[WWI] List Suitability

[Douglas Anderson]

Out of interest, how many in this group have seen combat, been in war, not served their country in peace-time.
  Just to start off, I have. 
  The reason why I ask is that some other guys who served with me are also modellers and can be devided into two groups, those who will model war stuff, because, well, people do ask questions and it gives an opportunity to educate, and the second group who refuse point blankly to model anything military.

Douglas Jones <aeroc at verizon.net> wrote:
  Ah, a very interesting thought. Grim and nasty this business of war. All 
the nastier for the stalemate that turned into trench warfare, the 
ultimate form of 'battle of attrition'! A subject that we, as older 
adults (just turned 50 last week so I do not know where I am age wise in 
the group), have the capability to understand the gravity of that time 
period. We can understand the horror of it all. We should. We should 
remember. But a kid of 11 or 12? Why? To him this is playtime. Building 
models, wasting in time in the frivolous assembly of plastic into a 
recognizable shape. Reading up on the great aces the thrill of it all! I 
know that is how I was at his age! I knew that there was a darker side 
but at that age it didn't really set in with me. I was building cool 
looking airplanes and marveling at the exploits of the airmen. Getting 
shot down and dieing was something that happened, but it had no meaning 
for me. What frame of reference did I have for this? How much death had 
I experienced in my short lifetime? How much violence? To me it was 
about cool airplanes and having fun.

Why do we wish to use this as a basis on list suitability? How much of 
that discussion happens here? Not much. This is a non-issue for a kid, I 
would bet. However, gratuitous titillation would be recognizable to any 
kid today. I am not interested in policing this list. I have no real 
interest in changing this list in any form or fashion. It is fine with 
me that it morphs into whatever it will. I simply wonder at this time, 
if 50% (pick a number I don't care) of the chatter here revolves around 
feeding gf's dog through a prop, drinking exploits of members when they 
meet, getting gf/wife to go to places they won't like because you did 
something for them (cool by me! I am always trying to sell this to 
SWMBO), etc. have anything to do with WWI modeling? Probably not much. I 
occasionally find it interesting since I am interested in knowing 
something about the folks that frequent this place, but to a kid it 
might be something more. Kids are highly influenced by what they 
see/read. Our behavior, however benign, may be misinterpreted by a 
youngster. Far better he see the old days of scrutiny of models 
presented by members. Discussions of flaws or reasons for doing things a 
certain way. Discussions of colors and the difficulties of proving just 
about anything. These are the tools that will open his mind and 
hopefully get him thinking about accuracy and research. Learning news 
skills to implement as his fine motors skills develop. In essence this 
list has the opportunity to teach this young man many lessons he will 
find useful in life. Learning to do the research. Questioning the 
"common belief". Thinking for himself. Improving fine motor skills and 
spatial skills. Learning the rudiments of engineering as he sees more 
and more about how these craft were put together and how the evolved 
over time. To me modeling (be it static, or flying) has so much to offer 
that video games don't. Part of why sadness comes to me when I see the 
age of the average modeler increase. In my time here (I think I was one 
of the first to join up) I have learned a lot. Even though I build 
flying models I still have learned a lot from you folks. I hope to see 
that trend, that validation of this lists existence, at least IMHO, 
continue.

Enough from me!

Doug

Andy Bannister wrote:

>D.:
> 
> 
>
>>>This question surprises me.
>>> 
>>>
>>We talk about the Great War here. A grim bussines. Millions 
>>died in it, and 
>>not pleasantly. Still today, thousands of dead young men and 
>>live shells 
>>remain buried in the battlefields of Belgium, France, Italy, 
>>Russia, and 
>>many more places.
>>Is the Great War topic something suitable to a 11 year old? 
>>Well, at least 
>>it was suitable for them to fight and be shot and blown to 
>>smithereens. See: 
>>http://www.greatwar.nl/frames/default-children.html
>>Would a few jocular comments about a cute girlfriend shock this child 
>>sensibility? Perhaps, but discussing these pictures 
>>http://www.greatwar.nl/frames/default-picnic.html may shock 
>>him even more, 
>>and certainly teach him a thing or two about the reality of 
>>war. Lest we forget. D. 
>> 
>>
>
>
>An excellent point Diego, and one that is all too easily forgotten when
>discussing 'correct' paint, cockpit details, ot vs OT, etc., etc.
>
>Andy
>
>
> 
>

-- 
-----
Douglas Jones
aeroc at verizon.net
"Two things are infinite: the universe and 
human stupidity; and I am not sure about 
the universe."




       
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