Modern Warfare 3 Video game

Watching TV sports this holiday, I noticed there were a large number of ads for video games, very violent video games. I guess this is the season for giving and receiving and what is more American than violence.

This morning in Church someone prayed for the people of Honduras who have suffered terrible violence, especially since the USA led military coup in 2009 of the democratic elected government by SOA offices trained at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. Honduras has the highest murder rate of any country in the world, – “in 2012, it registered 90.4 murders per 100 000 population, more than twice that of neighboring El Salvador and Guatemala – most victims are poor and nameless.”

Although the USA has the highest incarceration rate in the World, our country is known for purveyors of violence in the world, from Killer drones to military budget larger than the 9 other top ten budgets in the world, to being largest exporter of weapons in the world.

I have been exploring in my mind the connection between ‘racism’ and ‘militarism’. I believe they are connected when one class of people, one race or one country believe they are exceptional and do not need to “conform to normal rules or general principles.” We see it in our political figures, like our President, who proclaims and praises “exceptionalism”, in our staff and leadership of local St. Vincent de Paul Society who know what is best for the poor, in our police chief and mayor who believe they can stop “thugs”, as they call them, with increased police patrol in certain neighborhoods.

Violence is the big brother and sister of Exceptionalism, whene one group believes they are more equal and know what is good for others.

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