Humans and Non-Humans as friends.

After reading about how Pixar is training the children to accept and work with non-humans, see http://bit.ly/l3CSrq
I figured I'd comment on it..

Disclaimer: I'm an old fart and I've seen this trend ever since I read Karel Capek's R.U.R and every Isaac Asimov robot book I could get my little grubby 12 year old hands upon.
These and many other authors and now PIXAR and the game makers are giving us all examples of other creatures as not just helpers, but as co-equals or superior entities that will help us solve our problems. Be it IBM winning Jeopardy, and then moving into the medical diagnosis field, or autonomous drones in sea, air, and land, helping our military, or the numerous spacecraft [robots?] heading off to explore our possible future worlds.  How many times has your car reminded you that you left the lights on between 2000 and 2015? And how many times have you totally forgotten to turn them off on the newer models, only to realize that it can take care of itself, and they will go off in  10 minutes or less.

From Special Forces Dogs, to future designer bugs, soon we'll have creatures that we can communicate to / from at a much higher level that was ever dreamed of a century ago.  And, what will our children's reaction be to 'Monsters' who arrive at our planet to say "Hi !"  Will they shoot them, like we did to Michael Rennie aka Klatu ?  Just remember, Gort was the one in ultimate command.  Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!

Good Luck, Kids... I leave you a screwed up planet to fix.
- Gramps

Prior to the President's speech, 5/01/2011 10:35 PM Eastern

Eve of Destruction
 By P.J. Sloan
  Made famous when sung in 1965 by Barry McGuire.
 
The eastern world it is explodin',
violence flarin', bullets loadin',
you're old enough to kill but not for votin',
you don't believe in war, what's that gun you're totin',
and even the Jordan river has bodies floatin',
but you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Don't you understand, what I'm trying to say?
Can't you see the fears that I'm feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there's no running away,
There'll be no one to save with the world in a grave,
take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you, boy,
and you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Yeah, my blood's so mad, feels like coagulatin',
I'm sittin' here, just contemplatin',
I can't twist the truth, it knows no regulation,
handful of Senators don't pass legislation,
and marches alone can't bring integration,
when human respect is disintegratin',
this whole crazy world is just too frustratin',
and you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Think of all the hate there is in Red China
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!
Ah, you may leave here, for four days in space,
but when you return, it's the same old place,
the poundin' of the drums, the pride and disgrace,
you can bury your dead, but don't leave a trace,
hate your next-door-neighbour, but don't forget to say grace,
and you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend,
you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.
no no you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.