April 25, 2005

Age of Reason

When With-a-Why came home from school today, he dropped his backpack on the floor, went straight to the piano, and played furiously for about half an hour. I could tell that he was thinking about something, working it out in his head.

Finally, he came over to the couch. He is still young enough and small enough to sprawl all over my lap, cuddling into the big pillows.

"Know what animal I don't like the most?" he asked.

I tried to think. He's not afraid of dogs; he likes them. He likes snakes, turtles, frogs, and other marsh creatures. He likes cats. He is fascinated with horses. I tried to think of an animal he had had a negative encounter with, and I couldn't think of anything. I ended up taking some wild guesses. Wasps? Mice? Slime mold?

He shook his head and gave me the answer.

"Humans," he said.

It turns out he and Philosophical Boy were talking on the bus. About war. About people they knew in the military. Philosophical Boy has a cousin who has been to Iraq and back.

"Humans kill each other," said With-a-Why. He seemed astonished to discover this about his own species.

With-a-Why and Philosophical Boy both have logical minds, and I guess they could not find a reason for war. "Well, if two countries wanted a war," With-a-Why said, "they could just use a computer game. You could put in your weapons, the number of people you have, and all that, and even play the game if you wanted. And see who won."

He paused. "That would be pretty easy to do. There really isn't any reason why anyone needs to get killed."

Can't argue with that logic.

16 comments:

Phantom Scribbler said...

I love your children. With-a-Why for president!

Unknown said...

Geeky Boy said just tonight while we were watching the news about Iraq, "Why didn't they just talk to each other?" I think he and With-a-Why would get along smashingly.

Psycho Kitty said...

I love these boys!

Scrivener said...

OK, With-a-Why in the White House, I'm all for, count me in for canvassing activities out the wazzoo. But do we really want jo(e) in the White House?

Pilgrim/Heretic said...

See? This is what happens when you raise your kids without television. Now they're not properly indoctrinated about Why Sometimes We Just Need to Bomb the Heck Out Of People Because... um... because... er... We're Number One!

Scrivener said...

Think about how miserable jo(e)'d be in the White House. And if she were the Regent in charge of the country, she'd have to quit blogging too! And how much time would she have for walking around looking at flowers and deer skeletons? And would the Secret Service let her talk about breastfeeding any more? Nope, sorry jo(e) but we can't spare you. At minimum, you'll have to let With-a-Why get to be Consitutionally eligible for the White House before you allow him to consider a candidacy.

timna said...

Bumper sticker on our campus this morning:
War IS OFTEN the solution

(also on the same truck: Hunters for Bush).

good thing I'm not teaching today. in my office I can pretend this is a sane place!

Scrivener said...

Timna that may take the case for the worst, most fucked up bumper sticker I've ever heard of.

timna said...

and this is a blue state.

Unknown said...

Wow, timna, that's one sick way of thinking, isn't it?
I'd vote for With-a-Why, too.

Rob Helpy-Chalk said...

How I get my children to come out like yours? Did you really not let them watch TV? Does your house just exude so much hippylove that the children sprout good will like flowers?

Scrivener said...

I was thinking more about Timna's bumper sticker and it really infuriates me. It'd be one thing if they wanted to respond to "War is not the answer" by saying "War is sometimes the solution," that wouldn't bother me. I'm probably even willing to concede that sometimes war is necessary (With-a-Why's plan notwithstanding). But they have to go further. It's not enough to support war only sometimes, these people want war "often." What kind of monster do you have to be to desire war like that, to want to turn to it as the first response to most situations?

Rob Helpy-Chalk said...

You want infuriating bumper stickers? In Alabama I saw both of these:

"Truth, not tolerance" and beside the slogan was the Christian cross.

"The King James Bible is God's perfect word"

Also, on I-65 south of Birmingham, there is a billboard that says "Go to church or the Devil will get you."

timna said...

Scriv, do you think they're saying the same thing about the opposite bumper sticker? I'm assuming the bumper sticker is in response to the "war is not the answer" bumper sticker that's around. And maybe war IS sometimes an answer. but neither sticker owner is giving one inch.
though in this case, I still think war is not the answer.

jo(e) said...

I think if war is the answer, we are asking the wrong question.

What Now? said...

"The King James Bible is God's perfect word"--I snorted out loud when I read this. That's right up there with a comment I once overheard between two people who were discussing English-only legislation: "If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me."