Violence

Violence

Today I went to the Symphony and for a couple of hours I let the music wash over me and felt the communal company of the other souls in the auditorium who were also being transported out of themselves... or could have been. Maybe the news thread was still so vivid in their minds that they could not open themselves to the music. I really don’t know. As I write this I am watching the bears of Brooks Falls glide around looking for salmon. The fall colors are beautiful and although there is violence involved as a bear tears into a salmon, somehow it is not the same as what humans are doing to other humans. Although the images are on the computer they are in real time. I am constantly reminded that this is the planet I love and cherish with my time, and I am so grateful that some of it remains intact. Although it is dark outside I can see the beautiful flowers just outside my window and I am grateful to have them for a few more days. I am not ignoring the atrocities humankind is inflicting on our planet. I just have to “unstick” myself for a while.

A month ago I wrote this in response to the beautiful writing of a friend. It made me think. The question is something that has long puzzled me and I have no answers. Why, when humans have made great scientific strides, created beautiful music, art, and writing, can they not figure out what makes the species violent towards one another, other species of plants and animals, and the planet in general?

I suspect greed and fear are two of the main drivers of this unfortunate tendency. Other animals might be considered to be greedy, but their perceived greed is usually tied to survival. They may cache their food but they probably do so for future use.

As far as I know humans are unique in their desire to want more and more and more simply for the matter of possession. When someone has more money than they can possibly use in a lifetime, why do they want more? When someone has unlimited power already why would that someone want to ride roughshod over others to gain more power?

Is the answer greed? “Intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food” is the definition of greed in The New Oxford American Dictionary. Since I don’t see the oligarchs going particularly hungry I guess their motivation for the obvious greed they show is for wealth or power, or both.

Wealth seems simple enough. It consists of an over abundance of money or property. It is an over abundance because the wealthy could never use all of their wealth. Some have come to realize that and seek ways to share their wealth through philanthropy. Others just seem to need to collect it, hoarding it away or showing it in physical opulence; yachts, palaces, or massive gilded ballrooms. It is interesting to note that Trump’s personal indulgence in building the monstrosity that will replace the historical portion of the White House that was so carelessly destroyed is being shared by other wealthy individuals and corporations. It is hard to believe that so many others have no regard for history or have such abominable taste.

That brings us to fear. Are those guys just afraid that if they don[‘t jump on Trump’s bandwagon, or in this case ballroom wagon; that their power will be somehow diminished, or worse still that their immense wealth will be somehow compromised?

Trump is a master of very little, but he does seem to be a master at instilling fear in people. One need to look no further than the current Republican Party, especially Congress. They simply will not stand up to the destruction of our national ideals, our democracy, our country, and our society.

Of course, back when we still had elections (hopefully we still will) the people somehow elected Trump and all of the others. Trump and his cronies have been very adept at generating fear in the general populace. Fear of immigrants. Those people will take your jobs; they are rapists and terrorists. They’ll move into your neighborhoods and downgrade your property values, and harm your kids or their schools, etc. etc. etc. Elect us and we will protect you.

Fear of losing your lifestyle. They’ll take away Christianity and turn everyone into Muslims, or Hindus, or (God forbid) Buddhists. And worst of all they’ll take away your guns. Elect us and we’ll protect you.

Fear of diversity. They’ll make you share bathrooms with people not like you. Now it’s mostly people of different sexual orientations. When I was growing up in Oklahoma it was people of different skin colors. There were actually different water fountains for “colored”, never mind different schools. Elect us and we’ll protect you.

Fear of the written or spoken word if it differs from what you think or your religion tells you to believe. Book bans, non violent protests. Elect us and we’ll protect you.

I guess I am no different. I have fears too. About what is becoming of this country and this world. About climate change and the nation’s tolerance for the blatant disregard of civil rights and the domestic terrorism of our current administration. About wars and famine. And weapons of mass destruction. But mostly I fear that we as a species are no closer than we ever have been at solving the problem of violence both physical and mental. We, as a species, have a long history of trying to obliterate each other or the environment. Unfortunately we seem to be succeeding.

There have always been the thoughtful ones that have tried to change this bent toward violence. Whole religions have been based on the teachings of these thinkers. But somewhere along the way the message gets mangled in the greed, fear, and violence that humankind cannot seem to shake.

So what do we do? I don’t know. But I do know that what we’ve been doing since humankind has become a species…. is not working. We had better try harder.