I don't often read the editorial page of the newspaper. I'm more of a comics kind of guy. My belief that "Newspapers are written quickly to be read quickly" means that I don't look at a lot of what is in the newspaper. I skim a lot, read some, actually study a little.
My wife, who is a much better person than I in many, many ways, is my "Newspaper Research Assistant." That means that every day she asks me at least once, "Did you read this... in the paper today?" Approximately 95.6% of the time my answer is, "No." Sometimes she responds, "You should."
Her "you should" today concerned George Will's column, "Character Flaw Cure - Acceptance of Personal Responsibility." I will quote him without comment, thus giving tacit agreement to it.
"The part of the brain that stimulates anger and aggression is larger in men than in women, and the part that restrains anger is smaller in men than in women. 'Men,' [Social Scientist James Q.] Wilson writes, 'by no choice of their own, are far more prone to violence and far less capable of self-restraint than women.'
"That does not, however, absolve violent men of blame. As Wilson says, biology and environment interact. And the social environment inclues moral assumptions, sometimes codified in law, concerning expectations about our duty to desire what we ought to desire.
"It is scientifically sensible to say that all behavior is in some sense caused. But a society that thinks scientific determinism renders personal responsibility a chimera must consider it absurd not only to condemn depravity but also to praise nobility."
(George always uses at least one word I don't know. Today's was "chimera." Don't look so smug. You had to look it up, too.)
February 28, 2010
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10 comments:
I do the same thing with newspapers. I like the comics more sometimes they get a point across better than a article. Now about George Will, I can see how that puts everything in to prespective about men and violence. I agree that that does not mean we let men get away with being violent but that also means we should not let women get away with it to just because it said women are not as prone to violence.
Mariah Norwood
I totally see what this George Will guy is saying, haha. I get angry at things sometimes but I don't get violent! I think a lot of people in general could have said what he said that though. Men are kind of seen as violent, angry creatures at times.. and not so much women.
-Sarah Moschak
I don't like to read the news paper. It usually consists of all negitive things going on in our society. Most of the time I just read a little about sports and throw the rest of it in the burn pile. I believe Mr. Will is right in some ways, but have you ever thought about why men are more prone to being violent than women are? Men have larger egos and have to live up to certian standards or so they think they do. I believe that men suppress most of thier emotions and when they get alone or with the one's that know them the most they release them. Most of the time in a violent way. Im glad that im a women and am able to cry when i feel the need and not have to hold it in.
shawnda berry
I really dont read the newspaper much but this article was quit interresting to me because i grew up having two older brothers me being the youngest and i have been in more physical figts than they ever thought of being in is it because i was raised with two older brothers in a mostly male society the reason i cant control my anger?
I am more of the warrants and arrest article reader. I find it kind of interesting to see how many people you know in jail. Don't take me as a psycho because of my admittance to this article. I believe that men as well as women are susceptible to violence but I also believe that women have learned patience better than men making them seem less violent.
I as well do not read the paper for all the negative things about what is going on in our world. I can see how men are more vilent than women most of the time but he was not raised around my family, where the women can take the men on any day and mess with anyone in out family and see how vilent we can be, lol. But i also think that is true of any woman. Mess with her family and see just how mean she can be.
This explains alot :) I had a boyfriend once who was angrier than a bear missing it's honey, he must have this problem more than most...he was lucky i could control my anger :)
Sarah Raunikar
I live in Tahlequah and I love to read the paper because I am nosey. I don't ready any other paper. But now I know why men are so freaking mean =)
I never read the newpaper! I do believe that men and women show their anger in different ways. Therefore men are usually more violent, but still have no excuse to the violent behavior! Most of the time when women are violent there is a pretty good reason for her to get violent.
I live the same life! My fiance reads the paper and I look at the comics and the sales ads! Then he shares the information with me. As well as the sports section...Go figure! Are we sure that more men are violent then women? Because, in my experience I have seen a lot more violent women then men.
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