Listening to the dulcet and philosophical tones of Sting on my ipod, I tend to zone out amidst the forms and documents and spreadsheets scattered about my desk and my computer at work. Listening to these familiar tunes, I find it inconceivable to think that they are over twenty years old and not simply pop hits of today. How has so much time gone by? Yet, listening to his pleading vocals from the song “Russians,” I am reminded that the Cold War is no more. References to Mr. Kruzchev and Ronald Reagan are as foreign to kids today as references to Abraham Lincoln or Queen Victoria – merely historical figures, but not ones that they have known or had to live with.
One thing I have always loved about this style of music, it tends to transcend the here and now in which it was written. While Mr. Sumner’s insistence to end the Cold War certainly detailed the here and now of the mid-80’s, other historical references transcend the boundaries of time, tied together with the common thread that is humanity and human behavior. His young men and soldiers of 1914 paint a bleak picture of soldiers fighting for what he coins a children’s crusade. Like most social causes, one of the most noble heartstrings upon which to tug is that of fighting to make a better life for the children. So young, so innocent, so yet unaffected by the idiocy of adults. Of course, the term “Children’s Crusade” goes back much further. Back to a time when the innocence of children was to be naively used in a political ploy. Surely, by sending children off on a crusade, God would protect them and bring them victory, right? Not so much. The children’s crusade would lead to the massacre of these innocent victims. Ah… yet another reference – the Massacre of the Innocents – the horrific abuse ordered by the Biblical King Herod. So many repeats of history, and so many causes over the history of mankind.
This afternoon at work, like most of my co-workers, I sat watching and listening to my computer as the Board hearings went on. Today, the decision was to be made on the approval of contracts funding programs for smoking-cessation. As I listened to both sides duke it out, one rather impassioned gentleman spoke before the board loudly stressing his anger that there was even any discussion or hesitation on such a measure. With lives literally at stake, and children to save, it should be a no-brainer. While I am often hesitant to buy into the heartstring card, I believe in this case, the speaker was right. Because of the power of advertising, media campaigns have been created in such a way as to target younger and younger audiences. And with younger kids becoming addicted to deadly substances, I believe we must acknowledge yet another Children’s Crusade for the modern age.
Each of us has a crusade – at least one if not more. I really do believe that deep down, each of us really would like ultimately to leave this earth just a little bit better than it was when we were here. Fellow crusaders, what are we doing so that this may happen? Is there more that we can do?
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