Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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Our Gladiator History. Our early species eventually lived in small groups. Violence was usually occasional, but real. Later, male Homo sapiens ritualized warfare in 'theatre'. Cultures even used heads of the vanquished As a ball, to play games of sport. Then came the Romans and the gladiator era. Often slaves or conquest-ones fought and died for status. Crowds of fellow humans came to watch their usual demise. Today, many participate in war games and reenactments. Also, we delight and enjoy our (generally) Bloodless but very competitive sports. And we add to all that the vicarious entertainment Of films and 'pods' depicting violence of one sort or another. Why is it, fascinated drivers slow down and gawk at traffic accidents? I sadly conclude that we are a species which basically and really, Enjoys even vicarious violence upon each other. Frank Maurer 21 November 2024 0835 Hours.