Buffalo Schools To Ban Dodgeball? Why Bother!

No doubt about it. The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary will be burned in our minds forever. We may never know what makes people act the way they do or even think about murdering innocent school children. Is it something that is learned? Is aggression, anger and violence something that is learned? Or are certain peoples brains/chemicals made up differently preventing them from seeing right vs wrong?

I wondered all of this after reading an article about schools that have decided to ban certain gym activities such as dodgeball. Could Buffalo be next? I wouldn't be surprised if it happened all over Western New York to be honest. The decision was made after the recent shootings at the school in Connecticut.This is what a school board member at a school in New Hampshire used as an argument:

“When I saw the names of some of these (dodgeball) games, unfortunately guys, we live in a world where 20 babies were slaughtered, Windham School Board member Stephanie Wimmer said. “We need to take the violence out of our schools and not teach it.”

I was always under the impression that teachers and parents (more importantly) have a responsibility to teach young children the difference between right and wrong. I am no psychologist, but I think that we don't learn violence. What we learn early on, or at least what I did and my brothers and sisters did, is that we are responsible for our actions. I remember once I pointed a toy gun at someone when I was 8, and I caught major hell from my father. "I don't care if it's a toy, don't ever let me see you point that at anyone...ever." I was scared to death because I respected my father and was, frankly, afraid of consequences. That lesson stayed with me to this day. I learned right vs. wrong and respect from my father.

So what does banning dodgeball do in the end? Does it teach a lesson? Does it teach responsibility? Hardly. All it does is further along the ignorance that exists in our society. It is ignorant to think that because there is no dodgeball, there will be no violence. I'm sorry, but unless we start to look at the problem that really exists, things won't get any better in our country. It's time we wake up and start to teach respect at home and in our schools. If kids aren't afraid of consequences from a young age, they certainly won't have any fear of the law or respect for human life later on.