Just Say “No”

First Lady Nancy Reagan coined this phrase during the War on Drugs in 1982. What’s laughable about it is that the definition of addiction involves an impairment of choice. Personal willpower has no effect on a raging addiction. What can be taken as positive is at least being able to say “OK, I’ll admit this sucks”, and that’s honest. And, it implies that intervention from a benevolent community is the only viable recourse for afflicted individuals.

We are all vulnerable. Suffering is right around the corner under dangerous circumstances. Life can become a tragedy beyond words without warning. Our whole reality is like that. When a mule is tied up in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona and a prospector meets his untimely demise, things do not end well for that animal. Restriction of freedom of movement can obviously be fatal, caused by a single rope. So, here’s a good question: “Why bother with reform?”

If an asteroid comes hurtling toward Earth on-course to crush an orphanage, whoever designed that game-play… well, their mama didn’t raise ’em right. Silly asteroid, move aside! VotePlusPlus is not going to solve that one. Yet, even animals seem to know how to run from a tsunami as demonstrated in Thailand in 2004. There is something about communication, cooperation and decisive action that can make the difference between life and death under extreme circumstances.

Let’s look at our day-to-day lives and political situation. If you push a child out of the way of an oncoming bus, you just saved a life. If you have a safety net in place to lower the so-called “cost of living” so that those who fall outside of an exclusive or restricted area of participation are not crushed by deprivation, disease and crime you have saved lives and reduced suffering. Looks like civilization actually does make a difference. Also looks like you can personally step up and be a hero. Does that sound a bit like the “meaning of life” to you?

The main point is that most of the suffering we see around us is entirely needless. We tolerate it, ignore it, explain it away, perhaps even lament it. However, it drags us all down. You cannot remain unaffected. You can try to comfort yourself with luxury, but you cannot ultimately deny the consequences of your actions, or inactions.

I think we should shout to the rooftops that we don’t like the innocent in harm’s way, that we can make a difference in rescuing others and that a functional civilized system is the answer to it all. That’s why we are motivated to propose reform and make it happen, A.S.A.P.