‘Striving For Peace’ is…

… hardly a new concept.

Yet, not withstanding the “police action” in Korea, there’s always been some sort o’ war [cold or hot] going on, in my lifetime.

Perhaps this trend will discontinue, if we stop sending off our children to kill other people’s children.

In an earlier post, I suggested a book that you might read to your child, introducing the concept of peace.

Now, here’s one for the adults to read, re-read, and pass on to your friends and neighbors.

It’s an anti-war novel, written by Dalton Trumbo, in 1938 [published in 1939], entitled, Johnny Got His Gun.

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Dr. Benjamin Spock

Dr. Benjamin Spock [RIP] helped raise, literally, millions of children. My parents [and grandparents, when I stayed with them]  had his book at the ready 24/7.

To the best of  my knowledge, Dr. Spock’s best selling book spurned the great debate, “whether or not to spank.”

As an aside, when I was spanked, said spanking never helped me to bond with, love, and/or respect  the spankers. It doesn’t make me miss the folks, now that they’re gone, all that much, come to think of  it.

Spock, also suggested, in his writings, that competition is bad for children…

… To the extent that the playing field is kept level [rare], and the rules are obeyed [rarer], I find competition to be uplifting and challenging. I enjoy knowing how I measure up… as does my son, whom I’ve never spanked. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, it’s all so confusing … and open to debate.

I remember Dr. Spock for his role in the Viet Nam peace rallies.

Here’s a terrific picture:

How did he affect the way you were raised, and/or how you raise[d] your children?

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