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| from "The Bells of St. Mary's" |
My friend and I were talking about fighting the other day.
It began as a discussion as to when is the right time to tell one's child to
fight -- to "throw down," in order to free himself from bullying or
torment. We didn't come to an over-arching conclusion. But we did wander into
talking about an older film; I think it was The Bells of St. Mary's, with Bing
Crosby -- not sure. In it, the priest in charge (Bing) breaks up a fight
between two boys. He then makes them put on the gloves and duke it out in the
ring. With rules. With order.
Again, I'm not even sure how I feel about that -- about
encouraging the boys to fight at all. Part of me thinks that's the whole point
of civilization: to control, but not to eradicate human nature. Another part of
me thinks fighting is something we need to rise above as a species. But I
think, in the end, I might lean toward putting on the gloves when necessary.
