Jonny Quest and kinetic-energy-of-peace
Many of the things I remember fondly from my childhood would no longer be looked upon well by many parent’s groups, certain cartoons in particular. I remember thinking that Race Bannon from Jonny Quest was a bad ass because when he shot at a villainous pterodactyl or mad scientist he actually hit his target, but that didn’t last for ever. Gradually, the cast of GI Joe lost the ability to aim and would shoot tens of thousands of rounds without ever hitting anything. Today it’s near impossible to find a cartoon with guns.
I don’t necessarily disagree with toning down the violence to which children are exposed, but I was blown away when I heard that tug-of-war is no longer called tug-of-war. No, that’s too violent. Based on a line of reasoning from the National PTA, tug-of-war is now called… and I can’t believe I’m saying this…. tug-of-peace.
The National PTA recommends a cooperative alternative to the fiercely competitive “tug of war” called “tug of peace.” Some professionals in physical education advocate activities in which children compete only with themselves, such as juggling, unicycling, pogo sticking, and even “learning to … manipulate wheelchairs with ease.”
Wow, I never thought of it like that. Well why not do away with the term “tug”? It implies an exertion against an opposing force and I don’t want my kid dealing with an opposing force. The laws of physics are overwhelming and children should be sheltered from them. How about “kinetic engergy-of-peace” instead of “tug-of-war.”
I think I’m going to be way off base with parental political correctness, but I don’t very much care. I don’t believe in promoting violence or instilling an overly competitive streak in children, but I think it’s unrealistic and unfair if parents never prepare kids to deal with competition that is inherent in life. Losing at games as a child, while not always pleasant, made me want to improve. Without learning the value of managing adversity and conflict, kids may not be able to live up to their full potential in a competitive world.
Tags: gi_joe, johnny_quest, national_pta, tug_of_peace, tug_of_war, violence
1 opinion for Jonny Quest and kinetic-energy-of-peace
brent
Sep 19, 2007 at 12:57 am
Oh good lord. Tug-o-peace? What’s next? “Oh, no, you have the rope. We insist. No you. Really, you should have the rope. We’re just going to SIT here until you TAKE the rope.”
I completely agree with you.
My wife and I have had consistent arguments about whether sports are healthy for a child’s self-esteem. She comes from a background of “competition is a bad thing - someone always loses” and I come from a background of “competition is great. I feel great when I win.”
She did ballet dancing as her growing up sport, while I was basketball. Totally diametrically opposed as far as competitiveness goes.
My wife would crumble to pieces if she ever lost anything, and she’d be brutally furious if anyone made fun of her for doing so. Me: I think it’s all part of the fun. You lose so that you’ve got something to aim for. Losing is part of growing.
I think that I got through to her once when I told her that really competing with someone - really TRYING to beat them as hard as you can - really TRYING to ace them at tennis, or win the rebound over them, or score the touchdown… that’s a mark of respect for your adversary. It’s honorable to be beaten in fair competition - it means that your best efforts were good.
It’s also honorable to feel good about yourself to win in a competition against _an opposition who was worth their salt_.
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