George Lucas Will Donate Disney $4 Billion To Education

[dreamnightwind]

40. Excellent post!

I don't agree with every statement, but overall love the analysis. Our culture's militarism and good vs. evil view are intimately linked. Not at the top, of course, at the top people mostly realize that they're resource wars. But it's the way they sell warmaking to the public. And it runs very very deep in our society: literature, art, film, and of course television.

I raised my son with values that do not honor militarism (except in extremely necessary circumstances that rarely occur), instead teaching him that people are not just good and evil, there is both in everyone, and seeing someone as an evil being that must be destroyed is actually a failure of vision and understanding.

I kept him away from violent programming and anything that would glorify warfare. Finally I gave in on Star Wars, the surrounding family and peer pressures were strongly in favor of allowing it, and I went along with it. I watched over the next few years, as he got way into it, and his views of warfare and good and evil did indeed change. Other similar programming followed. His play reflected these changes. He was constantly shooting and slicing things, looking for new conquests.

Was it the end of the world? No, he's doing ok. It is, however, a cautionary tale and one that others can hopefully benefit from. If I had it to do over again, I'd say no, we don't glorify such things, we don't view the world that way. It is difficult in this society to bring up a child with values not held by the mainstream.

I hope this education money goes to a good cause. I'll read up on Edutopia and see what's it's about. Anyway, thanks for your thoughtful post.

edited to add: I think the real problem with education is poverty.