I got a letter from John Grisham yesterday.
At least that’s what the envelope said. I found it to be an appeal on behalf of a person and an organization that I’ve heard of, but knew little about – Morris Dees, an Alabama lawyer and friend of Grisham’s, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. It is the mission of Dees and the SPLC to put hate organizations out of business and to teach tolerance.
I read the enclosed piece and was literally horrified at the abuses, savage beatings, murders and more that still go in in this country perpetrated by any number of hate groups upon innocent individuals of some minority status or other. I was beyond horrified; I was deeply saddened. (And mind you, I am not writing this to drum up donations for the Southern Poverty Law Center, but if you want to know what’s going on in this regard, you may want to visit the SPLC web site and find out for yourself – it’s very disturbing.)
What struck me were two things … I hear so many people talking about those in the world who hate and would destroy our country. I wondered, are people aware of how much hatred is alive and well, right here, within our own borders? Do they know that people are still being abducted, beaten, and hung? AND if that weren’t enough, that it’s often being done in the name of the abuser’s God? How have we become a nation with so much hate?
So … as an aspiring children’s book author and illustrator … the second thing I wondered was, what is being read to the young children of those people whose mission in life is to commit violence against people of a color, nationality or religion different than their own? What happened to love? To hope? To tolerance? Compassion? Do these people’s children read the same books as other children do?
Children’s book writers aspire to show a child a world of wonder, fun, sharing, understanding, friendship and caring. Can a mother whose husband goes out to senselessly beat a 16 year old boy into permanent physical and mental damage be reading to her child about caring for others? I am utterly confused and lost.
So I wonder, when a child is raised believing that hate towards others is an acceptable emotion, can a mere book, albeit written from our hearts and souls, have the power to change a young mind?
Still A Dreamer 
Are you seriously lost? Not being glib here, but–a lot of children aren’t all comfy and cozy and well cared for and loved–no matter what their economic-social background.
A friend and I just recently shared observations of ‘parenting’ in public places where adults drag their children around no matter how tired and out of sorts they are–yell at the children for being tired and ill behaved–threaten them–ignore them–disregard the fact they’re children entirely and simply haul them around like overstuffed baggage.
–Oh I am NOT talking about poverty stricken parts of town either. Much of this was witnessed in the glorious SUBURBS.
–Even more revealing would be my daughter’s observations of high schoolers in a very well off part of the metro area. Bottom line: give the kids a tons of cash so they can fend for themselves then the adults DISAPPEAR at work and play.
-still lost and confused?
How can any child who is not cared for, loved, nutured, and paid attention to grow up to be a caring, loving, nuturing, attentive parent/adult?
Mainstream culture sure does NOT promote those qualities with its love of glamor, greed, and consumption.
—sorry, but I don’t know how else to reply to your post—feel free to ‘delete’ my comments.
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PS. BOOKS do have the power to influence minds–of any age. So, if you’ve got some ideas about reducing hate through awareness, compassion, mutual respect via childrens books–then WRITE them asap.
Do you really doubt the power of books to have a positive impact? Just think of what books you’ve read —no religious texts allowed in this area in the interest of getting beyond religion—that influenced YOU in a positive manner, that made you stop and think and act with more understanding of the the world around you and the people within it.
Shanti—WRITE!
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I am not lost or confused in the least about the kids you describe above, and I couldn’t agree more, but these are not the kids I’m talking about.
I’m talking about kids who grow up in an environment where hate is actively expressed towards those who are different, for lack of a better term, and who are raised to believe that hate and acting out on hateful impulses is totally OK. Very different. Go spend some time on the SPLC web site – you’ll see what I mean.
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I think our wires got crossed here–my point was that even where such the environment is not like that of portrayed on SPLC–it’s hard to raise children to be ‘decent’ these days. Even under what many would consider ‘good’ socio-economic situations. Something is really askew out at large in the world. And writing books to combat that is one way to make a ‘stand’ and try to fight it.
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I totally agree with you on this – between both parents needing to work in so many cases, TV, the internet, video games and not nearly enough positive parental guidance, kids are being left on their own far too much. It’s not the world we grew up in, and our kids really need more. Books can definitely help, especially if the parents read a lot to their kids when young and create a lifelong habit of reading.
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That was largely a rhetorical question. I just wonder if kids who are raised in an atmosphere that condones hate are reading the same books that influenced us in such a positive way.
I have written all my life, and the only reason to write or to have done many of the things I have done in this life has been to make a difference.
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I was trying to be supportive and encouraging of what seemed to be a consideration of what sort of children’s books to write in order to address what you are observing afoot in the world.
I think that the children you’re referencing probably not reading the same books that have had positive inflluences on others–such things may not even be available to them. Then again—-I could be entirely off on that score.
We are in agreement regarding why to write or do many other things–to make a positive diference.
Are you aware of Timothy Zahn’s Dragonback series for young people? Asking because while I’ve only read the first two–mainly due to opportunity and timing—the books impressed me with the fact that they raised ETHICAL issues–really serious ethical issues about how to act, think, consider and such that is so hard to do when writing for such an audience. If you have read them I’d like to know your opinion of them. If not, welll, they might be of some interest in regard to the issues you’ve posted about.
shanti
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It’s hard to know what children raised with hate as an acceptable emotion are reading/allowed to read, although I do know, in some cases, they are raised on the book(s) that is central to their religious belief. (But let’s not even go there!) I’d sure like to believe that there are enough books read to them in early childhood that allow them to grow up and develop beliefs of their own, albeit different from their parents, and think for themselves. I believe the human spirit is strong enough to do that.
I’m not aware of the Dragonback series, but it sounds terrific and I will look for it. Thanks!
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