
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, January 24, 1994                   TAG: 9401250004
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FRANK and CYNTHIA MUNLEY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

DON'T TEACH `BENEFITS' OF WAR

ON A RECENT evening during dinner, our daughter mentioned that her history teacher at Andrew Lewis Middle School said that a war is a good thing every now and then. We were very disturbed about this and called her history teacher the following morning. He affirmed that he had made this statement and added, ``Yes, it is good for our economy and for patriotism in general, but I wasn't able to go into detail during my lecture. The students will go into more detail when they take American history in high school.'' We expressed our objection to a teacher espousing this view to impressionable 7th-graders, when the true reality of war is great human suffering. He responded that he did mention suffering to the children.

We find this teacher's proclaimed benefits of war pregnant with disturbing implications for education and for the future of world peace. The Cold War is over, but nationalistic and tribalistic wars abound throughout the world. Over the years, the United States has tried to solve many international problems by armed military intervention (Vietnam, Grenada, Panama and Iraq). Without a doubt, the United States served as a model throughout the world. When it ``resolves'' disputes through war instead of diplomacy, the clear message is in favor of heavier armaments and confrontation, as Bosnia, Somalia, the Sudan and numerous other places sadly illustrate.

On the national level, U.S. inner cities are like war zones. Children bring guns to school and random violence affects every level of society. A blanket statement that war may be good now and then sends a confusing message to kids that the human tragedy of violence, whether at home or abroad, takes second place to promoting economic benefits and patriotic fervor.

The very presumption that war benefits the economy deserves scrutiny. It's true that military spending gives a temporary boost to the economy through increased demand. However, such spending is not much of an investment in the long-range need for infrastructure and for many skills needed for the civilian economy. Is it an accident that Germany and Japan (two countries that have small military budgets and excellent educational systems) are formidable economic powerhouses?

The promotion of patriotism by war should also be scrutinized. War inevitably promotes an aggressive concept of patriotism, whereas a healthier patriotism focuses on the heritage of human rights that the world's democracies have struggled to build. The time is ripe to introduce the idea of world citizenship to our young people.

We are also concerned that our children may not be getting what they need in their social-studies curriculum. Are their teachers exploring and defining our country's problems along with the students, and are they encouraging students to search for solutions? Our children are our future. Their ability to think critically and solve problems is crucial. When a teacher presents war as a solution, children are being taught that profit and selfish forms of patriotism take precedence over human well-being, peace and the environment. Let's not forget that little wars threaten to produce bigger wars, which, in the nuclear age, can shatter civilization as we know it.

Current polls reflect that violence is the No. 1 problem on the community and national levels. The same is true at the global level. Instead of regurgitating outdated Cold War thinking, teachers need to approach the violence issue seriously and sensitively in order to help students develop sharper analytical skills and an appreciation for the possibility of creative nonviolent solutions. We all share an overwhelming responsibility for the future.

\ Frank Munley is associate professor of physics at Roanoke College and Cynthia Munley is a recent graduate in the Master of Liberal Studies at Hollins College. They live in Salem.

by CNB