The answers were well thought out, professional, and involved the tactical and practical actions that students could take to avoid harm. We were reading the list of suggested tactics which included: drop everything and run; get into a classroom and block the door; and hide. But there was at least one thing that we think should’ve been added to the list: “Vote!”

We admire the students for refusing to be silenced about violence. But there are issues beyond gun-control that can make a difference. They have to do with the not-so-subtle ways that our children are influenced about the value of life itself.

Whether it’s the old time western shoot-em’-ups or gangster movies of the ‘40s and ‘50s, American movies have always been violent. People are shown being shot without a care.

But in the 80’s and 90’s things got even more bloody with a fascination for violence against teenagers in chain saw massacres and horror movies. Now the victims were innocent and young, not just the old “bad guys.”

Imagine being young and impressionable and being submitted to that kind of “entertainment.” How can movie actors walk with the student in protest, and then take money to perform in movies that cheapen life?

But wait! Then comes the video games that quickly go from Pac-Man to you-are-the-shooter. The games have become wildly popular with teenagers. This experience of easily blowing people away is now becoming available in virtual reality. Should we be surprised about the increased instances of violence when “reality” is in the name of the experience?

We were in our friendly neighborhood pizza parlor last week. It’s just a couple blocks from our local high school.  Video games were screening and screaming. They were vying for teenage attention, shooting one person after another, without consequence, and the player was pulling the trigger.

Then comes the constant news feeds that are deliberately designed to get our attention with headlines that feature death and destruction and other threats to our lives. This comes to us daily on all platforms and inundates our young people with messages that de-value life.

We’ve all heard that most young people know that this is all “fantasy” and that they can easily distinguish this from “reality.” But what about the mentally depressed, isolated, and psychologically imbalanced? They are constantly and visually exposed to this violent avenue to demonstrate their frustration.

What about the impressionable, unstable, and risk tolerant aspects of the still -developing teenage brain? And what about the reduction in mental health funding? Now let’s add to that the “copycat factor,” and you have a real “hot mess!”

Certainly, reducing easy access to firearms is a big part of the answer. Invoking parental responsibility can significantly reduce the instances of school shootings and other atrocities.

But don’t we have a responsibility to hold the entertainment and video game industry to task as well? We’re not advocating censorship, just good judgement and sensitivity. When entertainment producers deliberately go after teenage dollars with violence that diminishes the value of life, shouldn’t their actions be subject to public scrutiny?  We think it’s hypocritical to stand with the students while making money depicting violence and devaluing life.

We work with students every day. Many of our events are in schools. We owe it to them to speak out against this ominous trend in teenage “entertainment.” Let’s show them why life is precious. Let’s get them into the parks. Let’s show them the wonders of nature. And let’s teach the values of empathy over enmity.  Let’s all agree to set good examples for others to follow, especially our youth whom we know emulate what they see.

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Has Life Become De-Valued in America? appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

They contend that their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property are being violated by the government. They also contend that the government’s behavior is violating the public trust doctrine that holds the government responsible for the preservation of certain vital resources for use by the public, including, in this case, a healthy climate system.

Interestingly, the lawsuit was originally filed under the Obama administration. In November of 2016, the lawsuit cleared a major hurdle, thanks to U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken, who denied motions filed by the government and the fossil fuel industry to dismiss it. She so ordered that it should go to trial.

“Exercising my ‘reasoned judgement,’ I have no doubt that the right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life is fundamental to a free and ordered society.” – U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken

This is major! It could disrupt the way environmental advocacy is being conducted globally. Already in the Netherlands, a court hearing a similar plea ordered the Dutch Government to reduce carbon emissions by 25% over a five-year period. Other analogous lawsuits are being brought in South Africa, Austria, and Pakistan.

The issue here is simple. If the government is in a position to promote or discourage the use of fossil fuels through laws, taxes, and permissions, are they liable for negatively effecting your life, liberty, and property? And if they promote the use of fossil fuels, are they violating the public trust?

So, the crux of the issue boils down to whether it can be proven in a court of law, that human activity and burning of fossil fuels in fact causes climate change. Unlike politics, where you can have 99% of the scientists agree that human activity causes climate change, and still say “It’s a debate,” in a court of law, a preponderance of facts still matter.

Speaking of facts, the plaintiffs had to submit a request that the Department of Justice preserve all documents relevant to the lawsuit, including climate change information and information on energy and emissions, and, get this, cease any destruction of these documents! This was right after the new administration’s immediate ploy to remove climate change information from the White House and other federal agency websites.

Julia Olson, chief legal counsel for the plaintiffs and executive director of the advocacy group, Our Children’s Trust, said “Destroying evidence is illegal and we just put these new US Defendants and the Industry Defendants on notice that they are barred from doing so.”

The new administration especially does not want this to get to court where a decision will be based on the facts. That’s why they have filed a motion to stay litigation and appeal the district court’s decision to clear the lawsuit for trial. They know that if this gets to trial and the plaintiffs prevail, like they did in the Netherlands, they could be ordered to reduce emissions whether they wanted to or not.

Unbelievably, the government’s argument against preserving the critical documents that could prove the relationship between the burning of fossil fuels and climate change is that it would put an unnecessary burden on the government just to maintain these files that already exist!

We support the children and young people who are taking this novel and noble action. We put our faith in the court system which must decide on the facts. Let the court end the “debate” and demonstrate its counterbalancing power to help future generations avoid catastrophe. Even a reluctant government would have to execute a court order. Find out more about this landmark lawsuit at Our Children’s Trust.

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Can the Kids Save the Environment? appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.