While reading for class one day, it hit me: every single book I had read for classes this year has involved some sort of extreme brutality ó neglect, child and domestic abuse, rape. As I pondered the implications of my various readings I began to realize that these explicit actions are everywhere ó television, the Internet, books and even conversation.
For once, I would like to read a book about peace and happiness. For once, I would like to check CNN.com without being overwhelmed by kidnapping stories. For once, I would like to watch television program without gratuitous amounts of implications and innuendos. Just once, I would like to give my brain a break and return to innocence.
Iím not saying that we should ignore real world events that carry heavy and emotionally challenging themes ó Iím worried about our apparent obsession with atrocity. The fact that we are deluged with these images and ideas is a problem: when we grow old, will our children look back upon our literary works and news records and wonder how we ever became a nation so obsessed with these barbaric actions?
Our parentsí generation was defined by peace and love. When we reach the end of our days, how will our generation be defined?