As peaceful as it looks

Here's an e-mail exchange I had this morning with Post Oak School parent Stephan Kinsella:

Stephan,
I love hearing about the conversations you have with Ethan. I also continue to be amazed by the depth of thinking children display. Most adults don’t give them enough credit. That’s why Montessori said that children are our only hope for peace.
John


John, I thought you might like this one! Stephan

The earth is not as peaceful as it looks
via StephanKinsella.com by Stephan Kinsella on 12/18/09


I was driving my 6 year old to school this morning. We somehow got into a conversation about how laws were made. I started explaining to him the distinction between law formed by courts, and law artificially made by legislation. This led into a brief explanation of the British system, the role of the king or queen and parliament, how parliament is bicameral, and Britain’s “unwritten” constitution, and to a contrast with our own system with a President instead of king, a bicameral congress, and a written constitution. And so on.

During this Ethan blurts out, “I wish they would make a law against war.” So, this led to a discussion of the United Nations and treaties, and the attempt to limit warmaking in the UN charter. He asked me if it worked. I told him it hasn’t worked very well. He says, why? I say, well, if you are a powerful nation then you are sometimes tempted to use that power to get your way, and so on. So we still have wars.

Ethan is silent for a minute, and then mutters, “The earth is not as peaceful as it looks.” It kind of creeped me out.