The Village Squire, 1981-05, Page 12One Day at a Time
The most dangerous violence is hidden
In spite of all the terrible violence
raging about us in today's crazy world.
most people have never been and
probably will never be the victim of a
violent act.
Not counting my elementary school
years. when a punch in the mouth or a
kick in the shins seemed to be the
routine. traditional way of deciding who
would get to be pitcher on the softball
team as well as other important matters, 1
have so far been lucky enough to escape
the anguish of having my body bashed
about by belligerent. half -crazed indivi-
duals intent on teaching me a lesson.
1 have never been shot at. attacked
with a knife, struck with a baseball bat.
mugged, hijacked or taken hostage. No
one has ever broken into my home. run
me down with a car or left a bomb in my
basement. And none of those things has
ever happened to most of the people I
know.
So when I read about the terrible
human toll that violence is exacting these
days, it's like reading fictional stories
about incredible events in some far-off
fantasy world. Having so little experience
with all these terrible acts of cruelty. I can
become smug and disinterested when
another president is shot or another
jetliner highjacked. I can even pretend
when violence is simply not a part of the
little world I live in.
But if that were really so. if my little
day-to-day environment really docs con-
tain no violence. then why is it 1 come
home some days feeling like I've just
been kicked in the groin, struck on the
head and thrown down a flight of stairs?
Though my body shows no evidence of
having been hurt in any way, why do my
emotions so often feel bullet -ridden and
bleeding?
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by Jim Hagarty
I think it's because, figuratively
speaking, of course, they really are
bruised and battered. The violent act- the
punch, the kick or the pistol shot- is just
the most visible symptom of the ravaging
cancer that is eating awoj at our society.
And as apparently peaceful as my little
world seems to be at first glance. it is. in
reality, as violent a territory as any back
street in Chicago, or any backwoods in
Tennesee.
Violence. in essence. is the attempt to
change another's will through the use of
force. But it's wrong to think of force only
in terms of what we can actually sec
happening. When Tiger Williams elbows
a hockey opponent in the head. he is
trying to prevent his enemy from working
the puck into the Vancouver goal. It's a
violent act the intent of which is to
prevent someone from carrying out what
it is he want to do.
The most dangerous violence. however
is the hidden kind- the kind that masks
itself as something else. From time to
time. we have all used guilt as a way of
"forcing" others to conform to our
wishes. Under the guise of concern. we
lend others advice when our real motive
is to get them to do what we want. Out of
sympathy for others. we criticize their
characters to our neighbours. hoping our
calumny will obstruct their path. prevent-
ing them from doing what they wish. A
classic elbow in the head.
The most violent people I know of arc
political and religious fanatics who arc
time bombs waiting to explode. Full of
anger and hatred. they "preach" the
word of whatever ideological leader they
subscribe to. using the force of argument
and intimidation to bludgeon others into
accepting their teachings. And God help
you if you don't accept them.
Even as adults. our world is not very
different from the schoolyard at recess
where little power plays are going on all
the time and the bullies are strutting
about.
And 1 am no different. Every once in a
while, I want to be pitcher too.
Jim Hagarty is a freelance journalist and
former reporter for the Stratford Beacon
Herald. Responses to his columns may be
forwarded either to the Village Squire or
Box 456. Mitchell.