This JPost article reports on the online controversy created by photographs of Israeli kids scribbling short messages on missiles destined for targets in Lebanon. The uproar seems to stem from the argument that exposing children to violent weapons is wrong. This would seem to suggest, however, that high-school field trips to army bases, or a medieval armory museum, would lead to the militarization of our children. This isn’t supported statistically, and it’s an argument that I suspect no one could make.
I don’t necessarily approve of children being near powerful weapons, as there does seem to be the potential for accidental detonation. (I’m not a munitions expert, though, so even this may not be a practical concern.) It’s easy to label this as the militarization of Israeli children. But these children aren’t being taught how to operate this weaponry, and it likely takes more than simply pulling a trigger.