Fortunately or unfortunately, I have yet to figure it out, my kids as they were growing up and now my grandchildren, ask and have asked why it is that people do mean and bad things. Why, they have asked, cannot people be nice, be kind? Proud I am that they do not understand evil, but worried I am that they need to be toughened up, enlightened as to the real nature of some people and ideas here on earth.
In a question asked through the millenniums, people want to know is there truly evil as such in the world and if so, why? I ask, does it really matter as to why, for is it not enough to know and accept that there is evil in this world, it exists, within the world at large and within our smaller worlds.
Evil can be as epic as the deeds of a Stalin or a Hitler and as limited as the deeds of a serial killer. It can be planned out as in the deliberate ethnic cleansing of ethnic sects that one has developed a hate for or as sudden and shocking as the deaths of little children in a school hallway and classrooms. But does it matter that we understand the whys and wherefores of such deeds or can we simply accept it as such, as deeds accomplished and it is far more important to deal with the consequences of said deeds, the eddies around them than it is to psychobabble the reasons, if they can be called that, behind the deed?
I believe that sometimes there are no reasons behind evil deeds, only the actions are there and the hate and the violence, the nasty motivations are often far deeper than we can understand and it does not matter. All the excuses in the world that oh, they are poor so they kill; they are uneducated, so they kill - nonsense!! For how many of the revolutionaries, of the terrorists in the world have come and are still coming from the worlds of the educated, the middle and upper class? Many, many of them. We look for excuses, waste time on them and forget to deal with the ripples around them and on how to make sure we limit these evil doers and their deeds as much as possible. We need to make sure the punishment fits the crime and yes, sometimes we too need to be harsh to make sure that people understand the consequences of deeds and perhaps that will cause them to think again, hesitate, and delay or permanently hold off in a case of self preservation.
Again, does it matter why a 12 year old will kill or does it matter only that his victim is dead or maimed, a life interrupted by the evil deed of another? Does it matter why one wants to become a dictator, oppressing others, removing their rights or does it just matter that it is so and we must fight against it? Does it matter why some sick people are so beyond all sense of humanity that they think that killing within a school or movie theater or mall, etc., is fine or do we just harden our buildings and security and forestall these attempts, control the epidemic of gun violence by controlling the disbursal of said guns and assault weapons? In other words, is it the practical or the theoretical that counts? I plump for the practical. The consequences are there, readily seen and are far more important to deal with, to prevent than trying to understand a sick and evil person for evil is often, most often, impenetrable to reason and understanding so why waste time on that, time better spent on other things and actions?
Better that we are trained to recognize evil in all its facets and phases. Better that we learn how to prepare and prevent, how to heal and help afterwards and better that we learn to recognize it in all its disguises, large and small. And better that we learn and understand that no one is immune from evil, from its dark lures, its harm and its consequences. There is a new miniseries coming on Amazon Prime that is a good example of what could be and how no one, no country or community, is immune for it can happen here - and anywhere - and if you have the opportunity of watching it, beginning November 20, then do so. Remember, it can be binged and watched on other days as well.
So Stalin was evil - is Putin? So the Shabab is evil - and ISIS? So Quadaffi was evil - are the militants now ripping the country apart evil? Tammany Hall was evil - but they helped many of the small people with a hand where needed - does that excuse their evil and power grabs? Politicians who are crooked and break trust are evil and what about the politicians who do the same thing in smaller communities? Are they equally as evil?
A closing thought to bring it closer to home. Stew wrote a touching and meaningful article on Veteran's Day and on the other hand David Israel put on a video and picture or two taken from some outside source. In addition, he put on one of the complaints in the Kelly suit - 42. Kelly's conduct and behavior in sending a letter to the Affected Unit Owners that
informed them that they would be forced to sell their homes to him at the Palm Beach County
value goes beyond all bounds of decency, and is odious and utterly intolerable in a
civilized community.
Now change a couple of words - Israel's conduct....letter to throw aside volunteers.... forced off committees or banned....goes beyond all bounds of decency, and is odious and utterly intolerable in a civilized - and American - community.
See, evil is found all over, and by denying it exists, by putting on a false face, using the term of honor to cover one's own dastardly deeds, for us to ignore the smaller face and footsteps of evil here in our own community, be it in the open or behind closed doors - is a slap in the face to all those who fought for these rights, for their honor, and for our own sakes as well.
Does it matter the why? I think not. Only the ripples of the evil.
No comments:
Post a Comment