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Watching the news any day presents you with one of the true anomalies of the instant communication world in which we now live. The extremes of human behavior are exhibited all too quickly before our eyes.
It got me to wondering. Do alien races scattered throughout the universe also have extremes living among them? I mean did ET have an evil ET living on his home planet?
You wouldn’t think that such would be the case would you? I mean, any reasonable look at humanity might suggest that just the opposite might be likely. We all have the same basic needs and desires in life. We all seem to intuitively (grace given?) understand basic right and wrong. Yet, our behavior has such a broad range of evil to supreme good, it is hard to fathom at times.
When we look at science fiction, we can say that we are all over the map on the this. Some shows and movies have started from the premise that an entire planet is just plain evil. If you watched early episodes of Star Trek, the Klingons were thought to be evil and warlike in a fairly complete way. On the other hand, the episode “Let that be Your Last Battlefield” posed the situation of a planet torn by two sides, each considering the other evil, while their side was benign.
So, typically it seems, we are of two minds here. And I am not sure why this is.
It hit me dead in the face this morning. As you may guess I start my day with GMA. I’ve mentioned them several times over the past few months, so I assume you figured that out. Not for the high level of rhetoric do I watch. It is particularly because it serves me soft news and laughter and lots of fluffy stuff. It’s how I need to start the day. MSNBC, FOX, or CNN would be too harsh that early. I ‘d have offed myself in protest by now, assuming no planet could survive such dismal news.
I chuckled a bit at the first, and shook my head. What more would you expect?
This story originated last year in April or so, but has got new legs given the financial debacle that is our economy. It seems that the Madam, Kristin Davis who is pictured here on her way to court, has some customers that are a bit more interesting today than they were last year.
Ms. Davis who ran a “high class” call girl business pled guilty to the usual tax issues that one associates with such a business and served a few months in the slammer. At that time, all were a titter about her client list, but of course the names that were of interest were politicians and celebrities.
The story returns to the public with a twist. It seems that among the thousands of names on her list were a huge number of corporate biggies from, you guessed it, Wall Street. Included were any number of financial wizards who are employed or were employed by all those now infamous financial houses that have fallen into the cesspool of mismanagement.
It seems that perhaps one reason this is so, is that it is clear now that said heat seeking missiles were paying for their nights of fun with corporate funds. Yes, you got that right. Ms. Davis ran her little house of whores under the name “Davis Investments” and the financial wiz heads were paying her in company expense funds. The poor shmucks down in accounting never thought that so innocent a receipt was for doing the nasty on the company dime.
Kristen is in the news again, mostly because she offered the list of her clients to the NY Prosectors office, and they were singularly uninterested in pursuing this wrongdoing on the part of Wall Street. Now, that was not tax payer money, of course, but still, it reminds us all of the culture of greed and entitlement that was so rampant in the business. No doubt that had a huge effect on the ensuing implosion of the US economy, and more specifically the credit market.
Once again, we are faced with unspeakable greed. The royalty of Rome and Versailles would have been jealous, or proud as the case may be, of how our men on Wall Street have lived the life of entitlement. I say men, knowing that a woman or two no doubt did the same, but this does seem to be a male issue doesn’t it? Once again we see the worst that the human genetic free for all can produce don’t we?
Following that story, was one that touches the heart and gives hope again to the spirit.
Here Erwin Wilson meets with Representative John Lewis. Mr. Wilson had assaulted and severely beaten Congressman Lewis many years ago when Lewis was working in the south to eradicate among other things, a white-only waiting room.
Wilson talked openly of how he and his friends assaulted many blacks in those years. Although not raised as a racist, he became one, he thinks through peer pressure. He remained one for years. Age, Mr. Wilson is 72, may have played some part in his conversion, as well as the election of Barack Obama, and his faith. All came together finally and caused him to seek out Mr. Lewis and apologize formally for his behavior.
This speaks to many issues of course. It gives hope to all of us that the human mind, conditioned by years of hate, can change and reform. Love can overcome evil and hatred in the world. The fear of judgment can actually cause people to rise to a higher level.
Still, I am caught in the apex of the violent and pointed juxtaposition of these two stories. They are not unique as I alluded to. Instant communication simply makes them easier to find. In truth, such stories are out there every single day awaiting our discovery.
What in us gives us the ability to be so kind and loving and so cruel and unthinking, so altruistic and at the same time so deeply self involved? What is it that allows people who destroy and thumb their nose at the world to sleep at night given the specter of people around the globe who give all from their want?
The lesson, I suspect to be learned, is that we are not witnesses to two wildly divergent “types.” We are witnesses, I would argue, to two parts of ourselves. We are all, equally able to be both, or either. There are a thousand and ten reasons why one succumbs to self idolatry and another does not. But, just because one has fallen,doesn’t mean that one can’t redeem oneself in an instant. And the saint is but a second away from disgrace.
If that doesn’t cause you to fall to your knees in prayer, I don’t know what will. We are all just two people, and God willing, the good wins out among most of us most of the time. At least that’s the way it seems to me.
Existential Ennui 
I think if you ever come up with the answers to this, you’ll be at the right hand of God. There’s just no answer.
~*
I really like Chani’s reply–wish I could be that original and succinct! Good writing, good thinking; way beyond me!
I love this Solzhenitsyn quotation:
Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either—but right through every human heart—and then all human hearts.
Thanks Chani and Jan. I appreciate your thoughts.
Ruth, boy is that dead on!
Great thought-provokers, again, Sherry! lol. You asked me why you’re so broke. 2 Answers: (1) You’lle be ‘instantly rich’, if you sell your soul, and thinking to the Mega-Rich powers that bought/brought/controlled the Last (Totally Bankrupting us) Adminstration from record Surpluses, Profits, Full employment to National Bankruptcy, by slashing taxes to the Richest, and changing welfare to Them, in subsidies, etc. The Results are in: expected $3 Trillion total Deficit this year, according to Major known expert, today. (I lost link). (2) Only way to Pay Bills for ‘publishing’ is Sell Ads! Maybe Dutch 70 Meter wind generators, or High Tech Solar generators, or ads for Algea based Biofuels! lololololol. (Do you use Word to space, paragraph?) The Greatest minds of the past have found biggest Answers: Evil was not created. Evil is the Absence of Good. Nature has its own inherent balancing act, like CO2 levels, Our Industrialization organics burning has upset, after 600,000 Years (Antarctic Ice Cores prove). And your thoughts on everpresent generated Evils, Hatreds, destruction was answered about 1700 years ago by St Augustine: Most all human evils are caused by Pride (And related Selfishness). Why else would the Founder of NASDAQ and his 2 sons Ponzii $50 Billion Dollars, from his own Cultural group? The same for the Billions of Dollars Bonuses by a VERY Few Insiders, For Churning Other’s Money. Goes against Every Moral or religious or Cultural Or Tribal Ethics. Cavemen would not tolerate it. Who would permit Half a Bison to be controlled by One? Their justice might have required Him to use None of the Cave gatherings. He can live on his own. And, for the record, it was not Royalty Using women sexually, until the Roman ethic of Same, Pompei on, Resulted in the Spreading of Basic Immorallity, like the Gladiators, and wild animals tearing ealy Christians apart, Because they believed in a ‘spiritual belief system’. Flagrant free sex, begining using children for same, always has been a bold signal that Society is Collapsing, Because of flagrant Selfishness. The Chinese have one Solution for Grafted Public Officials: Capital Punishment. The Message to avoid graft does spread. A homeless person can get 10 Years in the Pen for a $50 holdup, with weapon. The Embezzler of $50 Billion, turned in by one of his own sons, is free to live in his Luxury, with guards hired by his Family. Violation of Parole does not count, for wealthiest, Biggest criminals. Maybe I shouldn’t add a religious note, but it was my own RC Pastor that Mentioned that virtually all Human problems are “thought” to be caused by Pride. Moral teaching, thoughts are Very difficult to find, because of the Selfishness opposite attitudes of Globalization: Enrich the Very Richest, at Public expense also; and Religion, Ethnicity, Traditions, cultures are ‘obsolete’, ‘old fashioned’, ‘out of touch’. (They are bad for “Sales”).
(How do you guys Paragraph? Am too poor for WORD). :0
Oh Wise Leader,
May I join your cohort?
I too need laughter and ‘fluff’ as a prophylactic against the grime and crime of daily news.
Sherry, your question grabbed me at “hello.” I think that’s the constant battle in all of us–who wins today?
For a long time I’ve wrestled with this internal duality and have started to define it like this: we’re born as beings–all good–but entering the world, we find that we need to develop survival strategies to keep us mentally, spiritually, (and yes) physically alive. So we go beyond being creations and become creators. We craft personalities: attitudes, reflexes, habits, etc., that we use to survive. I think that’s where the “dark side” emerges in many of us. (Some theologian or philosopher probably said something like this with much more depth and understanding; quite possibly I read it long ago and lost track of the originator.)
But it makes buckets of sense to me, because it lays our bad impulses at fear’s door. Fear is what kills love. And without love there’s no way we can trust one another or seek the good of all. Selfishness, harm, violence, etc., are rooted in unconquered fear of losing something, though–power, status, security, respect, etc. They’re survival tactics.
Just my two cents. And the ET question interests me, too. What if ET had to get back home because his people were drowning in evil and corruption? What if his was the last pure heart on his planet? Hmmmm.
Sailka, just press enter and it will add a space so you can paragraph. I will make your posts more readible for sure!
Funky! Join the party. We attempt to keep the laughter coming except when we are crying!
Tim, Thanks so much for your kind words. Always welcome here. I have been of the opinion that sin entered the world when the first person rejected a person who tried to enter his cave for safety. Not enough room for both of us, so I sacrifice yours for my own. Sad, but I think you are right, it started from fear.
You’re right Sherry, it is two distinct “parts of ourselves.” As free-will creatures of God, we are indwelt with a part of the Divine that, if we will learn and listen, can teach us to be perfect, even as the Father is perfect; that was his promise, after all. The other part is our free will mind, directed by personality; with it we can indulge our every whim and wish, the consequences be damned.
But there are limits to our range of free will choice, but within the radius of this choice our will is relatively sovereign. And it is this very power of choice, the universe insignia of freewill creaturehood, that constitutes our greatest opportunity and our supreme cosmic responsibility.
Shall we use it to indulge our will in a temporal plunge into cheap and sordid adventure? Or shall we choose to harness our energies and bridle our passions, and be calm while we witness the majestic unfolding of an endless career of progressive adventure and thrilling discovery.
The choice is ours.
Brilliant post. Wish I had time for more of a comment ~ I’ll be thinking about this today.
Sailka, I’m not sure I agree with your limitations on freedom of choice. Perhaps I am not understanding you.
As to passions, I think that we should be passionate, it’s just about what that should concern us. Certainly, in the proper way, passion, even of a sexual nature is acceptable I believe.
But do we have our perverse side? Most assuredly.
Thanks Missy!