Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Hacked off I am...
I had three people go out of their way to 'splain to me this morning how certain groups of people are only animals.
Now let's just stipulate here that as human beings all of us sometimes (some of us, including me, often) say, "those people are blah-blah-blah." When we really mean, "Those people are behaving like blah-blah-blah."
But that wasn't the case this morning. It frightens me and it really, really hurts my heart when I run into that kind of thinking.
Everybody has a choice. In this case it's a binary solution set. All humans are human. Or not all humans are human.
I believe that people who read this should feel a little bit of self doubt, a little worm of uncertainty in their gut. "Do I do that? Do I sometimes treat or think of others as objects rather than people just like me?"
I believe that those who don't have a bit of doubt, those who are absolutely certain of their rightness...
I believe those people scare the hell out of me.
What makes that kind of certainty and behavior so frightening is that I know I could be that guy. It's a choice. It's my choice. And the only one stopping me is me.
Deep, cleansing breath.
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As usual, thought provoking.
ReplyDeletePaul L. Quandt
While technically speaking humans are indeed animals (we are mammals, cows are mammals, dogs are mammals, all are classified as animals, as opposed to minerals or vegetables), it bothers me when people refer to other folks as "animals" in that way which I presume to be the point of your post. That is, some folks are, in their eyes, less than human. (To me, calling them "animals" is an insult to both the humans being referred to as such and to animals themselves, in general, so to speak. The non-human animal acts as Nature designed them, as Nature intended them to act.)
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I get what you're saying, it hacks me off as well, though, truth be told, I too am guilty, at times, of doing that.
At worst, I would describe a person's conduct as "uncivilized" or "barbaric", though to attribute such a thing to an entire group of people is unjust to say the least.
Not that I could cast the first stone.
Ever...
Thanks Sarge. It's never about being perfect, but practicing the "sapiens" thing as best and honestly as we can, when we can, is the test, methinks. Also, where there is life there is hope, so I'm not gonna throw anyone out with the used motor oil, even if they do scare me...
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