I have many websites, and they have all fallen silent over the past couple of years for the same reason. I still maintain them, despite the fact that few visit them (if anyone actually does). I cannot fully explain why I do this. Maybe I am reluctant to dispose of the evidence of effort and creativity that I had put into them. Maybe it is the challenge of keeping something functioning when every “update” and “improvement” someone throws out inevitably breaks them. Or maybe I am just waiting for them to have relevance in my life again. Probably a bit of “all of the above”. Whatever the motivations, they still remain.

So why did these aspects of my voice fall silent? It is a simple yet profound reason. I lost my power; I lost my belief that I can make a difference in the course of my own life, let alone that of humanity in general. I am nobody special. I have few skills (even if I am quite capable). From the perspective of those who designed the (to me) backwards structure of human culture I am not a productive or even necessary member of society. I don’t believe that life has any specific meaning; that there is a designated purpose to everyone’s existence. Rather I believe we create our own purpose and meaning, and I have so far failed to create a lasting purpose and meaning for myself. In short I am a powerless being.

The events of the last few years of my life and what is happening to the world in general of late has done little to ease this sense. If anything my relinquishing of power has just been reinforced or justified. So I exercise. I meditate. I walk my dog. I escape when I can. I deal with the responsibilities I have accepted in my life, occasionally even a bit gracefully. And I wonder why I bother.

Today I was reminded. I may not feel I have power to change much of anything, but that does not prevent me from recognizing the NEED for change. It does not prevent me from the rush of anger every time the bullies bully; the selfish and greedy reach for more; the compassionless manipulate for their own benefit despite what harm they might cause. I still WANT to do something even when I do not know what would make a difference. I get angry, I vent and rage and when the steam is released I …

… do nothing.

Yesterday my anger was ignited again as my bank decided to continue the war on the poor and powerless that is allowed (and even supported) by our skewed societal mores. Without unnecessary details, suffice to say instead of a personal confrontation at the bank that may have had a brief emotional release but no positive benefit beyond that, I wrote them a letter.

And had an epiphany.

Ideas are like seeds. They have potential to sprout into something beautiful and useful, but it is no more than potential if they are never even planted. Whether an idea flourishes or not depends on the soil it is planted in and how well its needs are met, but it will NEVER become more than a seed if it is not even planted. This is a fundamental truth. Also the key to reclaiming (creating?) some power for myself. If humanity is a garden, society its soil, I am no gardener. Some might consider me no more that a weed. I have little ability to nourish the soil, or otherwise tend to the needs of other sprouting seeds. Yet I often do not like how the garden is growing or even what is growing in it. So what can I do?

The answer is again profound but simple. I can create new seeds. I can plant them. I can learn how to make them grow, and in the process maybe help others learn as well. If enough new seeds are planted and allowed to reach their full growth, who knows how the garden will change.

I am posting these thoughts on this particular website because this is one of my seeds. I forgot this. I may have planted this particular seed in the wrong soil, or perhaps lacked the skill to nourish it properly, but it still has potential to grow. As can any seed if it is at least planted. I do not even know if anyone will read what I am sharing here. I am just casting seeds into the wind, hoping they will take somewhere. Still, now they have a chance.

I leave you with this. If you do not like how things are and have ideas how to change them but feel powerless to make those ideas a reality … share them anyway. Sign that petition even if you believe signing it will make no difference. Make that donation. Do that project. It may be small, but even small is better than not at all. Plant your seeds so they do not die before they even have a chance to germinate.

Plant your seeds.

The post Preventing the death of ideas first appeared on thrumyeyes.

PAX Nation is one BIG dream, and I entered the path towards it realizing that it may never be more than just an idealistic fantasy. However I am not one to shy from a task that I believe in just because it supposedly can’t be done. The modern world is DEFINED by people doing what they were told they couldn’t do. I still believe that nationalism has over-stayed its welcome. I still believe that the best hope for humanity’s continued growth is to embrace compassion and cooperation. I wholeheartedly believe in the concept of One World, One People … even if it is not triggered by my crazy little project.

Yet I realize that many do not agree with my view of the world … all too often those who have the power to influence the path of civilization. I also realize that I am really a nobody with grand ideas. This is not self-deprecation … just a full understanding of who I am. I have few resources and very little influence with anyone who has a power base of any sort. With effort and a fair amount of good luck, this could always change, but my general ineffectiveness is my current reality, and has been for quite some time. I am a very capable person … alone that is rarely enough to change the world. I have been working on this idea of mine for several years now, with varying degrees of devotion, and what I have arrived at is essentially a community of one with high aims and a decent website. As one might imagine, this is quite frustrating. With the rather depressing trend of the United States (and much of the rest of the world for that matter) towards selfish and greed based governance, I found myself feeling pretty powerless. Powerless to the point of giving up on working on just about everything I believe in.

It goes without saying (yet say it I will), GIVING UP on life is no way to live. I wrestled with my demons through the winter months, and came out on top. My last post was kind of my victory shout. Now I am working on taking my own advice (often a challenge), Instead of focusing on what I cannot do, I am once again working with what I CAN do. My greatest skills are understanding and creating. So that is what I will continue to do. I will continue to create, for the sake of creation itself. I will continue to keep compassion alive through my ability to understand others. I am NOT giving up on PAX Nation. But I am modifying the dream as needed.

My nation may only be a nation of one, but it is a nation that welcomes ANYONE who seeks to be here. PAX Nation will continue to grow … within the limits of my own resources and abilities … but grow it will. If I cannot offer armies of world changers, then I will offer what I CAN. Sanctuary. If you want a place to step away from the strife of a contentious world, welcome to PAX Nation. If  … by visiting … you find some needed help, then you are welcome to it. If you find that this sanctuary has a sense of home about it, you are welcome to stay. Those who would control others for their own dark needs will never truly be victorious as long as even ONE person remains to oppose them. If all I can offer is a breath of fresh air, then fresh air is what I will give. And if my sanctuary manages to grow in resources and influence, LOOK OUT WORLD!

In the mean time, the door is always open …

Sometimes, all we need is a place to feel safe.

The post Sanctuary first appeared on thrumyeyes.

adjective: having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future.

noun: latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness.

In physics, potential refers to the amount of work necessary to bring something from A to B, A and B defined by what you are measuring. (This is a very LOOSE definition).

THE CHALLENGE:

Anyone observing humanity will note that humans have GREAT potential. This sounds like a positive trait until we look more closely at this potential. Humans have a great capacity to create. We have a limitless imagination, which allows us to constantly break beyond limits that were previously considered inviolate. This is a good thing. However we have an equal capacity to destroy, with the same backing of that limitless imagination.

Our potential can be quite dangerous.

Having potential and converting that potential to something of practical value are two different things. Physically, potential is how much work is needed to achieve a specific goal, but until that work is applied, the goal remains nothing more than a possibility. This applies to the human condition as well; we have great potential both for the good and the not so good, but unless we put the work in that potential will never really mean anything to ourselves and our world. If, and how, we use our potential is a matter of choice. We each have to decide if we are WILLING to do the best we can do. We also have the choice of HOW we use our abilities. Until we make those choices, our potential will remain in the realm of the imagination.

The HOW choice is often the most difficult one, especially when it comes to who benefits. This is the issue that really divides us. On one side we have those who think that all our actions should ultimately benefit ourselves … the rest of humanity … and even the world … be damned. The flip side of this is those who believe that the needs of the many far surpass the needs of the few or the one, and that should guide our actions. The ongoing conflict in our world is a direct result of these deferring extremes.

Unfortunately, those who lean towards selfishness tend to run the show for one simple reason  … they are willing to do what is necessary to achieve their goals. To such people, compassion is a weakness. Those who work for the many are driven by compassion, which means there are actions they simply will not take for success. How can someone who has moral limits actually stop someone who will do anything that meets their needs?

That is the uphill battle that those who seek a compassionate world continually face. Sometimes the climb can seem so difficult as to be not worth the effort.

THE SOLUTION:

I don’t have a specific answer to the above question. The dark turn humanity has taken in recent years damaged my own resolve. I failed to live up to my OWN potential of late, which does no one any good. How do we fight for compassion when those who have none are in charge; when a majority of people WILLINGLY let such people make choices for them because it is so much easier than actually making their own choices? Thus this project, and others I have started, aimlessly drifted.

Until I was reminded that the only way to FIND a solution is to focus on finding solutions. If we focus on the problem we will never get anywhere. Not doing anything is as good as admitting defeat. The heartless will always win if the compassionate simply roll over and let them. If we want the world to become a more compassionate one, we have to continually remind people WHAT compassion is. But we have to also remind OURSELVES that being compassionate does NOT mean letting others with no limits do as they will. Oppression can only exist if the oppressed let it. The same applies to tyrannical rule. We have to recognize that sometimes we must do what is necessary ourselves. Hoping someone who has no compassion will suddenly come into it if we ask enough times is nothing more than naiveté. We have to recognize that SOMETIMES we may have to do things that we do not like to get anywhere. But we also need to remember such choices should always be a LAST resort.

That said, there are a few things we can focus on:

• Cooperation – the best chance to overcome selfish individuals who have a strong power base is COOPERATION. They only have a strong power base because others support them. Therefore we have to support each other in opposition. If we create a larger and stronger compassion based community than change WILL happen.
• Do what you can do – when we constantly find the ‘bad’ guy winning, it is easy to feel that our efforts are wasted, so why bother. The simple truth is that nothing can be achieved if not at least ATTEMPTED. Don’t focus on what we can not do, but rather on what we CAN do.
• Be flexible – don’t lock on one path. If one thing does not seem to work, maybe we need to approach it from a different angle. Don’t give up. Just rethink.
• Educate, don’t pontificate – the only way to teach someone who does not want to be taught is to demonstrate. Don’t try to convince someone who does not want to be convinced. Just show them they are wrong. Either they will open their eyes, or they will suffer the consequences of their own willful blindness. Either way, don’t waste your energy on them.

When darkness threatens, a single candle will provide light. A single candle can also light other candles. If enough candles are lit, the darkness will no longer be there.

The post Be a candle! Chase away the darkness … first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Apparently signing The Charter for Compassion was the snowflake I needed to start an avalanche. In the last four days, there have literally been as many visits to PAX Nation as in the ENTIRE YEAR until this point. Enough people have registered (and hopefully will continue to) to truly call this a community. I started this project in December of 2012, right after the Sandy Hook shooting. That event kind of tipped the scales with my general dissatisfaction of the course humanity was taking. The idea got a lot of thumbs up at first … with little other support beyond that. Despite the apparent lack of support, and due to my general stubbornness, I have kept at it, with a few extended interruptions (such as an attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail). In recent months, I decided to commit to it fully, and reworked the entire project. Apparently I have learned much of what I needed to learn, and found much of what I needed to find, because I seem to be on the right course finally!

WHAT’S NEW ON THE SITE?

The key to a successful online community is effective communication. Technically, the key to ANY community is effective communication. I have updated the Forum pages, adding some general topics that are issues that those who would change the world need to deal with. I encourage EVERYONE to join any conversation that interests you. Or start one on what is near and dear to you. For PAX Nation to be successful, first we need to start talking with each other!

If anyone wants to moderate or guide conversation, your help would be most welcome. Drop me a line, or post on my profile.

Cooperation is about sharing: sharing resources, sharing ideas, sharing goals. PAX Nation is all about creating a cooperative effort, removing many of the barriers that might prevent this from happening. Check out the slightly modified and expanded resource section. Maybe you want to use the Marketplace. Or learn about Partnership opportunities. If you, or someone you know has some skills to offer and time to spare, see what PAX Nation needs.

Working together is the key to advancing all of our causes. Take advantage. Don’t just be a name on a list!

SO WHAT’S NEXT?

For this idea to have any success, the Citizens need to be active.  Many of you have your own projects to put forward, which is exactly what PAX Nation is about. Here we can connect with like minded people who might have alternate goals, or come from other areas. If somebody needs what we offer, we can connect with them and do what we can to help. If you have needs that you cannot meet elsewhere, maybe they will be met here. But it will only work if we USE the site. Set up your profiles. I will add the capacity for making friends and adding photos and videos shortly. Write a blog post! Tell us about your specific projects, or teach us about your part of the world. And most importantly, TELL OTHERS about PAX Nation. For us to be a truly effective community; for us to actually become a presence in the world, requires that we continue to grow and evolve!

How far can we go?

The post Unexpected, but very welcome, progress! first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Let’s focus on compassion and empathy. Empathy directly effects how we relate to others. If we have no empathy, we cannot truly relate. Some are born without it, some have it stripped from them. Conversely, compassion is a potential we all carry within us. Even those who lack empathy can show compassion. Compassion is a CHOICE we are all offered. When our priorities are compassion driven, they are inclusive; life affirming. When we remove compassion from our choices, then they risk becoming selfish and divisive. Sadly, this happens all to often in the world. Many think that THEIR priorities are more important than others, based on criteria they defined themselves. People with this mindset will often force their priorities on others who do not agree without any consideration of how it might effect the other people. It is this kind of mindset that essentially causes ALL the conflict in the world. It is this kind of mindset that PAX Nation opposes.

Compassion is the driving force behind PAX Nation. Compassion is essentially what drives ANY individual or group that wishes to bring unity to the world instead of the persistent division that currently exists. But what exactly IS compassion? It is much more than just being kind or forgiving. Some see compassion as weakness … proving they do not truly understand the concept. How can we embrace it if we don’t UNDERSTAND it? Enter The Charter for Compassion:

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

The Charter for Compassion was developed by an organization that is devoted to reeducating the world in the true meaning of compassion. To this end, they created a document that clearly sates what compassion really means to each of us. By signing The Charter, we commit ourselves to not only upholding these concepts … but actively spreading them throughout our communities. Since this is the ultimate goal of PAX Nation, we have just officially signed The Charter, and created a partnership that will hopefully blossom as we rewrite our future.

Whether you are a citizen of PAX Nation, or just passing through, compassion is definitely part of your makeup. If you want to show your commitment to creating a compassionate world, SIGN THE CHARTER. Take it one step further, and get your community involved! Together, we can truly make a difference!

The post The Charter for Compassion first appeared on thrumyeyes.

That said, I have started adding some pictures from my own adventures to Images from afar … a page devoted to sharing images of the variety and beauty that this world has to offer. I have many of my own pictures to share, but as with everything else in this project, it is not intended to be just me sharing MY life. I have also added the ability for others to upload images that THEY would like to share. Even if we do not have the capacity to CHANGE the world yet here, we certainly can share information about our part of it with others. I encourage folk to upload pictures that are indicative of your part of the world. Images of nature, of people, of civilization … whatever you think is worth sharing. I had already included the ability for members to write their own blog posts, but I have added some posting guidelines to the page. Let your voice be hear about … whatever it is you wish to share.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_btn title=”Visit Images from afar …” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fthrumyeyes.life/a-better-world%2Fvisit-pax-nation%2Fimages-from-afar%2F|||”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_btn title=”Upload your own images” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fthrumyeyes.life/a-better-world%2Fvisit-pax-nation%2Fimages-from-afar%2Fupload-images%2F|||”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_btn title=”Write a blog post” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fthrumyeyes.life/a-better-world%2Fwhats-new-in-pax-nation%2Fwrite-a-blog-post%2F|||”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_images_carousel images=”2791,2826,2825,2820,2819,2818,2817,2816,2815,2814,2813,2804,2803,2802,2801,2800,2795,2794,2793,2792″ img_size=”medium” autoplay=”yes” hide_pagination_control=”yes” wrap=”yes” title=”Recently added images”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post More site improvements first appeared on thrumyeyes.

1302 Days. Three years, six months and twenty-four days. A mere moment in terms of human history … not even noticeable in terms of the lifetime of the earth, yet to mere mortals a momentous enough amount of time for significant change. I am the same person that had that idea … yet I am not. For nobody is the same from one moment to the next, and much has happened to me in those three and a half years.

I am still just an unspectacular person. I have not suddenly achieved celebrity. There still would be no reason anyone should know me unless our paths have crossed through our journeys in life. I am still just another ordinary person.

But my eyes still see, and my heart still beats. My core values have not changed. I continue to believe that we are all in this life journey TOGETHER. I continue to think that cooperation and complementing each other is the key to the survival of our species … our very planet … and not constant separation and conflict.

The way humanity keeps acting in recent years though, it still appears I am in the minority.

Greed and selfishness continue to be the driving force of humanity. Those who value material wealth over life itself retain control; we remain divided for all the wrong reasons, and it again seems to be getting worse. Of course it has only been three years, and there really is not reason to expect any grand changes to miraculously appear, for it is ultimately up to humanity itself to change things … if it truly WANTS to.

Self-deception continues to reign supreme, thanks to increased violence and advances in technology that make the spreading of hatred and misinformation easier and easier. Education and critical thinking are taking a back seat to propaganda and fear. Those with clear eyes and clear heads are rarely heard over the incessant bleating of the easily manipulated, and the howling of the predators that herd them.

Yet my idea remains.

My life in the last 1302 days has both increased my despair for humanity’s future, and increased my determination to help alter the direction of said future. Recently, the despair has been in control, causing me to lose faith in myself and humanity in general. As a result my crazy idea, along with several other related projects were left unattended. Even though I still  KNOW I am not the only person fed up with humanity’s reckless direction, I seem to be unable to find those others who think as I do. Feeling hopeless and, frankly, HELPLESS, I began giving up on … well … everything. I am existing instead of living, with little hope, let alone focus.

One thing I am, strength or weakness (or a bit of both) yet to be determined, is STUBBORN. My determination may wane, even disappear for a bit … but it ALWAYS returns.

My idea still may be insane. It remains to be seen if I have a chance of making something so out there happen. But one thing is clearer than ever. I neither have the resources nor the skills to do it alone. Even if the birth of an actual internet nation is beyond our reach, it is still possible to build an active community of like-minded individuals that are not defined by location or other arbitrary labels, but rather by a shared determination to bring humanity to a productive and healthy path. That is ultimately what this project is about, and what I have so far failed to do.

I have been surprised to find that despite my lack of activity in recent weeks, we continue to have those who seem to support it trickle in. This makes me believe that it truly CAN turn into something, even if it is still a remote possibility. But we need more than just the occasional like on a Facebook page. We need more than someone registering and then never doing anything else. For any chance at a community that can make a difference, we need active participants. We need others to share their own crazy ideas. We need to take these ideas to the next level, by ACTING on them. We need to share with each other, and find those others who would willing be part of a … MOVEMENT.

No idea will ever be more than just an idea without ACTION, and no single person can change much of anything ALONE. I do not wish this to be just another site that has a crazy man preaching his ideals, nor do I wish it to be yet another pointless social network. It is meant to be an active community, a gathering place of humans who believe in the value of life … humans that believe governments and economies serve humanity and not the other way around. PAX Nation is here to remove lines on maps and let ALL people unite in common goals, embracing our uniqueness as nothing more than an opportunity to grow.

So I ask again folks … who wants to help me change the world?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post Making an idea a reality first appeared on thrumyeyes.

So why is it that we keep trying to solve the problems of the world with Duck Tape?

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. – Albert Einstein

We don’t live a healthy lifestyle and end up overweight. So we go on a diet, and lose weight. Does this fix the problem? The simple answer is NO. It is a temporary fix at best. Unless we change the habits that caused the problem in the first place, we will ultimately just end up gaining the weight back again … until the NEXT diet. This is no great revelation. It is obvious if one just stops and thinks for a bit.

So again, why do we keep trying to “fix” major issues with Duck Tape, and expect that will be the end of it?

Responding to violence with violence does not END the violence.

Throwing money at the poor does not END poverty. Nor does donating food END hunger.

Creating more laws does not prevent those willing to break the laws from breaking the new laws.

Fanning the flames of patriotism does not promote open hearts.

Calling a hater a hater does not REMOVE the hate.

In the US right now, there is major upheaval as the current regime is about to end. This administration worked hard for CHANGE, which many fought tooth and nail simply because it is change. The whole system has been flawed from the start, and is in practicality now fully broken. So what do we try to do to fix it? Duck tape. We try to patch the surface bits and pieces, hoping that will somehow fix the whole machine. And then wonder why it keeps breaking again. The really sad thing is this is not unique to the US. The world as a whole keeps trying to do the same thing.

So what is the solution?

Instead of just dieting, we need to change our whole lifestyle.

It really comes down to a matter of how we look at the world. We need to change how we think, and not just shout these beliefs for others to hear, while secretly ignoring them in our own lives. The path of the world can be determined by each of us answering a simple question … which is more important, things or life itself? Our world is governed by the concept that material wealth defines personal value, and the more we have, the “better” we are as people. Every label we create, every group we place another in, stems from this concept that WE are somehow better than THEM, because we somehow live a “better” life … mainly because we have better, or more, THINGS. So it really simplifies to this … do you believe in the law of compassion, or in the law of personal wealth? Compassion allows for difference. Compassion places value on life, ALL life, and does not label another somehow less than us simply because they are different. Or do you prefer the concept that the one with the most toys wins? That way sees life as just another resource to be exploited … and is by definition focused on the few instead of the many, pitting us against each other until the few remain standing on the pile of bodies left behind. So you tell me … which way seems the better path for humanity?

Maybe we should try compassion for a change.

 [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post When Duck Tape fails … first appeared on thrumyeyes.

While I was away, this project, and most of the others I started, got tainted by the aforementioned human traits, ant this page specifically got damaged by hacking for the simple need to spam the world with garbage for the sake of profit. I have had to rebuild much of it from scratch (with still much to do), which in itself is not a bad thing. I have made changes to my initial plan, though the basic goal remains the same. I am still trying to build a community of “right” thinkers, hopefully to someday be a force for change in the world. So I have done some major changes to the site, some cosmetic, some hopefully functional. It is now a functional (if rudimentary) social network. There is a place for discussion, and some of the basic features of digital social interaction. We can create groups, and have friends. There is a rudimentary messaging system (though it seems to be having issues at the moment). In short, all the tools to start a community.

The only thing lacking is members.

So I once again am putting out the plea for help. If you find any merit at all in this crazy idea of mine, or simply want to find friends from all over who may have a similar level of awareness, join my site. I am simply one moderately skilled dreamer looking to make a difference. Imagine what could happen if my one became many, and my meager skills became a collection of masters. anything can happen if an idea … no matter how farfetched … has enough support and energy behind it. We have managed to make a mess of the world with some less than practical ideas as proof. So how about joining me in trying to shift humanity’s direction to something a little less self-destructive?

I am stubborn and will keep plodding on alone if I must … but it would be so much easier with a few other plodders at my side.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post Jumping in once again! first appeared on thrumyeyes.

It is this mentality of giving up our own power of choice and personal responsibility that is precisely why the human world is constantly struggling with its own survival.

I live in America. America, in terms of growth of a nation, is nothing more that an adolescent trying to figure out its way in the world. We have the arrogance of the teenager, knowing we are RIGHT about everything; knowing that the world revolves around us; and basically not caring whether the rest of the world agrees or not. Yet like a teen, our conscience has not fully developed. We have a warped sense of right and wrong, and are ultimately driven by our fight or flight instincts, because our capacity for healthy choices has not fully developed yet. And those who seek to manipulate; to make the world in their own image KNOW this, and fully use it to their advantage. As an example, lets look at the continuing battle over gun control.

A gun is a weapon. It is a device designed for one purpose, and one purpose only … to harm or kill things. This is not an opinion; not a statement of my side of the issue. It is a simple fact. Sure it can be used in none harmful ways, but that is NOT what it is ultimately DESIGNED for. That said, just because it is designed for a specific purpose does not make it evil in itself. How often do we hear “Guns don’t kill people, people do.” This is a valid point. One can’t blame the tool … it’s being used for what it was designed for. So is this a valid argument for not controlling who has access to such a tool? Many would say yes it is. Unless they actually think about it for a second.

A match is a tool. It is designed for one purpose and one purpose only … to create a flame. This is not an opinion; not a statement of my side of the issue. It is a simple fact. Sure it can be used in other ways, but that is NOT what it is ultimately DESIGNED for.  The match is no more “responsible” for starting a fire than a gun is “responsible” for killing something.

Does this mean it is perfectly reasonable to freely hand matches to arsonists? Now I am not proposing that we regulate the sale of matches, I don’t believe adding more laws to a system already way over burdened with laws changes anything. If anything, the very fact of restricting something is an excuse to push the boundaries … especially for the teen brain. But just because the tool is not to blame for it own use does not mean the tool is something that should be easily accessible … especially for those who would use it in a harmful way.

The real problem here, though, is NOT the tools, nor how we use them. Ultimately it is WHO is actually presenting the arguments, and WHY they are. And that is where personal responsibility keeps failing. Over the course of human history, humans have been guided by those in power into being the eternal victim. The primary driving force of the human condition is not love, it is not greed, it is FEAR. The search for love frequently stems from the fear of being alone, and greed is ultimately the fear of being without. Those who would design the human world to meet their own needs, whether it stems from pure selfishness or altruism actually being irrelevant, fully use this fact to their advantage.

Advertising is fear based … buy this product because it we DON’T something bad will happen, or we won’t fit in, or we won’t be liked. Politics is fear based … put me in power because I will ensure that we live a safe and comfortable life inside the box I designed for us. Religion is fear based … live life THIS way because if we don’t bad things will happen to us when we get wherever we get after we die. Face if folks, we are afraid of everything.

Here’s a thought. Maybe if we put as much energy as we do into protecting ourselves from the big, bad, scary world into making the world less bad and scary … we wouldn’t need the protection. While there are actually times that violence is required to quell violence, just as sometimes fire is required to put out a fire … this is actually almost always the LAST choice for solutions, the one that becomes necessary when ALL OTHER avenues have failed. Why do we let those who seek selfish gain manipulate us into making the last choice scenario the ideal?

Maybe this is the question we need to be asking.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post Living in fear first appeared on thrumyeyes.