Impractical Reflections of a Radical

I am convinced that all men and women should have a gun—not "access" to purchase or borrow one— but one guaranteed to own in their possession at all times. I feel equally strongly, that they should each have, by law, a telephone, a tv, a radio, a computer, a car... in fact every invention pertaining to personal well being and safety (be it weapon, mode of communication, or means of transportation). Not separate-but-equal semi-equivalency. Apple for Apple— meaning top of the line of human invention. And if a technological innovation cannot be so produced and distributed, on whatever grounds of objection, it should not be permitted to be manufactured at all for individual monopolization. (I understand this is a tall order.)

Barring the feasibility of such fairness of distribution within the family, prudence should dictate that grand inventions be confined to public exhibition where we can all enjoy them equally as examples of Mankind's ingenuity— a display naturally of empty shells, so as not to invite temptation for theft. Concurrently, every effort should be directed towards public application of the technology for community wide benefit. By this I mean, shared easily accessible efficient transportation; freely shared public hot spots for accessing all cultural and informational broadcasts via tv, radio, or internet, as well as for personal or business telephone connections; and open and accountable public defense mechanism... which I suspect would not be needed, if social connectivity (physical mobility and intellectual exchange) were a priority. We are after all less afraid of bogeymen when we know ourselves and our neighbors. (Call me out if you wish, there is something in this that sounds suspiciously like the foundations of communism.)

However, I do not at all mean to suggest that violence is an economic issue. The pressures of material inequality is but one component. Though it's an instigating factor. We ought to seek to understand the underlying source of violent outbursts; and I believe it has to do with one particularly human quality. Human beings have... ambition. I have never met a person without it— though there are of course those who give the appearance of lack thereof, while the goal oriented can be identified as having a lot, if not excess... But in my observation, the labeled lousy-good-for-nothing sitting in the corner of nowhere sulking, is equally nagged, albeit by un-directed ambition. Those driven to derision by being stuck in a god-forsaken cul-de-sac of indecision, are I believe immobilized as a result of their conflicted ambition, which without direction boils into high pressured of frustration. Ambition is the "ardent desire for distinction," according to the Oxford Dictionary. We know in our heart of hearts our own craving to be good at Something, anything; Most critically that need to be Good at something in our own Eyes... We suffer so many personal roadblocks (doubt, physical growing pains, interpersonal drama, etc.) that any material obstructions/ stratifications simply fuel the scales of our preconceived defeat. The odds are against us. From the start, biologically; and societal rules are designed as if to drive this point firmly into our flesh and intellect. It is hard to expect otherwise, but that individuals will become unbalanced from these pressures and lash out (in violence, vandalism, or theft) or implode (in annihilation, self-mutilation, insanity, depression or other forms of mental illness).

We are painfully aware, if only subconsciously, that we cannot "be what we want to be," even if we knew what that want was!! There are limitations imposed all around us. We cannot simply declare that we want to be a doctor or a lawyer, no matter how much our predisposition may fit such a profession... we need access to the knowledge and training that would allow us entry into the field. And that takes— before any Hard-Work— money and connections that will allow access to opportunity. It is naive to put emphasis on hard-work and sheer will as applied to acquired attributes, as much as to the physical innate attributes that we are born with. What we—and only we— do have control of is our own internal discipline. Of being hard-working and grateful towards whatever it is that we are tasked with at any given moment in time as an opportunity to show our better side of human nature. That which might help us to channel our natural ambitions... We are all too often burdened by the perceived meagerness of our efforts, especially in what it means to "do well" or to "take good care of ourselves, our families and surroundings." It's as if we tend to raise the bar just beyond our current means... in what might be termed false ambition. In large part this is due to our culture of divisiveness... technology is "not for everyone." People are teased by "better" ways/ things that are "not for them," and fuel their inherent tendencies towards self-deprecation. Demeaning of groups of people, whether men, women, children, races, ethnicities, oriententations, beliefs, illnesses, disabilities etc. happens on a regular basis in our culture, as if with full intent, to fuel self-doubt and self-hate and contention among peoples... people fall into conviction that they are indeed inferior, not worth the kind of life projected as possible for "successsful people."

There is fundamentally the need to treat each person, regardless of any attribute, with due equal respect as a human being. If there were an across the board understanding, that each of us regardless of circumstances of birth, has this same need to feel like they too have a chance towards growth, and security in life, perhaps there would be less internal torment, frustration and consequently less violence. It would be a start, in my opinion, to have a social contract towards equalizing access to information and cultural goods. Perhaps this would simultaneously be a step towards curbing waste and pollution...

#PreventionOfViolence #Challenge