my 7th grade film (moral, blood, moral)

[robtex]

When I was in 7 grade a number of the teachers set up a film day. About 200 students, maybe 150, went into the auditorium to watch a film on the envirorment. We all sat down, many of the kids giggling and talking and the room went dark and the film started.

It stared with a european or soviet (was in 7th grade so I am hazy on the details), ship. The ship was coasting through these beautiful waters. There were ice blocks floating in the ocean..the sun was creating a glimmer on the sea and small choppy waves could be seen from the ocean surrounding the boat. The boat landed on a very large ice glacier. Men dressed in coats and long joins with beanies jumped out on the iceberg. They were all carrying hammers..big sledge hammers.

They walked up to a group of white seals and proceeded to beat them to death with their sledge hammers. They were hitting them in the face and head and blood was getting all over the iceberg. The kids in the auditorium started screaming and crying. One girl was yelling at the men on the movie to "Stop!!". A few of the girls ran out of the room crying. The film went on to show target practice on groundhogs, dumping of nuclear waste in the ocean with whales swimming in the background, and the like.

The short 30 minute film had a tremendous emotional reaction for me, as well as for most the others. I would go as far as to say it had a later impact on my pacfistic viewpoint of life.

The questions I have are:
1) If your child came home and said we saw this film.....How would you react and why?

2) Was showing the movie to 7th graders wrong?

3) What is your stance on the issue of seal beatings, groundhog target shooting and toxic dumping in oceans?

[michel]

Originally Posted by robtex

When I was in 7 grade a number of the teachers set up a film day. About 200 students, maybe 150, went into the auditorium to watch a film on the envirorment. We all sat down, many of the kids giggling and talking and the room went dark and the film started.

It stared with a european or soviet (was in 7th grade so I am hazy on the details), ship. The ship was coasting through these beautiful waters. There were ice blocks floating in the ocean..the sun was creating a glimmer on the sea and small choppy waves could be seen from the ocean surrounding the boat. The boat landed on a very large ice glacier. Men dressed in coats and long joins with beanies jumped out on the iceberg. They were all carrying hammers..big sledge hammers.

They walked up to a group of white seals and proceeded to beat them to death with their sledge hammers. They were hitting them in the face and head and blood was getting all over the iceberg. The kids in the auditorium started screaming and crying. One girl was yelling at the men on the movie to "Stop!!". A few of the girls ran out of the room crying. The film went on to show target practice on groundhogs, dumping of nuclear waste in the ocean with whales swimming in the background, and the like.

The short 30 minute film had a tremendous emotional reaction for me, as well as for most the others. I would go as far as to say it had a later impact on my pacfistic viewpoint of life.

The questions I have are:
1) If your child came home and said we saw this film.....How would you react and why?

2) Was showing the movie to 7th graders wrong?

3) What is your stance on the issue of seal beatings, groundhog target shooting and toxic dumping in oceans?

Rob, how old is 7th Grade (for a poor Englishman who doesn't know) ?

[robtex]

Originally Posted by michel

Rob, how old is 7th Grade (for a poor Englishman who doesn't know) ?

I think one starts first grade at age 6. So 7th grade would be roughly 13 years old.

[Jaymes]

I'd make sure they understand that those things can and do happen. No need to hide them from reality. I don't think it was wrong at all... people today hide their head in the sand about what really goes on in the world too much. I also wouldn't put too much stock into how it affects 9/10ths of the kids who see it. I remember in 10th grade we saw a graphic video on the Holocaust and how terrible it was, and people were saying "oh, that's so terrible! I'll never make fun of soandso again for being different"... and what do you think they were doing the next week.

I don't think you're going to find anyone for seal beating, groundhog shooting and toxic waste dumping, Rob.

[robtex]

Originally Posted by Jensa

I don't think you're going to find anyone for seal beating, groundhog shooting and toxic waste dumping, Rob.

I was equally (which you answered) interested in poster's take on the showing of that film to 7th graders. As far as being for seal beating and toxic dumping realize there is a commercial interest in those enterprises. Obvioulsy the seal beaters are pro-seal beating though you are probably right about posters on here being for those things.

[michel]

1) If your child came home and said we saw this film.....How would you react and why?

I think I'd ask questions, to make sure he/she had understood properly

2) Was showing the movie to 7th graders wrong?

Not in my opinion; the sooner you sart kids off on the 'reality' street the better (when it comes to morality)

3) What is your stance on the issue of seal beatings, groundhog target shooting and toxic dumping in oceans?

Err, to be polite, I don't think much of them. The one I am 'iffy' about is the toxic dumping, because it is beginning to look as if the near future planning for oil replacement (for Electricity generation) is nuclear energy. Nuclear energy, unfortunately, leaves a dreadful legacy for future generations. It ain't easy.

[Buttercup]

Originally Posted by robtex

The questions I have are:
1) If your child came home and said we saw this film.....How would you react and why?

2) Was showing the movie to 7th graders wrong?

3) What is your stance on the issue of seal beatings, groundhog target shooting and toxic dumping in oceans?

As a parent of four children, my response to the second question would be that I think this age is too young to show a film this graphic. I think high school would be a more appropriate time.

But, you asked how I would react in the first question. I would first console my child if he/she were upset and try to explain the school's motive for presenting the film. My daughter would have been quite tramatized at the age of 12 seeing horror such as that. Young children are by nature intense animals lovers. I imagine the film was shown to you at such a young age with the intent of leaving the kind of impression it did...sympathetic leanings toward senseless animal killings

The third question is easy to answer...seal beatings and using animals for target practice are cruel practices that I wish didn't happen. Toxic dumpings in the ocean is a more complex issue I am not qualified to answer other than I would like to see alternative methods of disposal.

[robtex]

Originally Posted by Buttercup

My daughter would have been quite tramatized at the age of 12 seeing horror such as that. Young children are by nature intense animals lovers..

I like how open-minded and nutruing your posts was. In answer to the above qoute, it was very traumatizing to many of the students. When I was in college and friend of mine named Mark brought-up an interesting point when I mentioned it to him. He said, loosly qouted, "It is a good thing they showed that at a young age. At that age the emotional impact would be strong enough to affect them the rest of their lives." It was certainly true in my case though I am skeptical of his theory.