This post has absolutely nothing to do with teaching, other than it goes against everything I spend my teaching life promoting…peace.
I am a passionate teacher, a respectful hunter, a patriotic American, and now an angry taxpayer. Today I was at the Michigan Deer & Turkey Spectacular, a hunting show in Lansing. Among all of the outfitters’ booths and hunting gear displays was a video game shooting gallery provided by the United States Army. I was fine with this. What torqued me was the logo-wrapped Hummer with a huge flat screen television in the back. A soldier, in fatigues stood there playing a video game in which he shot other human beings, exploded domestic buildings and vehicles, then graphically showed a bullet-riddled, bleeding torso of a digitized man’s deathly stare.
It took me a minute to process that I was seeing this purposeful rendition of human slaughter in the midst of a show promoting respectful and safe use of firearms, a sport trying to be passed on responsibly to a new generation. This video-game playing soldier gladly handed out applications to join the U.S. Army and glorified arguably the worst part of his job in an effort to entice young people. I was torn between feelings of pride and concern for all those who have lost their lives or put themselves into war zones under our flag, and feelings of disgust that killing humans had become the selling point.
It certainly doesn’t represent all of our military, but to think any of our money paid for this inhumane exhibit is sickening. Am I overreacting to be so dismayed at this tax-funded display?
This display doesn’t belong in this venue, period. This show is put on by Target Communications Corporation. Please take the time to contact them and vent your dismay with this display.
This is an exhibition showcasing the ethical participation of many sportsman in the hunting and shooting sports. We, as a group, believe that the wise use of a renewable natural resource, is not only an active outdoor sport ,but also nessecary to the balance of nature. Why this display was allowed should anger anyone attending, especially when we older participants in this sport are trying to pass on the legacy of an ethical and humane way to use and manage our wildlife resources.
Glad to hear I’m not the only old fuddy-duddy with some sense. Even with animals, it’s not about the kill, remember?
When we become callous to the use of guns against people, we have lost something vital to sthe LAmerican spirit and the Christianity we profess to believe in. You may have known that some of us would automatically agree with your assessment. I’m glad to hear what Grampa Bornick said. I share both your feelings. But I guess the US Army assumes that we’ve seen so much bloodshed in news and movies and now against protestors in Egype and especially Bahrain, that they think anything goes. For at least some of us, they are wrong!
Walt as we first walked up to the booth with the US Army I saw the tent where they had the duck hunting game. I thought to myself, ok maybe the Army wanted to come so that the kids could see them even though it was a deer hunting expo for families. Then I looked over and saw the hummer with the guy playing and I saw the blood on the screen and could not believe that they we’re standing their playing this game with all these young kids walking around seeing this game. I mean this was a family event and then I thought about the fact that our hard earned tax paying dollars were wasted to buy the hummer, the tv, the sound system, the xbox the game, and then pay the guys to stand their and play it. What is the Army trying to tell these kids that it’s ok to go out and shoot people or shoot up cities? I don’t think you over reacted at all. I think that if the Army has enough money to be able to pay for all of that stuff then we should get a tax break. That’s not what the Army is there for, to play games. They are there to help defend our country, not play video games. Last time I checked playing a video game did not involve putting your life on the line to help protect our country. Those two guys looked like they were not worried about a thing. This was a deer hunting expo not a human hunting expo.