| Nonviolent Families in a Violent World |
| We live in a world addicted to violence. There is an inability or lack of sufficient desire to resolve conflict without resorting to arms. Entertainment, including movies and video games, increasingly includes an escalating level of gore and bloodshed, normalizing the experience for many, including the young. We are horrified by reports of disgruntled students bringing guns to school and killing staff and fellow students. Yet, we consistently reinforce violent outcomes in their means of vicarious experience.
At the same time, it would be a mistake to ignore or deny the aggression that is part of our human nature. The challenge of conviviality is to find nonlethal ways to channel our aggressive tendencies or to balance them with the consciously chosen and developed nonviolence that comes from the mandate and ability of our higher selves.
The violent environments we live in require families to take a countercultural stance of nonviolence. Families provide the basic building blocks of a society; when the society does not nurture nonviolent change, then families need the courage and dedication to themselves be the change they seek. I believe there are countless families challenging themselves to take on a nonviolent style.
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