We live in a world that thinks that living and surviving above all else is ALL that matters.
And while the natural nature of life is to survive and thrive, there are a few good reasons to “blow one’s self up,” to risk death, to die.
In other words, life may present us with circumstances that demand that we look the enemy in the eyes with an unflinching gaze, shoulders back and down, feet hip width apart and firmly planted, and with a powerful voice announce:
I will initiate my self-destruct sequence before I compromise my own values or sacrifice the good of another or the many or the cause.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. did it.
- Abraham Lincoln did it.
- Nelson Mandela did it.
- Mahatma Gandhi did it.
- Captain Kathyrn Janeway of the Starship Voyager set the sequence several times.
- Jesus Christ did it.
As I look forward to the next four years, I fervently hope that no one among us is faced with this ultimatum, but I wonder:
Who else among us will be this brave?!
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one or the few (Spock from Star Trek). This is a good lesson for us all.
I love Star Trek: The Original Series and I love Star Trek: Voyager. There is so much wisdom in these two shows. It makes me sad that the sane and wise among us have been exploring social issues, giving us example after example of what demagogues look and act like, and sharing other possibilities as to how we can ALL live together and thrive. And yet, here we are AGAIN: In a matter of a few days, another silly wanna be demagogue twit is going to hold the highest office in the land!
SIGH!
We can try!