With a small caveat

It should be clear where I'm coming from, but I'm guessing it is not clear to absolutely everyone. I also think, quite seriously, that there's still a chance for some confusion, so let me clear that up as well.

First of all, yes, we are all created equal and endowed with some inalienable rights. That part of the Constitution the founding fathers got right. However, ...

We don't all show up in equal circumstances. Some people have it a lot harder in life than others, and this for any number of reasons. We don't all have equal opportunities.

What is more, since we have ranked (rigged?) our priorities in favor of the economy over the society, this inequality of opportunities is a double hit for those left out. When it comes to economic forces -- which are valued higher than any other in our modern-day, consumerist, capital-driven, money-loving world, those without are at more than just a disadvantage: they've been shut out completely. Consequently, we can't judge them by our otherwise money-prejudiced standards.

Facebook, for example, abounds with sappy, pathetic drivel about how our lives would be better if we made better choices. That's vague enough to agree with, but it's too vague to be true. For all of those born with a gold, silver, or even stainless steel spoon in their mouths, talk is cheap. Before you disparage the poverty-stricken, the weak, the disenfranchised, the oppressed, and the have-nots (i.e., those without spoons, so to speak), you should give your personal pathos a second thought. I would like to see all those well-enough-off-to-think-they're-more-deserving-than-others manage under the same circumstances as those for whom they no longer feel responsible. Yes, we like to think that responsibility is a personal thing, but that's only part of the story ... a very small part of it actually.

In an age of unbridled, rugged individualism, too many John-Wayne wannabes like to think that they got to where they are by their own efforts. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Your social background, your skin color, your fitting or not-fitting into legislated categories, your upbringing, your diet, your family circumstances all play a part in which breaks you get and what breaks you. Recent studies have shown that even random determination of a privileged position leads quickly to the assumption that the benefiters are getting what is their due. Once "there", these people almost invariably tend to get less compassionate quickly as well. Could it be ... I mean, is it perhaps just possible, that you're not being objective about your stance on rights and responsibilities? Could it be that you're just opining from a rather privileged position?

Now, while I still believe everyone needs to make the best of what they have, there are still too many folks without enough for "good", let alone "best". This is anything but a one-size-fits-all matter.

What Alfie doesn't know

Most of you will miss the allusion in the title. It's OK. It's not that important.

In a recent discussion with a friend, one of his observations about the sad state of current affairs was simply that what we're seeing is just humans being human. That seems to be a reasonable statement, but it got me thinking, and I'm not exactly sure how reasonable it is.

It assumes a lot. For example, it implies that things are as bad as they are because that is all we, as humans, are capable of. It intimates that given half a chance, humans will make the wrong choices. It insinuates that humans are inherently defective or deficient (or evil? or degenerate? or nasty? or ...?) in some way. It struck me that my friend doesn't have a very high opinion of his fellow humans.

Oh, I don't blame him for harboring incorrect notions or drawing false conclusions or anything of the sort. After all, we; that is, humanity in general, have a pretty rotten track record when it comes to good things. A lot of blood has been spilled, a lot of people have had to suffer, and we never seem to tire of finding new and obnoxious ways of making other people's lives miserable. What I think I heard him saying was, there is really nothing we can do about any of this; it's simply hardwired into the system, if you will. And it's there that I don't agree.

Yes, I'm one of those hopeless (or is it hapless?) idiots who believe that we can do better than we do. I'm not convinced that we're born brutish or evil or sinful or anything like that at all. Granted, the major Western religions, the so-called Abrahamic Faiths, all postulate a defective creation, (Hu)Man, but I'm not sure that's a strong interpretation of the Creation narrative. This doesn't mean that I automatically agree with our Humanist brethren, for they, at least for the most part, are convinced that we're nothing but atoms, molecules and physical and chemical process that somehow randomly produces the epiphenomenon of consciousness that forces us to decide but completely influenced by external forces and natural laws that leave little room for actual choice. Yes, deep down, I believe they, too, think, we're simply not capable of more. I, however, can't help but think that we are.

Since we're on the topic of what we all believe, I'll tell you what I believe, namely that humans are, to be sure, capable of the most incomprehensible depths of stupidity, of brutality, cruelty, and depravation, yet, at the same time, we are capable of reaching the most unimaginable heights of wisdom, creativity, kindness and love as well. Our individual lives and the life of humanity plays out between these two extremes. While I don't argue that we have been giving the down side more than its due, I would argue that we have the chance to be better. If there is one thing about humans which I unflateringly believe, it is that we -- individually and collectively -- can choose to shape our destiny.

Yes, I believe that whatever happens to us is, to a great extent, in our own hands. We can destroy the world, or we can save it. We can decide. We have consciousness, self-consciousness, and more than just mere instincts and drives. We have awareness, self-awareness, intelligence and insight, even if we don't always put that particular foot forward.

In the end, it is up to us, but it is also up to us to decide what we want to do and how we want to do it. It's not an easy choice and but we can make it. We're not victims of the forces, powers around us and we're more than the combination of our genes. Until we recognize and acknowledge that, however, we'll continue to ... well, put in simplest terms, simply keep screwing up.

So, heads up out there. The hour, it is getting late. If we're to make something of ourselves, we need to start working on it now. Right now. If you're here, you're in. There's no escape. It's time to show ourselves what we're really made of.

Earth Day reflections

It isn't actually a holiday, just a commemorative day, but I believe we should rethink our position on this one. To me, Earth Day should be a full-fledged holiday, like Memorial Day, or Veterans Day, but more important; like Presidents' Day or Columbus Day, but more meaningful. No, we need a day to stop and think about the Earth.

We've only got one, and we're killing it.

Now, for all of you doubters and deniers: get over yourself. You're a huge part of the problem. Global warming is a fact, the ice caps are melting, islands are being lost and soon coastal regions will start flooding; we're acidifying the oceans and desertifying the rainforest regions; we're polluting the air, poisoning our water supply (and ourselves) and destabilizing the earth's crust in places (cf. fracking). You can say it ain't so, but you're wrong. You can believe that humans aren't the problem, but you're wrong. As my main man George Carlin was fond of saying, "you're here, you're guilty, end of story."

What gets me more than anything else is the justification of our ignorance and ignoring: to give ourselves better lives. How oxymoronic can you get? Oh sure, in the short term, some of the obscenely rich will get richer, and most of the obscenely poor will even more obscenely poor. Our lives are not going to get better folks. There is no way they can.

The simple truth of the matter is that the earth is a finite time-space entity. Acting as if it is infinite is, in simplest terms, stupid. But that's what we're doing. The developed world is consuming too many resources in improper ways with catastrophic results. The undeveloped world thinks the developed world knows what it's doing, but it doesn't. Things aren't looking good, folks.

It really is time to think about setting aside at least one day to reflect upon our own suicidal insanity. Earth Day would be the perfect day, but we missed our opportunity again. I wonder how many more we really have.

Happy Easter!

Just in case you were wondering, I have to admit that I'm enjoying this Easter a little more than some in the past. Oh, sure, the weather is more or less cooperating (I remember snowstorms, frost, sleet and rain on some); but I am also sort of enjoying the squirming some of the non-Orthodox Christians are going through this year. This isn't schadenfreude, it's merely an observation.

You will recall that the Roman Church and most Protestants would rather celebrate Christmas than Easter. For many of them, as is the case for many moderns regardless of persuasion, spirituality is a bit difficult to deal with. By focusing on the physical we can avoid all that messy metaphysical stuff. Up until now, the Paulites had the say: Jesus was killed for your sins; own up to it, accept it, proclaim it (preferably loudly) and you're home free (as far as the Protestants were concerned; you had to register this, so to speak, with the authorities and the Catholics considered you part of the club).

Unfortunately, this is just one view: Paul's. There are still some "weirdos" out and about, however, who think that Christianity has something to do with what Jesus said and did while he was alive, that what was important was not so much what you say, but what you actually do. The way I see it, this is precisely the approach that Papa Frank is pushing. I can't begin to imagine that he's making a lot of friends with it either. And that's why I'm feeling a little more upbeat today than usual.

So, whether you're getting ready for spring, looking for hidden eggs with the kids, having a special dinner, or simply wondering what others might be celebrating, I hope you have fun doing it, and I hope you have fun doing it with others. Easter should be, in my view, a family holiday. It's as good a reason as any to simply get everyone together and to spend some special time, eating, drinking, and being merry.

Yes, live it up. After all, that's what this particular holiday is supposed to be about.