7th grade English Lit class. Discussing the short story K2. Comparing the three challenges found within: Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Self. This story is applicable to so many times of a person's life, especially now during our own troubled times.
Nature has hit us with a bad one. We are rapidly falling into a pit from which we wonder if there is another way out as the climb back up seems too onerous and difficult, too hard to overcome. We ourselves have helped deepen the depth of nature's wounds by behaving in a careless manner with Nature, challenging it, crushing it, crossing the borders of it too many times and one wonders if this is the one time too many. We have ever more rapidly and voraciously chewed up nature, destroying its many blessings before we even find them.
Then we have the two categories that deal with man, other men, and the battle that often goes on within the inner depths of a person as needs, principles, and desires are weighed. Even the very question of survival arises in many instances and that is the greatest challenge of all for some. How much and for how long do we fight against the Grim Reaper? How many people must die in order for others to live?How do we make decisions that condemn people to die as we weigh needlessly short supplies and personnel? How do we look at a presumed national leader, one to whom we look for guidance, for capability to rise to the challenge - and yet that response is dead silent other than with the echo of ever increasing lies, more lies and stupidities that will cost lives. At a time when empathy is needed we get harsh statements that the economy must reopen, never mind the ensuing consequences.
We argue against each other. One party thinks that we must rescue big corporations, even as this same party did not like it when the other party did that. They wish to give money away without oversight but were finally overruled by the Dems. Thus there was a delay as the economy sank deeper and deeper into, as I once read, "a morass in our own self made abyss". Yes, we, mankind, has brought this upon itself, whatever we believe. It is a disaster manmade by man's carelessness, selfishness, blinkered eyesight and vision that never took into account the 'collateral' damage we were causing and ignoring, allowing things to deteriorate at an ever increasing rapidity.
Is this also a message from the Supreme Power, whatever name He is given? Have we allowed the classic infection of hubris to overcome our sensitivities and thinking? Do we, did we, deserve this punishment, challenging the power of man Vs. G-d, building or attempting to build, our own version of the Tower of Babel and failing, disastrously?!
We here in this country have long thought we were special, separated by oceans, friendly borders, great thinkers and leaders who thought ahead, but we have found out that these were and are false premises. WHO says that we are set to become the biggest epicenter of COVID-19, even as the numbers grow and the dead multiply. Yet there is hope. Even as some hoard, others volunteer to come out of retirement, or jump into the hot waters even as they just graduate from schools. The little guys we never paid attention to are standing stalwartly at their jobs, risking health and they, not the madman leader of ours, are keeping the economy, such as it is, going. Kudos to all of them. Shame on Trump et al.
The tantrum throwing man is demanding, mind you, that people go back to work, go to houses of prayer, all by Easter Sunday and during the holiday of Passover. The medical experts are warning against that, but the tantrum continues. He is safe within his nice little cocoon, but the rest of us? He could care less!!
And so we are caught, hoisted on our own petard. Even as we were allowed time to observe other countries and see what works and what does not, even with that blessing, we fouled up. We did have plans but we ignored them. We did have a group charged with preparing for this, but that idiot disbanded them. Then we ignored safety rules in our cities and states. The federal government took on state governments for power and the states are the ones now trying to save lives, with even GOP governors fighting the insanity of the WH.
The results? We are just about under martial law, with curfews, outside activities just about banned, growing fears that the man there in that WH will take advantage and kill the November election in one way or another, and even refuse to leave should the results of the election place him as the loser. That we talk of this in growing disturbing predictions is mind boggling.
The experts are finally facing reality and understanding that recession terminology is way wrong for this situation. We are talking a world wide Depression greater than the Great one. Countries are now hoarding their own food supplies. Trade is down to a creep and a crawl. Just imagine, just follow the arrows to the inevitable disaster on a global scale should this be allowed to happen.
How do we stop this? Way above my pay grade but then again, I never made believe I could do that. I trusted, perhaps stupidly, that the leaders of the country would rise to the challenge, accept their responsibilities responsibly. How dumb that was and is. Truly dumb. So we, the people, are going to have to force the issue, force our leaders to do their jobs. Now!
Get hold of the story. Read it and understand its eternal lessons for mankind. These are lessons that we have ignored in our haughtiness, in our supreme moments of insanity, thinking that there will never be consequences we cannot overcome or ignore. Well, we have now found out that we are wrong, are basically in the same situation as those who faced the Black Plague, cholera, and the Spanish flu and found out the true depths of their helplessness in the face of deep tragedy.
Brother, but do we have to shape up or we will be shipped out despite our objections. Heed the warnings, the points of an evergrowing crisis and now right in our own backyards. Our lives depend on our reactions and the time it takes us to ramp up those responses plus their strength against the virus. I hope. I pray. I have every double organ crossed, knocked on all wood, including my own head, and prayed some more. Join me.
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