What do I teach them?

[franceslievens]

No bus, tram or underground train rode through Brussels today and probably there won't ride any tomorrow. This morning between six and seven a bus collided with a car. As is procedure another staff member of the public transport company was called to the scene to take pictures and handle the paperwork. In the meantime the car driver had phoned a friend. That friend got into an argument with the staff member, used his fists and beat the man to death.
It's horrifying to realise that's the city I live in: one where you get beaten to death in the road, where certain people believe their fists have the answer. In my classes I try to teach children to be considerate of the other who lives by your side. But how do you react on something like this happening in our mutual back yard? This isn't fate taking away lives in a stupid accident. This is a deliberate act of violence to hurt someone, to get the upper hand, what's due. Why would they be pacifist, my pupils ask me, when someone else will beat them first? Why shouldn't they be the first to strike? The city is a jungle after all? You only try to tell them they'll feel better with other people by their side. You try to convince them the law of the strongest doesn't work that well. (All this without quoting Hobbes.) But in the end there's only doubt: what do we teach? Doesn't the street teach them the opposite?

Comments

[comava.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, what a horrible story. A hard fact to consider when raising and teaching children indeed... It makes you wonder what sort of upbringing the car driver's friend had. Sad, also, that the media feels the need to add the nationality of the suspect as well.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

When talking about Brussels the need to add the nationality is even larger or readers will make up stories about those filthy Arabs or whatever. When something isn't spelled out, there are always loads of assumptions.

There was no public transport today and there probably won't be any tomorrow until there has been a talk with the Minister. Luckily I've got a bike, am I'm break and the city centre is close by.