From ILuvCO2
I’d like to share an essay by my son on Black Lives Matter. He is a freshman an Liberty University:
Hello everyone.
I’m writing tonight as a concerned student. As I watch the madness unfolding on college and university campuses across this nation – the “protests,” the riots, the vicious hatred of the so-called “Black Lives Matter” movement – I am profoundly and deeply disturbed.
Of course, I understand that on the outside, this might seem like a just and worthy cause. After all, who doesn’t want to end racism? But please, I implore you, especially my fellow college and university students, stop and look – really look – at what is happening. Tragically, what we are seeing here is not the pursuit of justice, it is the abandonment. And it breaks my heart.
Now, before I go any farther, I should like to make it very clear that I am NOT a racist. I harbor no malice or ill will against anyone based on the color of their skin, nor their ethnicity. As a matter of fact, as a Christian, I am called to love all people – friend and enemy, black and white, man and woman – and to serve all above myself. That is my call, and though I am first to admit that I stumble at times, I would hope my character bears this out.
Moreover, when it comes to matters of race, I believe firmly in the inspired words of the Declaration of Independence, “that all men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” I believe in the Truth of Rev. Martin Luther King’s words when he boldly proclaimed that ALL men should “be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” And I believe, just as he believed, that love, nonviolence, and redemptive goodwill towards all mankind are the ONLY grounds for proper and effective civil activism.
Sadly, however, as I look out over the events unfolding on campuses across America, it becomes evident just how far we’ve come from those noble ideals.
When students abandon their station of learning to descend like locusts on the head of their own president, and force him to flee and resign – no hearing, no due process of law, just brute force – all for the non-crime of “not doing enough,” that’s not justice. That’s a lynch mob.
When teachers forsake their duty to raise up a generation of decent, kind, intelligent men and women, and instead resort to leading the rabid cursing, threatening, and assaulting of journalists who only want to objectively report to the world what is happening, that’s not leadership. That’s cowardice. Only darkness flees from the light.
When the first thing these “protesters” do upon gaining control of the campus is to openly and forcibly segregate it into minority only “healing spaces,” and then to ASSAULT anyone who tries to enter and speak the TRUTH that character is what matters, not skin color, that’s not healing.
That’s discrimination.
And when a mob of Dartmouth “Black Lives Matter” students burst into a library where people are studying peacefully, and proceed to swear, curse, and assault their fellow students who happened to be white, forcibly pinning some up against walls against their will, screaming and spitting obscenities in their faces, and physically chasing others out of the building and down the block trying to grab and violently attack them as well, I’m sorry, but that’s not progress. That’s racism and brutality.
And if no one else is willing to call it out, then I guess it leaves me no choice, for my conscience can no longer suffer my voice to remain silent when such a hideous perversion of man’s decency to man continues unabated, and even applauded in this society. Not to speak is to speak. So I will say what must be said.
At every instance, every opportunity, every moment since their inception, this Black Lives Matter campaign has used violence, force, slander, and hate to accomplish their ends. From the burning streets of Baltimore, to the chaos of our campuses, Martin Luther King would be ashamed and heartbroken at the conduct of these people. And so am I.
Where is the dignity? Where is the love? Where is the desire not for victory, but for reconciliation? Where is God in these protests?
I’m afraid the noble principles of equality and justice which those great civil rights leaders of the 60’s sacrificed everything for have fallen by the wayside, replaced, as it were, with the very thing they were trying to stand against: violence and hate.
How many of these students out “protesting” have ever even read MLK’s 10 part nonviolence pledge? How many have actually signed it, and dedicated themselves to following it for the betterment of themselves, their cause, and their nation?
Here’s an excerpt for those who haven’t:
1 – Meditate daily on the life and teaching of Jesus.
3 – Walk and talk in the manner of love – for God is love.
4 – Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.
6 – Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.
8 – refrain from violence of fist, tongue, or heart.
This was the pledge that MLK made everyone who marched with him sign. Everyone. It was the cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement. If you didn’t dedicate and discipline yourself to abide by it, you didn’t march.
And I’m sorry, but if you haven’t read, signed, and committed yourself to follow these points, you have no business being part of anything that calls itself a civil rights movement. That’s what MLK said. That’s what I’m saying now.
And for all those out there engaged in this “hashtag/copy & paste activism,” and “solidarity with…” business, please take a moment to consider what it is you are standing for. I’m not here to accuse or attack you. I love you and I know you are trying to do the right thing. But please, before you “stand in solidarity with” these people, consider what you’re giving your voice to, and what these people are doing with it.
History will remember these times. Will you be remembered as just another voice in the masses, cheering as the mob looks for even more witches to burn at the stake?
You’re better than that. We all are. Especially all those involved in these “protests.” It breaks my heart that they have been so twisted by hate and resentment that they can no longer see the True path of peace and love and reconciliation.
They cry, “No justice, no peace!” but I for one refuse to submit to the mockery of justice that says the answer to racism is segregation! This is insane! And more than that, it’s profoundly wrong and tremendously dangerous. Violence begets violence. Blood begets blood. Death begets death.
This is not the way. And it must stop.
If you want to see real change – real, radical change that will transform your lives, your schools, your communities, and your country, then I’m telling you, get off your feet and get on your knees. Put down your hate. Put down your anger. Put down your pride. Take up love.
Maybe you’ve supported Black Lives Matter in the past because you didn’t know any better. Because there wasn’t another option. Because it sounded like a good thing. But we know better now. They’ve shown us their true colors. And we have to be better than that. We HAVE to be.
It’s time we turn our backs on what is evil, and start searching for what is good. That’s what I’m trying to do here. I’m done just talking about what all the problems are. It’s time to be part of the solution. And if no solution exists right now, it’s time to MAKE the solution. And that starts with each of us, in our own hearts and minds.
How many out there are willing to give up their anger? How many are willing to stand? How many are willing to bear the slander, the malice, and the persecution that they will throw at you just to bring hope to others? That’s the mark of a leader. Maybe that’s your mark.
Brothers and sisters, men and women of all races, colors and creeds, Darkness has made its play, and right now, Light’s not even on the field. We have our modern day Black Panthers and Malcolm X, bold and unapologetic. Same tactics, same goal. Who is willing to stand up and be our MLK?
Who is willing to see race the way God sees race?
Because until we do that, no amount of “healing spaces,” or “solidarity with…” statements, or mandatory diversity sensitivity training is going to do one bit of difference towards healing the wounds that exist.
God bless and keep all of you,
Blah, blah, blah. The universities were taken over by radical faculty around 1969. They have nothing better to do than stir up trouble with their little mush heads.
I have Neegro fatigue. Same for queers and Muslims.
The term “racism” was invented by communists, and is used to destroy cultures and defuse (and render impotent) those with differing points-of-view on “racial” issues.
That being said . . .
True “racism” is desirable as it merely cements cultural and social bonds that are necessary for a society to function and flourish.
True “racism” does not connote either inferiority or superiority of any racial group, but merely denotes commonality of purpose and advancement within each respective racial group.
Blacks have the NAACP and Congressional Black Caucus, Hispanics have La Raza and Mecha, Jews have the $PLC, ACLU and ADL. These are all “racist” organizations that serve to promote the interests (and political power) of their respective races.
It is only whites who are castigated and threatened for attempting to show any signs of racial solidarity.
Let’s look at what these “evil, privileged” whites have done for Western society and the world:
1. “Civil-rights (for some)” laws (that effectively destroy “freedom of association” for whites, but not for other races) and do not apply to whites–only “people of color” are covered by these so-called “civil-rights (for some)” protections, (Ask “Attorney General” Eric holder about that).
2. “Affirmative action” policies (that push better qualified whites out of positions and jobs that they would ordinarily qualify for) in favor of lesser-qualified minorities. In fact, “affirmative action” policies actually damage those minorities who are quite capable of “making it on their own” because they get “lumped in” with the groups that cannot make it on their own without “help”,
3. “Contract set-asides” (that are specifically targeted for minorities (that white people are prohibited from bidding on) and immigration policies (that specifically exclude whites, most of who have skills that would benefit the USA) in favor of those from the third-world (with no marketable skills).
4. Scholarships that specify particular ethnic groups are looked upon favorably by most people, save one–scholarships that are intended for whites only are looked upon as being “racist”, and therefore impermissible and improper in today’s racially-charged climate of “political correctness”.
NO OTHER RACE (BUT WHITES) HAS BENT OVER BACKWARDS to assure that all non-white races receive a “fair shake” in being a part of American life, even to the detriment and social well-being of “our own kind” (whites).
Whites possess an externalized altruism that no other races possesses. This externalized altruism that “looks out for the other guy” will be the demise of the white race. This altruism needs to be internalized and focused inward, just as other races have done. There is NO SHAME in looking out for one’s own kind.
“Multiculturalism” and “diversity” are code-words for white genocide.
Good thoughts, good intentions, but the real world beckons. I would suggest your son delve into history and learn how humans act towards one another. How easily they are led by the nose and commit horrible acts against their own kind. Your son will not change DNA.
Be a good person toward others, but do not turn the other cheek when you meet scum. Have a weapon for protection.
“The term “racism” was invented by communists,”
True. I’m old enough to remember when nobody used the word racism in a discussion. The term was “racial prejudice”, and it was shortened to “prejudiced” as in “You jus a prejudiss cracka”, to which the proper reply was “I ain’t prejudiced. I just can’t stand your dumb ass”.
Now it’s “Yo’ mane, you jus a rayciss cracka”. To which a thinking man replies, “Bullshit, I just hate your monkey ass”.
Times change but the conversation stays about the same.
ILuvCO2, thank you for sharing this essay from your son! It is well thought out and well written. You should be proud that at his young age he is starting to see the truth. He is still more than a little idealistic, but how many of us weren’t at his age 🙂
In late spring of 1984 Geraldine Ferraro came to the UMass campus to make a speech during the Reagan/Mondale race. I got the bright idea after a long night of “thinking” the I should hold up a sign that said “Ronnie Kicks Ass at UMass” on one side and “Ditch thew Bitch” on the other. A friend helped me with the endeavor, we made a sign out of a bed sheet and a couple of 2 X 4s, and we trekked off the the campus pond along with a cooler of Bud Light talls. We made a vow to say nothing to anybody, which we upheld quite well. Needless to say the ensuing ruckus, including a young women literally starting a fist fight with a young man, after spitting on him over free speech and her right not to be butt hurt was as entertaining as anything I have seen before or since. I knew that the campuses were long past saving and they have only proceeded to get worse, much worse since. I can only imagine what would happen if I did that today. I probably would have been kicked out of the University and jailed.
Bob.
” I for one refuse to submit to the mockery of justice that says the answer to racism is segregation!”
-I would have thought this at one time; but now there is a large under current among the black American population that has decided it will never be happy with anything.
I was reading the letter until MLK was mentioned. What a sorry POS he was. Claiming to be a Christian minister while denying Christ. Claiming to be a loyal American while attending communist training camps.He was a pathological liar and a moral subversive but honored as some kind of hero.
Look who funds and controls these people. It is always Jews.The NAACP legal arm is still staffed with Jews.
“The NAACP legal arm is still staffed with Jews.”
The NAACP was founded by white Yankee Unitarian do-gooders and had only white officers for decades. The eevull joos didn’t do it, in the case of the NAACP.
Too many references to MLK.
A bit idealistic …. but, as others have said, that’s the beauty of being young.
Overall, an excellent piece. ILuvCO2 should be very very proud.
Another pussy that prefaces their weak-sauce begging with the phrase ” I am not a racist”.
What’s the matter with racism?
Here I am, 81 years old. I was raised on the idea of judging people by character, not color. I still judge people that way. It has worked well for me, so I’m unconcerned about who else believed as did my parents.
Even the Stalins, Hitlers, Clintons or Obamas occasionally speak truth. Rare event, granted, but it happens. 🙂
BostonBob, showing up at a political rally today with a 2×4 is probably an act of terrorism. You’d get a free trip to Cuba though!
Unless you’re black! The only ones I saw swinging in Shitcago were negroes.
While I agree with the sentiments I think your son needs to read up on Malcolm X, The Nation Of Islam, and the Black Panther Party. It’s not all flowers and rainbows. I’ve met some people that marched in Selma and have immense respect for what they did, they really did fight adversity in a peaceful way. But he’s missing a large part of the story by only focusing on the South. Buy him a copy of ‘Rules For Radicals’.
This was a very well written piece, compellingly written and extremely coherent. Many props to ILuvCO2’s son for a nice job.
I do think, though, that this exemplifies one of the biggest weaknesses of nice people: they assume that everybody else is as nice as they are and that the cruel/immoral acts of others are merely misguided and not intentional.
Sadly, that just isn’t so. There are some real monsters out there. Life is full of them.
Appealing to the better angels of their nature is pointless. They must be resoundingly defeated because if left alone they destroy everything worth anything for everybody.
The compassion and tolerance of good people has given them the position they now hold which is threatening the very existence of western civ.
Also, he should really read up on the truth about Mike King before he uses him as a role model. King isn’t the man the media portrayed.
Anon above was me, sorry.
It turns out that the whites of the 1950’s (myself included) that protested against forced integration were right, all along…
Blacks were doing much better when they had their own institutions, businesses, social organizations, residential areas, etc.
It was communists and other society destroyers (the “chosen” and other northern-based “carpetbaggers”) who are directly responsible for our present racial and social ills.
I grew up during the first “civil-rights” era and have a decidedly different “take” on this whole “civil-rights movement” era. In fact, I saw for myself, what went on during those turbulent times.
Despite the lies and fabrications by the so-called “mainstream media” the “civil-rights marches” in the South were not peaceful “gatherings” that were met with dogs and fire hoses, but were violent black confrontations that actually set back the “cause” of TRUE “civil-rights”. .
The so-called “civil-rights” demonstrations were waves of lawlessness that disrupted the lives of peaceful citizens. There were many black citizens in these areas that were against these “outsiders” coming there to cause trouble. These “civil-rights” marchers committed crimes, rapes, robberies and other crimes, and trashed the areas they were protesting in. I WAS THERE . . . Of course, the cameras were turned off during the episodes of violence. . .then just as now, the news media could not “let a crisis go to waste” . . .
It was mostly ACLU, $PLC and ADL types that riled things up. . .and then later on “melted into the woodwork” only to become “civil-rights” attorneys, race hustlers and poverty pimps.
One incident comes to mind–the death of Mrs. Viola Liuzzo–Mrs. Liuzzo was a Detroit housewife who traveled to the “deep south” (without her husband) to run around with “freedom riders” at night–this was a recipe that was asking for trouble. What business did she have running around with blacks at night in the South while she had a family in Detroit?? Why did she put herself “in harms way”??
I WAS THERE during the “civil-rights” disturbances and witnessed the misbehavior of these “civil-rights” groups (that never got reported). . .
Of course, the “victors” write the history. To the victors–how does it feel now that those you pushed and supported are now turning on you??
The so-called “news media” had an agenda then as it does now. White-on black crime (although relatively rare) is ALWAYS described as a “hate crime” where as black-on-white crime is NEVER described as a “hate crime”. . .Actually, ALL crimes are “hate crimes” . . .
When they say “Black lives matter” they’re being racist. Period end of story. Same goes for affirmative action. My definition of racism is: Anything that takes the color of a person’s skin into account to segment that group from the general population, for whatever purpose, is racist.
So let’s just stop doing it.
Ed , Google the founding members of the NAACP .*The money and brains behind that organization was Jewish. There were some whites on the board but it was Jewish money and lawyers who formed that organization.
bb and the Joos. I swear. Sometimes I feel like I’m watching Don Quixote “tilting at windmills”. Pass the popcorn.
Now, here is where, bb (whom I really like and respect for the most part) tells me: “The Jews are the root of all evil in the world today. Hitler did not kill 6 million, OK? Hitler only killed 1 million. If that, and they died of disease in the camps the Nazis built and NOT in the ovens or from gas. And then, I call him a “misguided douchebag’. Oh well. Let’s skip it tonight. We been there, done that. I’m getting on a plane tomorrow. Got other shit to do. Maybe next time…
BTW – personal and confidential to ILuvCO2 – I read this last night when you posted it on another thread and I reread it again today. You should be very proud of your son. It is really commendable for a young man to write like this. In fact, it gives me hope for the future. Methinks you have raised a “hero”.
Very impressive. Thanks for posting it.
Everyone will wake up eventually. I wish the world was rainbows and lollipops and everyone was free. Pretty words won’t whitewash this shitehole prison planet.
To be young and never met adversity head on turns to stronger words when you meet the real world.
Westcoaster says: Anything that takes the color of a person’s skin into account to segment that group from the general population, for whatever purpose, is racist.
While normal law-abiding honest folks may accept that statement, there is a criminal element that hides behind that defense while carrying on in the worst ways. Race may not be the root cause but it seems to have a correlation with crime. Maybe it is due to a lower IQ of black folks or maybe it is hereditary. Or maybe they are racists themselves.
Araven, Stucky, Rose, Unassimilated and of course Admin, many thanks for the kind words. Very proud indeed.
Rose, could you site some sources for your claims for “Mike” ? For reasoned research of course, not a negative comment.
Open Borders Steph, he’s probably read terrorist Bill Ayers diatribe Rules for Radicals at least twice. And have no idea what you mean by only focusing on the south, or about flowers and rainbows – malcolm x and the black panthers were racist thugs, as he stated more eloquently than me. Selma Schmelma, please. Oh, and screw the SEC, GO NOLES!!
Jimmybubba, I will keep it as clean as I can – FU and the queer you rode in on.
ILuvCO2 says: FU and the queer you rode in on.
That is disgusting and reprehensible language. I wish I’d said that.
Interesting regarding the comments on Martin Luther King, Jr.
Unfortunately, I tend to disagree with most on this thread.
Can’t wait for the next opportunity to debate this. Call me a nigger lover, I don’t care. But I have studied both MLK and Malcolm X.
Regardless, at some point it will make for some fascinating comments here on TBP. Not tonight, though…
Please stand by. Until next time..
‘Til then, I’m “on the road” like Jack Kerouac Gotta’ go 4 now.
Sleep good ya’ fuckin’ bastards…
Iluv – I agree with jimmybubba – if I read another comment saying ” I am not a racist” I am gonna use.
Last word above was supposed to be “puke”.
I hate it when folks feel obliged to say they are not a racist.
Racist is simply the way the fucking lefties try to avoid any debate re why 13% of the population commits 53% of the murders. “That is racist”. Like that in some way refutes the facts.
To say “I am not racist” is simply an attempt to appease the loony left, and to get out in front of their stupidity, and is a waste of time and effort.
Your son has also bought into the giant scam that is MLK, who was in reality a womanising, plagiarising, hypocritical piece of shit. And Malcolm X? Fuck me.
ILuvCO2
I wrote out a massive reply with a info about King and then lost the whole damn thing. Serves me right for not typing it in Word and then pasting it here.
I will rewrite it tomorrow because it is worthwhile reading.
Computers are a pain in the ass sometimes.
Jimmybubba
Judging from the name, you’re from the South, bubba? But, I don’t think you’re from these parts, are ya son?
Pretty FUCKING POOR TASTE to slam the SON of one of our regular posters!!! Learn some fucken’ manners, or get the fuck outta here and don’t come back. I’d give my right nut to bitch slap your sorry ass back into reality.
“I hate it when folks feel obliged to say they are not a racist.” ———- Llpoh
I will be kinder with you. First, you are in the Original Big Dog group. Second, I suspect the Australian heat has fried your brain. Third, you fight back like a dirty mongrel.
OK ….
——– did you miss the part where the author is basically a KID ??
——– he’s a student at a RELIGIOUSLY ORIENTED school …… which teaches that God is LOVE …. who is about to write some negative shit about BLM ……. soooo, I think some clarification about his beliefs/intent is in order.
——– Nonetheless, I basically agree with your points ….. personally, I no longer feel the need to qualify my stance on racism …….. BUT, I’m an oldfuk and it took me a long time to learn that. Sometimes people just need to learn stuff on their own.
Lastly, I’m not a big fan of MLK either. But, I used to be. Just like I USED to be a fan of that tyrant, Lincoln. Yet, once again, it takes the wisdom of age to figure some of this shit out. Personally, knowing what Liberty U. is like (I actually took two Masters level correspondence courses with them), I think that kid has a huge set of balls writing that. I tip my hat to him, for I would never have written something like that when I was his age.
Stuck – kid did a great job. Kids still see through kids eyes. But he is off to a great start. He needs to know the truth re MLK. But great work for a youngun.
My dear friends,
I believe an introduction is in order. I am the author of this piece. For reasons I shall keep to myself, I shall remain nameless. I became aware sometime yesterday that my father, acting in goodwill, had taken this post I had written months ago for another platform, and published it here. And upon reading these comments, I felt motivated to respond.
Firstly, to all those whose kind words have touched my heart, I thank you sincerely.
And to those whose words have been decidedly less than savory, I would say this. The fact that you think you can gain respect or self-worth by insulting or swearing at a student means that you have earned my pity and my sympathy. However, more importantly, the fact that you are a human being created in the image of the Creator means that you have earned my love. It might not make sense to you now, but I want you to know that I love you deeply, and I pray that the God of all grace would bless you richly and abundantly in this season of your life.
Now as for substance, let us begin.
As much as I would enjoy having a dialogue with each one of you who has commented, I have not the time. So I shall simply discuss themes.
Firstly, I can say with no hesitation whatsoever that I reject the notion entirely and completely that race has any bearing whatsoever on character, as some here have suggested. It is an archaic idea that has no place in a civilized society, no foundation in reality, and certainly no basis in morality. If we do not understand the Truth that of one blood, God has made all the nations of the Earth, then we understand very little indeed. There is only one human race, and we are all brothers therein, searching and striving together in our struggle to bring unity out of diversity, and diversity out of unity. I will not entertain any thoughts to the contrary now or ever.
Secondly, to everyone who has said something to the effect of “be a good person towards others, but do not turn the other cheek when you meet scum,” I would respectfully remind you that those are two mutually exclusive dictates. In other words, if one is to be a “good person” one must necessarily learn to turn the other cheek. Moreover, to usurp for yourself the mantle that even God has denied, and become the arbiter of who is “scum” and who is not, I warn you, is a grave mistake and a soaring feat of arrogance. Judge not lest ye be judged. Remember, the same measure you use unto others, it will be measured unto you. God loved and slaughtered His Son for you in no smaller part than for the man you now deride as scum. How can we talk of being good people, while holding judgement and hatred in our heart towards our brothers? I submit it cannot be done, and if we say it can, we deceive ourselves and the Truth is not in us.
Now, for everyone who said that I was weak for having to claim I am not a racist, I would kindly ask you to understand the idea that context matters. As I have said, I did not write this piece for this forum. I wrote it months ago for another, predominantly liberal leaning, BLM sympathetic community. My intentions, unlike far too many I’ve seen online, were not to insult or simply oppose the spread of the BLM movement. My motivation was to reach out to them, to reason with them, and to appeal to their conscience. (Side note: for everyone on here who said that they’re all monsters, or scum, or evil people, and that I am naïve for believing they could change, I believe you are mistaken. I received many a private message from them wherein they told me how wrong they had been and that they’re so glad someone reached out to them instead of just insulting them and polarizing the situation more. Love and kindness DO win in the end. Insults and attacks do nothing.) In this endeavor, I felt it necessary and wise to first introduce myself and give a brief outline of what I believe and what I do not believe. If you want to call it weak, then you can. If you want to write in and call me all sorts of names for it, go ahead. You won’t be the first. And I’ll still love you. But in the end, it proved fruitful for me, and I would simply have to wonder how many people you’ve ever managed to lead to Truth by swearing at or insulting them.
I should like to end by saying this. It disheartens me to hear all the people here who have resigned themselves to the idea that the world is a cynical, dark place, and that anyone who claims to the contrary is naïve and diluted, or young and inexperienced. Yes, I am young. But if I am the only one with the courage to stand up and set an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity, then with God’s help, so be it. Because the Truth of the matter is this. If hope is dead, it is because we’ve killed it. If love is gone, it’s because we’ve cast it out, and if peace is destroyed, then its blood is on our hands. Because all those things – peace, hope, love. Freedom – they’re choices. Inside of us. What will you choose? Yes, the heart of man is depraved and desperately wicked. Yes, we have done terrible, cruel, unspeakable things to each other. You can fault me for the hope that is in me, but do not fault me for my lack of knowledge on the long, bloody history of this world. I am well acquainted. But if we choose now to give up on hope in our own hearts, to reject love in our own minds, and to slaughter peace in our own thoughts, then we have no one to blame for that than ourselves.
And I for one refuse to do that. Because then the battle really is lost. Like Jefferson, I have vowed eternal hostility against any form of tyranny over the mind of man. That means both external AND internal. Because while the physical institutions of this world – governments, institutions, corporations, etc – have the frightening capacity to control us and strip us of our liberty, what they are capable of pales in comparison to the much greater and deadlier threat of internal tyranny. The internal always produces the external. When men are slaves to anger, fear, and hate, how then can they create a society that is free, strong, and loving? And when they are hopeless, pessimistic, and resigned, how can they effect the change they want to see? They cannot. So let us therefore cast off the chains of oppression under which our souls have for so long been toiling, and set ourselves about the true work of freedom, which as John Adams so poignantly reminds us, lies not on the battlefield, but in the hearts and minds of men. Let us be men who are bold to set ourselves free. Free to love those who hate us. Free to pray for those who persecute us, and free to hope that the future, though it appears dark, can be so much brighter than we could ever imagine.
Your most humble and sincere servant,
-Publius.
Great explanation buddy. Love, Dad.
Publius – I appreciate the response, and admire much of what you have said, and can see in you the idealism of youth.
I must say, though, when you say things like “It is an archaic idea that has no place in a civilized society, no foundation in reality, and certainly no basis in morality”, you are making a series of significant mistakes.
First, who are you to be arbiter of what is an archaic idea. Lots of “archaic ideas” are relevent today, were yesterday, and will be tomorrow. Because they are old does not make them wrong.
Second, who are you to decide for others what is a civilized society, and what should be in it? You have neither the experience nor wisdom to be making those calls. You are entitled to your opinion, but to make it an absolute as you have done is absurd.
Third, there is significant foundation in reality. For instance, numerous studies have shown there to be significant differences in IQs between races, and further studies correlate IQs to the ability to reason, and thus some races simply may not be able reason effectively enough to ever be of high character, when taken as a group. Further, there are studies that show various other physical characteristics which may well be causing certain races to be more violent. That you are either unaware of the studies, or choose to ignore them, does in no way make them unreal.
Fourth, again, who are you to be arbiter of “morality”? What you may think is moral, others may not. For instance, legitimate arguments exist re capital punishment, abortion, etc., and there is no one “morality” that applies.
If you are going to post here, you will need to do better than make statements effectively saying that you know better than everyone else, because, young man, you simply do not.
Good luck on your journey.
Publius:
“I have vowed eternal hostility against any form of tyranny over the mind of man.”
Such tyranny comes from the actions of people, and to stamp it out, you need to openly confront the people from whom it flows.
Hostility is NOT turning the other cheek. You cannot vow hostility to tyranny if you refuse to fight those that are opposed to goodness.
I would strongly suggest that you read up on sociopaths. A sociopath is a person who is wholly selfish and incapable of conscience. They are literally broken people, not fixable, no matter how much love, therapy and goodness you expend upon them. Something in some way fried their brains and short circuited the parts that make us humans of conscience. Nobody really knows what causes this, psychologists would likely blame it on some physiological or chemical malfunction, religious types might label it as some sort of demonic possession or manifestation. Whatever it’s roots, turning the other cheek to someone of this nature is a terrible mistake. Perhaps even a sin, a blatant refusal to openly confront and combat that which is evil.
If you turn the other cheek to a “normal” person, even if they are behaving terribly, your humility in doing so may very well shame them into rethinking their behavior and you can effect positive change peacefully (which is always awesome and the absolute best thing people can hope for in resolving conflict). That’s something that the civil rights marchers did very effectively. The powerful image of peaceful men and women doing nothing when fire hoses and dogs were turned on them turned the stomachs of many, many Americans and made them re-evaluate their longheld prejudices. Despite their failings, they were decent people, and the courage of those marchers turned their hearts. Powerful stuff that gives you goosebumps just to think about. Pure goodness at work.
BUT
A person who is a sociopath has no conscience to appeal to. If you turn the other cheek to them, they simply see it as an opportunity to exploit you (or worse yet, other innocents) further. Such people must be shown emotionless justice and removed from any capacity where they can cause further injury, even if that means killing them.
With age and experience comes the maturity to (hopefully) decipher who is a good person behaving badly versus who is a sociopath. There are some excellent guidelines out there of typical sociopathic behavioral patterns to look for. https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201305/how-spot-sociopath
In many ways, these lists basically describe all of the characteristics of a demon.
It is a really, really, really, really, REALLY hard lesson in life once you figure out that some people (thankfully very few, but boy, those few are DOOZIES) are just flat out bad and cannot be reasoned with or “saved”. It is one of the big heartbreaks that marks your passage from a child to an adult, the loss of those rose tinted glasses.
Sometimes I think a lot of the anger shown around here (TBP) is the pain of idealists who trusted the leaders, heroes and thought systems elevated before them and got burned. Most of us on here (going back to a post from a few months ago) are INTJ personality types, people who place a lot of value on logic and integrity, who perfectionistically strive to practice those values in their own lives, and who have a hard time processing it when the favor isn’t returned. To behave honorably and be treated like rubbish in return hurts like hell, and it can make you cynical and jaded. Hopefully you can skip that step by simply not buying into the game from the get go. They (sociopaths) can’t break your heart if you never offer it to them.
As for the world being a dark and cynical place, it certainly can be, IF you chose to follow those who rise to the top (they tend to be sociopaths) and proclaim themselves as leaders of men. If you follow their lead, put your trust in them, then you will very likely be let down, either when they exploit you or when you learn their true nature and find you’ve been following a false hero.
Many people lack the courage to confront that reality, and instead live out their lives in carefully constructed false realities because admitting that they were lied to is too painful to accept. The Republicans and Democrats who are convinced that all it takes is one more election cycle and it will all be rosy illustrate this. They keep trusting the untrustworthy and they keep getting burned. The people who know this about them and exploit them in their faithfulness are (I’m sorry, but it is the truth) whited sepulcher scum.
Others become militantly hellbent on FORCING something to be true (the rabid SJWs are a great example of this). They cannot fathom that they might be wrong, and that they might be following faulty reasoning or a bad leader. The people who prey upon and exploit this SJW type (who are often good but naive people following tremendously bad logic) are also scum. George Soros is like this.
Still others check out entirely and become nihilistic. Which is the end goal of evil, isn’t it, to turn off a person’s mind and heart so that they no longer care about or value the gift that is life and with it, the image of God that they embody? Anybody who can, through their hideously unrighteous actions, drive others to nihilism is in league with the devil himself and is, ipso post facto, scum.
Another BUT.
If you instead focus on getting to know the average, everyday men and women of every race, creed and color, you’ll find constant reminders that the word is full of wonderful people that have very good hearts (even if they are sometimes truly muddled and tangled up in life). They are the ones worth appealing to, worth turning the other cheek for, and the ones that DESPERATELY need the love and guidance of somebody as committed to goodness as you seem to be so that they don’t follow false leaders and fall into the lures of evil.
A good shepherd has to realize that there are wolves out there, and protect his flock from them. SOME HUMANS ARE WOLVES. Scum. Life destroyers. Evil bringers. Agents of chaos. Enemies of all that is good and right and holy.
Sometimes protecting the sheep means teaching your herd skills to avoid their clutches (which works with some) and sometimes that means shooting the wolf before it kills the lambs (who are too trusting to ever defend themselves from the wily wolves no matter how much you warn them).
It very much seems like you are a truly good and caring young man and are more than willing to accept the challenge offered by a tumultuous world.
God bless you and strengthen your resolve to the defense of goodness in the days to come.
Publius, it took me over half a century to understand how much of an influence psychopaths and sociopaths have on the world’s societies. Rose’s comment about them is very close to the truth, but I think that there are more of them in positions of power than even she realizes. The intelligent psychopaths and sociopaths rise to the top in government and business because the rest of us are constrained by morality and character and they are not. This is a hard thing to get your head around since they have a tendency to appear very charming and it is hard not to be disarmed by someone who says exactly what you want to hear. Am I resigned or a realist when I say that we cannot fix things on the larger scale with Kumbaya moments? That this will not work because of the power these psychopaths and sociopaths have?