Boys and War...

A great quote from Doug Wilson in regard to boys playing War. To be found again in his book, Future Men.

His conclusion: Go ahead little warriors, just make sure your shooting in the right direction please; not at Mummy, or Mummy's friend.

'What about playing at war? More than a few adults have been concerned about boys playing at war with stick guns and swords. But boys who play at war are training to something men should do. It is as honourable as a young girl mothering a baby doll. But just as we do not want the young girl abusing a doll, neither do we want young boys pretending to do evil in war. Among the essential things, boys must learn honour and restraint...

This means that a boy who is playing with a toy gun should be trained never to use it more freely simply because it is not real. A small boy who is playing with his brothers should be pointing and blasting away with the best of them. But if a lady from church comes over to visit the young boy's mother, and is standing in the foyer, and the boy comes up and tries to blow her away, the young boy's mother should haul him off the bedroom to be tried for war crimes. The visitor was a civilian and a non-combatant, and Mother should be schooled in the principles of just war theory, and she should enforce the rules.'