Same Same But Different

Our Canadian friends reminded us of this phrase (in wide use in southeast Asia) that describes the state of the world and human existence.

For example, children everywhere chase pigeons.

And little boys play with guns.

Same. same.

But different, because these boys' fathers were slain by guns, or survived by killing others with guns. The games of children take on new meaning when you know these children may well live to see the day when this is not a game.

We wondered why guns are such a popular toy for boys here, when everyone (all the adults at least) know all too well the damage that guns can do.

Well, I said, I can understand why guns are even more romanticized here then in America, because without guns there would be no Croatia.

This country won its independence by fighting for it and dying for it, so it makes perfect sense to me that guns represent ultimate power and authority. It is no different in the streets of the US or anywhere alse where you have to fight to get a piece of safety for yourself and your family in this world.

Gil Scott Heron (one of the fathers of hip-hop and soul music) has a song about how "everybody's got a pistol, everybody's got a 45" and he says very poignently, "when other folks give up theirs, I'll give up mine... this is a violent civilization." And it is true, a gun can keep you alive in this world and keep your children safe. But is is also true that when you bring a gun in to your home, you increase the chance you will be shot by 50%.

So I do not know the answer, and I am in no place to judge these people or the way they raise their boys or how they let them play.