Here is something to think about, most of the young men who were packing those guns, and
flying those planes, and sailing aboard those ships on the high seas, were close to many in
age to those graduating from High School. All the other kids who were going to school saw the
armories full and people marching off to war, climbing aboard the ships and trains heading
for the battle fields of Europe and Asia during both World Wars.
Then there were many of today's grand parents who were victims of bombs falling on their
schools and playgrounds in Britain and else where. It wasn't a choice they got to see the guns.
We must remind our children and the public at large that our country and our world have had
some very sad chapters and unless they, the children of today, are kept aware of that history,
it will come again. The only childish people are those who believe unpleasant things can be
swept under the rug, and not presented in their full light of day.
One of the problems society faces is that we do not discuss uncomfortable topics or unpleasant
topics with our children. War and mass murder, sex healthy or otherwise, the cost and real
impact of labour disputes, why some people end up homeless or on drugs and so on.
Discussing these things is part of an education, so they understand the world around them and
they themselves can become active to ensure the adverse impacts of society are minimized.
We gain nothing from hiding the truth of our past no matter how ugly it is, so we may as well
educate today's children to take over from us when we are gone.
I remember my father saying it disturbed him greatly to see little kids eating out of garbage cans
in war torn Europe, it was an image that remained with him for life. When I was about ten or
twelve I asked him, Do you think that could ever happen here? Really?
His short answer was, Son if it could happen there it could happen here, its the job of your
generation to make sure it doesn't.
I am all for showing the weapons, and the terrible cost of war, this is death at its most violent and
these are the weapons of death. We need to defend ourselves with these weapons but they are
not toys, The people at the school need to have their head examined.
