Daily Prompt: Write about something you consider “ugly” — war, violence, failure, hatred — but try to find beauty, or a sense of hope, in your thoughts.

by tim bartlett, nephew

Gratuitous violence. As entertainment. OK, that’s two things I consider beyond ugly. Sadly, however, they are often linked in our culture: movies showing extreme/graphic violence of one human to another. I remain revulsed and numbed by the insensitivity of those who claim it entertaining to watch children maimed, women raped, men senselessly killing one another point-blank and in increasingly appalling (if creative) fashion.

As you might guess, I do not support such ‘entertainment’ in any form – by watching, even discussing it. There’s enough toxic energy in our world. Why introduce more? And how is it entertaining? The ‘news’ is violent enough. And I won’t start on my opinion of the (rather direct) connection between watching/playing at violence and learning to be violent.

So where’s the silver lining? When my children were young, shows and movies that portrayed (never mind glorified) violence in any form – name-calling, gun-swaggering, knife-pulling, bullying, abuse of one over/against another – became a supreme teaching moment.  And I’m proud that each of them has emerged into adulthood compassionate, thoughtful and actively working for change in fundamental systems that impact us all: criminal justice, education, the environment. Now THAT’s a silver lining to support.