When I think about the unbridled violence problem we have in our country, I think the American people are getting a bad deal. The term “unbridled” is a wild horse term like the large herds of wild horses in the West that are free to run as fast and as far as they want to without a bridle or bit in their mouth to control them. This is what I see on the screen or television set when I see violence. The sky is the limit, they can have as much and be as violent as they wish to be, and they don’t have any restraints. Like most things, it’s all about money. However, here is the difference when it comes to real life.

            When an actor gets shot and dies on the big screen or television set, after the scene is over, they just get up, get their paycheck and go home. But not so in real life. When someone gets shot and dies in real life, they are given a funeral and are buried, never to be seen or heard from again. How dumb can we be? For several decades now, Hollywood has been producing this kind of entertainment and making millions, perhaps billions, of dollars and there is nothing to slow them down.

            If you see where I am coming from and are interested in doing something about this tragedy, we may be able to do something about it. Thanks to our democratic form of government, we can talk with our governors and elected members of congress, and we can petition them to do something on behalf of the American people. When this really gets close to home is when they lose a loved one or a family member to violence, and they truly realize what this industry is doing to all of us. It is not my purpose to cause anyone great financial harm, but here is the truth: kids will watch what they want, and offerings such as “Lassie”, “Old Yeller”, “Bonanza” and countless others, just make for good wholesome viewing.

            Let’s get the movie and television people to stop producing violence and start producing good quality programs that are good for the whole family. If this is done properly, they can make the same amount of money and save a lot of lives in the process. The same principle holds true for drugs, gambling, prostitution and all the other vices to which kids are exposed on a regular basis. What I would like to see is that people in this “violent culture” industry be given a choice where they can feel good about making changes, and become good model citizens in the process.

            This past Sunday our teacher said something that really hit me where I live. He said a man he knew was happy about President John F. Kennedy being assassinated because he did not like Catholics. Now, how sad is that? Personally, I love people and wish the best for every human being on the planet. We can have a better country when we are all our “Brother’s Keeper”, and this would be much easier than most of us realize. If you haven’t already, please join me in wanting the very best for every person you know.

I can promise you that we would not have the experiences in our nation like the tragedy on the Subway in New York City recently. We can stop most crime in our country just by treating others as we wish to be treated. Please join me and let’s do our best to help others. Please pass it on.

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(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)