Nobody considers his/her own action to be evil.
It stems from two sources: 1) lack of awareness, and 2) unchallenged and skewed moral compass.
Have you ever taken out your anger on someone smaller and weaker? Used stronger words, perhaps used physical force, when you know they can’t fight back?
I have. I am guilty as charged.
When you’re weak, then you can’t stop yourself from taking advantage. When you’re afraid and repressed, you start to think, well, this is what’s been done to me. Why can’t I do it, too?
There, it’s justified now. You’re fighting eye-to-eye. Giving back what’s been given, just passing it on. It’s not your fault.
That’s what I hear in my head in those moments. Unchallenged, that really self-indulgent sense of righteousness can justify anything.
Beyond the Staples center you can see America
With its tired poor avenging disgrace
Peaceful loving youth against the brutality
Of plastic existenceA deer dance, invitation to peace
War staring you in the face
Dressed in black
With a helmet, fierce
Trained and appropriate for the malcontents
For the disproportioned malcontents
The little boy smiled, it’ll all be well
See the little boy smiled, it’ll all be wellPushing little children
With their fully automatics
They like to push the weak around
No, I have not stood in front of a fully loaded automatic. But I can relate to a boy who’s trying to smile, who’s trying to bring peace, to an overwhelmingly turbulent and violent situation. We all start out being kind and compassionate, until enough disturbance accumulate and rewrite the original programming with something that responds with more drastic reactions.
We’re all handed something less than ideal. That said, if we just hand down what we’re given, then we’re as guilty as those who gave them to us.
Only the weak and wretched push the weak around.
I must be stronger. I need to rise above.
Because I cannot accept, I cannot allow me to be one of them.
Living in peace is the best revenge.