editorial
Attitudes in ‘Rambo’
signal growing trend
Rambo is as macho as they come. With the body oi a
power lifter and the emotions of a brick, he barely flinches as
he stabs, shoots, blows up, and torches his way through
scores of people. Even setting fire to a small village of inno
cent people fails to evoke any outward signs of regret. When
he brings in American POWs that he has rescued from a
Vietnamese prison camp, he is cheered by audiences in
America and Lebanon alike.
John Rambo, the star character played by Sylvester
Stallone in the film ‘‘Rambo: First Blood Part 11,” is
dangerous. Not because he single-handedly combats an en
tire army, but because of the ideas he represents. Rambo
makes killing and war look glorious. He shows that there are
few people that you can trust, that everyone is just out for
money, and that if you can kill a lot of people, you will be
respected. He stands for achieving your aims through force
and he makes it look, especially to children, that it is pos
sible to fight hundreds of people and remain virtually
unscathed.
In addition, Rambo is being marketed as a hero to an au
dience that, for a large part, cannot remember the Vietnam
war. This idea will be further encouraged when retailers
throughout the world start displaying an assortment of Ram
bo paraphernalia aimed at children, including Rambo action
figures, toy guns and knives, and even Rambo vitamins.
It is also disheartening that many of the cheers in the au
dience are coming from Vietnam veterans. Those that saw
the horror first hand should be the last ones to support a film
that glorifies killing. Their support of the film, in particular,
lends it credibility.
One veteran summed up his sentiments in a recent letter
to the editor published in Time magazine, by saying “there
is a vicarious satisfaction for us Vietnam vets in seeing Ram
bo win where we were not allowed to.” This statement pro
mpted us to ask if the only thing that the writer of this letter,
and other veterans that cheer Rambo on, regret about the war
is that we "lost," that if we had “won” everything would ,
have been alright. Fortunately, many veterans do not. sup- .
port the film.
But aside from the messages being relayed in the film,
there is mounting concern that the themes will manifest
themselves in tangible behavior.
Beaverton police officers found several lethal booby
traps in a neighborhood park earlier this month, and linked
them to two boys, aged 15 and 16. Rumors, which the
Beaverton police were unable to confirm, suggested that
designs for the traps were based on traps built by Rambo in
the first film in which the character was featured. "First
Blood."
Some psychologists even believe that "Rambo” reflects
a growing trend of nationalism, which includes other films
like "Uncommon Valor” and “Red Dawn.” They assert that
the themes portrayed in these films may soften American at
titudes towards military force and may actually increase the
likelihood of a conflict involving military exertion.
University community psychologist Norman Sundberg
saw the film and said that it reflects the values of violence
and reacting with force rather than with negotiation or
diplomacy. He doesn’t think that one film is likely to affect
behavior in someone who is not already predisposed to it.
However, he does think that ".there is clearly a trend
towards violence” and simplistic thinking, and that a repeti
tion of films of this type lead to attitude changes in society.
We think that "Rambo” represents unhealthy attitudes
and that its enormous popularity reflects a chilling change
in American values.
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Commentarjr
Protestors of animal research
are urged to consider options
For those who denounce
research using live animals, 1
ask, please think of the pro
blems which might result if'
such research were not done. If
research were continued with
humans; who w ou I d .
'‘volunteer”? The poor,, for
some stipend; the imprisoned,.
for possible sentence reduction
for better conditions: or those in
state " institutions.. whq often
can't choose, without any pre
testing. to be subjects?- -
Iff volunteer for a research
project, I do so with a convic
tion that someone in the future
will be helpedand that I can
hopefully assess the integrity of
the doctors or researchers and
some of the consequences of my
participation in the project. If
the rats or monkeys can’t
choose, neither in a sense can
the poor or interred.
No one condones research
done in art unclean or violent
manner on animals or humans. 1
have met some of the students
who are researchers and keepers
at the University and was quite
impressed with their concern
for, and even affection for. the
animals. While 1 have a hard
r
time cozyihg up to a bat or rat, •
they were very comfortable with
them.
- They also were aware pf ho’w
their research would affect the
rest of us. If their research stops, .
where are we? If We risk human '
lives, what are we?
Without researr:h. however,
academic knowledge is lost of
and more clearly. Id treat more
. specifically and carefully,-and
. io have a person lead a healthier.'
and more productive'life, how
.do we balance the lives -thirt
would- be lost or crippled
’• without such research?'
■ ff I can volunteer for research
with a feeling of great hope for
The researchers were aware of how their'
research would affect the rest of us. If their
research stops, where are we? If we risk
human lives, what are we?
who we are, of what makes us
"work” or ‘’not work,'! of how
we react to products or pro
cedures, and how we-exist-''and
interact with all aspect# of our
environment.
As more complicated
chemicals and drugs are pro
duced,. more years of testing
must be done to insure their
safety so that harmful
substances can las kept off of the
market and out of our environ
ment. If years of research into
epilepsy or cancer have led to
our ability to diagnose earlier
future sufferers, does the cat or
cow or rat know that such
reseerch done on them benefits,
their kind . as well? The
veterinarians and animal
„ science people who diagnose
and treat animals learn'from
such research
To the protestors,, please talk
with the researchers and see the
ramifications of their research
for all of Os human, animal or
vegetable, qnd think of what
might happen without any
animal research at all.
By (instance Toomey
Oregon aoiiy
emerald
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