn three decades of

decadent, artistic blood lust around.

* SANDRA KASZYNSKI is a Costa Mesa resident.