Out of Touch

Hello, sorry for not posting in a while. My best friend from out of town has been visiting NY and we seldom get to see each other. We've been spending time in galleries, museums, shows, salons and round-table pow-wows over philosophy, art, culture, architecture and Mexican food. No alcohol, nope, none at all.

The Potential for Good and Evil

I'm sure there's a quote about the human capacity for good going hand in hand with the capacity for evil. Better yet, I'm sure there's a line about the potential for good being met by the predilection for stupidity and indifference.

The typical Hollywood big-budget action flick, 1998's Armageddon, is on now. I happened to catch it as the President spoke about their mission to destroy the incoming asteroid. For some reason, it hit a chord with me and I considered current events.

"I address you tonight not as the President of the United States, not as a leader of a country, but as a citizen of humanity. We are faced with the very gravest of challenges. The Bible calls this day 'armageddon' - the end of all things. And yet, for the first time in the history of the planet, a species has the technology to prevent its own extinction. All of you praying with us tonight need to know that everything that can be done to prevent this disaster is being called into service. The human thirst for excellence, knowledge; every step up the ladder of science; every adventurous reach into space; all of our combined technologies and imaginations; even the wars that we've fought have provided us the tools to wage this terrible battle. Through all of the chaos that is our history; through all of the wrong and the discord; through all of the pain and the suffering; through all of our times, there is one thing that has nourished our souls, and elevated our species above its origins, and that is our courage. The dreams of an entire planet are focused tonight on those fourteen brave souls traveling into the heavens. And may we, citizens the world over, see these events through. God speed, and good luck to you."

This blog posting has nothing inventive or unique. Many have said exactly what I'm trying to say. I wonder what amazing things could happen, in what wonderful ways the world would be different, if all the "evil geniuses," if all the "evil masterminds," if all the "dedicated followers" out there focused their gifts, thoughts and concentration towards good, positive, altruistic and peaceful pursuits. Imagine if there weren't thousands of people preoccupied with killing but with helping?

Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph. (Haile Selassie)