Have you seen The Wire? I hadn't seen it until this weekend, but considering that everybody said it was so freaking awesome, I decided to give it a shot. And it's freaking awesome.
It's largely about the crappy state of the public schools in Baltimore and how it breeds kids destined for a violent end. It's about my kids, too.
We're getting ready to read The Pearl in my sophomore class, so I hosted a discussion today about the definition of Evil. The kids had to define it in groups and then we talked about what they came up with. Most of them agreed that Evil exists when you know what you're doing is wrong.
Then I asked them about the difference between right and wrong and here is what I learned:
One of my students, "Fernando," once held a gun to the head of one of my other students, "Michael," just for fun. He said it was funny, watching Michael freak out and plead for his life. When I asked him why, he couldn't answer. Just that he enjoyed it. Finally one of my college-bound students piped up with the word "power." Fernando reluctantly nodded. I asked Michael how he liked the gun to his head and he said he was afraid, but that he knew Fernando wouldn't pull the trigger.
Fernando said it's okay to kill somebody if they talk shit about you and don't have the gonads to back it up. He also said he'd kill a stranger for a million dollars. Seven students in the room agreed with him, and they couldn't see how that was wrong. Yet not one of them said they'd do the same if the person was someone they knew. That would be immoral.
"Why don't you kill somebody right now?" I asked. Because nobody's pissing me off, Fernando told me. He's frequently beaten people to bloody pulps in the name of his gang. I didn't ask which one he was in. I don't want to know.
Another student described how much fun it was to watch someone squirming on the ground in a puddle of their own blood.
Then they called each other "gay" and made jokes about each other's moms. They got excited about an assignment I gave them and got to work when I nagged them. They took notes when I defined literary terms. They laughed at my stupid jokes and asked with hopeful smiles if I was coming to the football game Friday.
Then they go out on the weekend and play with hand cannons.
The funny thing is, I'm not afraid of them in the least. I'd honestly feel completely safe walking through the neighborhood where my kids live because I know they'd protect me. I just wish I could protect them from themselves.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I don't know what's worse, your students' idea of right and wrong, or having to read The Pearl.
ReplyDeleteNext to Things Fall Apart and Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, The Pearl was the bane of my existence for a while in high school.
What is it about The Pearl that English teachers find interesting? Though, it dones on me that I might know the answer to that question if I had payed attention when we were reading it.
Dude, it's only 90 pages.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, it's because we don't have any copies of Lord of the Flies.
LOL
ReplyDeleteWell that was the longest 90 pages ever.
what about protecting others from your students?
ReplyDeleteunfortunately it's very scary how programmable the human mind is. there is no innate soul to prevent certain types of development, or lack thereof.
My job is to try to reach them and get them to realize the negative consequences of their behavior. Actually, that's not even my job, but I do it anyway. Most teachers do.
ReplyDeleteThe cops are responsible for potecting them from each other. And believe me, my kids have been arrestied. This particular student has been in jail for grand theft auto. God only knows what else he's been up to.
As a former machine-gunner in the USMC (but now I work in "the industry") I have to comment on "gun worship".
ReplyDeleteLet's connect the dots between trigger pull, laziness, and unemployment.
Trigger pull is how far you have to move your finger to actuate the trigger mechanism. Most weapons have a trigger pull within the range of 1/4 inch. Less if you don't factor in taking up the slack.
In comparison - to flush a toilet - you have to move the "trigger" at least an inch.
So - it takes 4x as much effort to flush a turd - than to kill someone with a gun.
The growth of civilian gun violence is a result of the fact that it's too frigging easy. A monkey or a 6-year old can all learn to shoot to kill (at close range) in seconds.
Put "Fernando" in a cinderblock room with a monkee or a 6 year-old holding a gun - "Fernando" may leave in a body bag.
Think about it.
If you are lazy, stupid, and unemployed. It seems em-powering.
I don't think un-employed people should be allowed to own guns.
Do I own one? Absolutely not!
Anon,
ReplyDeleteYou make an interesting point. But the problem is that there is no valuable correlation between intelligence and having a job. Some of the stupidest people are employed. And some of the brightest minds aren't.
I think they should limit the types of weapons people can carry. If you just want a weapon to protect your family, then you don't need a gun. Get a stun gun, or something non-leathal but effective in your goal: stopping intruders.
If you are a hunter, then fine, you can have a rifle. But you don't need a hand gun for your goal.
I honestly think only law enforcement should be allowed to carry hand guns-which make up most of the senseless violence.
I'd rather little Timmy accidently taser his friend James, than shoot James with a 9mm.
That's my take on it.