Tragedies

Tragedy strikes in America.  It’s horrifying to think that there are nut cases who do something like this.

What saddens me almost as much that folks use this to blame their favorite (or, if you would, least favorite) thing in society for such an event.  It’s guns, or violent movies, or political movements that they disagree with.  I think there is one particular thing that can be blamed, yet it never gets the blame for such tragedies because the blame lies not outside the perpetrator, but inside them.  All these other things may contribute to the problem, but they don’t address the primary cause.

We fail to understand these tragedies because we (I’m speaking of the collective “we”, not the individual “we”) fail to acknowledge the nature of mankind.

People are capable of doing many great and charitable things, but they are also capable of horrific acts.  In fact, without external restraints, the later are more likely than the former.  Many names exist for this human state: the natural man, the savage man, the sinful man.  No matter what you call him, he exists and unless something reins him in, he can and will do awful deeds.

A strong social contract can sometimes do the trick - live in peace with the rest of us, or we’ll punish you.  To this end, governments are instituted to police human behavior.  Yet even so, punishments are still needed as this merely mutes wicked desires rather than eliminating them.
Who can one trust to free our base instincts when we all have them, and therefore everything we touch will be flawed?  Sounds like a job for Superman?  Well, kind of.  Only Superman in the comic book variety doesn’t exist.

Can we derive a code of conduct from nature?  Perhaps, except for two problems: 1) how can we know if nature itself is free from the same curse that plagues mankind? and 2) unless the blueprint is so clear that all mankind can read it, who gets to interpret nature on behalf of mankind?

We fail to properly address the root cause of tragedies because we (collective “we”) refuse to acknowledge our base nature.

If not ourselves or nature, what can correct our inner flaws?  One of two options exists: either there is something outside us and nature or there isn’t.  If there isn’t anything else, then we are screwed; just realized how awful we really are and manage our affairs for certain disasters.  If there is something, which some call “God”, then one of two options exists: either God will help us or God won’t help us.  If God won’t help us, we’re still screwed.  But if God can, why not give God a try.  Looking at the other options, what do we have to lose?