About seven years ago I took a few minutes to read through a poster based on Robert Fulghum's book, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten."
My initial reaction was ridicule. I found it preposterous to think that sound guidance for my life could be found in the comfort of milk and cookies, a blankie and naps. I went so far as to discount the value of not hitting others, not taking things that aren't yours and putting things back where you got them - somehow it did not relate.
My idle contemplation was burnt away in the fiery crashes of planes on an early September morning, replaced by hatred, scorn and an intense desire for revenge. Patrolling around Afghanistan and later Iraq with my fellow Marines looking for somebody to hit was not the place for contemplation of a philosophical kindergarten-like world.
Time marches on though, and my time to return to a civilian world presented itself and I took it, returning to Ball State University after more than four years' absence. I spent the first year walking around feeling like I should be looking for somebody to hit. I watched the news, read the paper and reacted to world events like there should be somebody out there getting hit.
I woke up one morning and realized that this was wrong, that part of my life was over. It is unfortunately necessary for a small minority of Americans to act in this manner, but for me it was over and for so many others it never needed to start.
I watched the news.
I examined the newspaper.
I read books.
I saw a poster.
In our quest for the accomplishment of goals in which we teach our children we should not be striding for - revenge, cloaking a lie and self-justification - we had indeed grown up and gotten far from the kindergarten state of mind.
To make matters worse, the more we think we have grown up the more we began to act like spoiled children and reap all the consequences of such an attitude.
In our haste to invade Iraq and topple a tyrant we exaggerated some truths, lied a little bit and outright suffocated other facts.
We sent our children to fight for us in a little understood culture, with the bare essentials and an incomplete plan while the rest of the world watched. Now, like a naughty child, we are facing a terrible whipping a few small whippings in the past would have deterred.
In a divided government where Republicans favor the war and Democrats do not, if you do not choose a side you must be for them, because you're not for us.
A "Non-Binding Resolution" is the Democrat's symbol of dissent over the war with little actual power to stop or limit the war, but the potential to make the men and women fighting our war feel forlorn.
A sacrifice of global integrity with potential disastrous consequences to our troops fighting in Iraq, such as the confrontation with Iran's supplying new armor piercing bombs that have claimed the lives of over 170 troops. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad simply points to our deceit about weapons of mass destruction and we may mistakenly feel a little sheepish about our claims.
Like a band of children striding to preserve and justify our senseless way of life we have neglected those among our own ranks.
We have children experiencing substandard education and health care, pressure to use drugs and join gangs and the double standard of what they are told and what they experience.
We have American families cast from their homes in New Orleans, suffering gang violence in the West and experiencing job insecurity throughout the nation.
I know a kindergarten mentality is not going to solve the dilemmas facing us, but Fulghum reminded us that when we go out into the world, we should "watch out for traffic, holds hands and stick together."
Somehow, I think that will at least help.
Write to Jason at jlhodson@bsu.edu
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