Good question. I think it is everyone's responsibility to find ways to create more peace in the world. Successful supervisors, centered leaders -- bring about more peace in the world. These days that is really a challenge, so every little thing that we can do as individuals matters.
One of the other things that I do, in addition to training supervisors for success, is work on films. Usually that is as an actor in a short film production. Sometimes, I'm an extra in a larger film. I haven't scored that really big role in a really big film yet but hey, life is for living the adventure and I'm having a blast with the art that I create.
Since when I do get a role my "type" is usually the antagonist (the creepy morale bending bad guy is my specialty -- go figure!). Sometimes that means handling violent action. A gun. A knife. Usually, for my character it involves actions other than weapons, sometimes manipulating other people to handle the dirty work. It isn't ideal, but I'm doing my job in playing a role.
Count how many movie posters and ads you see that have guns in the picture. The percentage is disturbingly high. So how, since I play the villain so many times, do I have the nerve to say we should reduce our glorification of violence?
Because good drama does not require it. People are constantly in conflict. We can assert our needs, we can even play manipulative games (yuck) without pulling out a weapon.
The arts can be dramatic without violence.
It takes some imagination. It takes some complicated plotting. It takes a lot of character development. The actors I know would treasure that kind of work. The actors I work with love a focus on character rather than action. It can be done.
The arts can be dramatic without violence. Let's stop writing stories with guns in them.
For the supervisors of the world, that doesn't mean you need to take a stand (or agree with whatever you think my stand is) on gun control or gun ownership. The gun owners that I know are very safe, very respectful, and very careful with their guns. That's not the point. The point is that we can stop the glorification of violence as a means of resolving conflict.
Because there are so many other, better, safer, more respectful ways to resolve conflict.
What do you think?
-- Douglas Brent Smith
Interested in some ways to handle conflict more responsibility? Explore our teleclass on resolving conflict.
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