2.  Los Alamos, Hiroshima, sackcloth and ashes  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtNJ1sC_LpA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtNJ1sC_LpA  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF4LQaWJRDg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF4LQaWJRDg  How is a culture of death seen in: ◦ The work done at Los Alamos? ◦ The bombing of Hiroshima?  How is a culture of life encouraged by: ◦ Alaric’s hunger strike? ◦ The sackcloth and ashes demonstration?  Do you think, if scientists still work on developing weapons, we could have another Hiroshima? Why?

3.  The Church defines violence as anything which harms the dignity of a person.  The Life and Dignity of the Human Person is generally considered to be the most important social teachings.  If a person’s life, safety or mental well-being is threatened, their dignity is at risk.  In a small group (no more than 3), look at the photos given to you and answer the questions. Discuss whether or not the photo depicts or represents violence, according to the Church’s definition. Be prepared to lead the class in a brief discussion of your issues

4.  Using newspapers, clip out stories, photos and headlines that depict violence, according to the Church’s teachings.  Do the “found poetry” activity and write up your poem neatly on chart paper. Surround your poem with your newspaper clippings.

5.  Violence that is caused by social structures rather than by the action of a single person is known as institutional or structural violence  Examples: poverty, racism, war, homophobia  Sometimes the gov’t, businesses, schools have policies that deprive people of rights  Realizing that injustice is a form of violence helps to explain why violence continues.  “The Spiral of Violence” – one act of violence/injustice leads to another.

6.  1. Basic injustice  2. Response to injustice with violence  3. Authorities respond with force to try to restore order.  4. The order repeats and continues.  This spiral is seen in domestic (home) situations, neighbourhoods and gov’ts.

7.  1. Injustices like limiting who can own land, unemployment, low wages, lack of educational opportunities.  2. Victims of injustice rebel – general strikes, riots, crime, terrorism. Sometimes these actions are non- violent.  3. Government responds with more violence – censorship, harassment, military and death squad actions, changing laws.  4. More violence occurs as a result.  In the US for example, poverty and joblessness leads to petty crime, drug abuse/trade. Gov’t responds with force (more penalties, more police) – on the whole, violence does not lead to less violence. Catholic Social Teachings say the way to peace is working for justice.

8.  Breaking the spiral of violence is difficult.  Confronting Violence: A special report from U.S. Catholic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt94VpaAKWA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt94VpaAKWA  Project Report: Father Bruce from the Back of the Yards Community in Chicago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82QOkcOr70E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82QOkcOr70E  Some people accept violence as a part of life – how does Father Bruce’s leadership change the community?  Some gov’ts focus on having more police, more prisons, more weapons – and the spiral continues  Listen to the reading of “The Spiral Can Be Broken” from “Christian Justice” (p. 106) – describe the Kansas City gang program and why it worked.

9.  Militarism means maintaining a large military and seeing military power as the ideal.  weapons don’t create peace–they create a culture of fear.  Some conflicts are unavoidable and even help to create justice, but some are sinful and selfish.  We should always try to make peace first  Peace isn’t just having no conflict – it is a way of resolving conflict creatively.  Jesus responded “Put down your sword!” – it was his last command to his followers before his death.  Some Christians glorify militarism – sometimes with patriotism.  Do you think this fits with Catholicism? Why?

10.  The media confuses people by the way information is provided.  Why do you think the media depicts violence in the way shown in this picture?

11. -War is costly and is also makes money for the rich -Do you think it is unjust to spend millions on military, weapons and wars when so many people live in poverty?

12.  Halliburton earned $17.2 billion on contracts for maintaining military bases and other work they did in Iraq.  The war in Iraq cost the US over $2 trillion and will continue to cost – e.g. veteran’s benefits – and are they doing a good job of it?  How many deaths? ◦ About 4 400 US soldiers ◦ About 16 000 Iraqi soliders ◦ About 27 000 insurgents ◦ About 130 000 civilians

14.  Jesus said to love our enemies – not to kill them  The oldest Christian approach to violence is called pacifism (literally means “to make peace”)  Christian scholars disagree whether Jesus taught complete pacifism  Catholics can serve in the military, but can also choose to be conscientious objectors – some Christian groups are called “peace churches”

15.  Write a short reflection in paragraphs or point form.  Connect the spiral of violence to the issues discussed in the film.  Use at least 3 of these points in your reflection: ◦ A culture of fear in the United States ◦ Gun control ◦ Poverty and its connection to violence ◦ The money earned from weapon sales and production ◦ The culture of death and violence in the history of the US (“What a Wonderful World” montage) ◦ The right to own a gun vs responsible ownership ◦ Racism and the culture of violence ◦ Gun violence in the US as compared to other countries

16.  The following is an exact transcript of the onscreen text in the Wonderful World segment:  1953: U.S. overthrows Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq of Iran. U.S. installs Shah as dictator.  1954: U.S. overthrows democratically-elected President Arbenz of Guatemala. 200,000 civilians killed.Arbenz  1963: U.S. backs assassination of South Vietnamese President Diem.  1963-1975: American military kills 4 million people in Southeast Asia.  September 11, 1973: U.S. stages 1973 Chilean coup d'état in Chile. Democratically-elected President Salvador Allende assassinated. Dictator Augusto Pinochet installed. 3,000 Chileans murdered.  1977: U.S. backs military rulers of El Salvador. 70,000 Salvadorans and four American nuns killed.  1980s: U.S. trains Osama bin Laden and fellow terrorists to kill Soviets. CIA gives them $3 billion.  1981: Reagan administration trains and funds the Contras. 30,000 Nicaraguans die.  1982: U.S. provides billions of dollars in aid to Saddam Hussein for weapons to kill Iranians.  1983: The White House secretly gives Iran weapons to kill Iraqis.  1989: CIA agent Manuel Noriega (also serving as President of Panama) disobeys orders from Washington. U.S. invades Panama and removes Noriega. 3,000 Panamanian civilian casualties.  1990: Iraq invades Kuwait with weapons from U.S.  1991: U.S. enters Iraq. Bush reinstates dictator of Kuwait.  1998: Clinton bombs possible weapons factory in Sudan. Factory turns out to be making aspirin.  1991 to present: American planes bomb Iraq on a weekly basis. U.N. estimates 500,000 Iraqi children die from bombing and sanctions.  2000-2001: U.S. gives Taliban-ruled Afghanistan $245 million in aid.  Sept. 11, 2001: Osama bin Laden uses his expert CIA training to murder 3,000 people.