In today's world (you know, technology and that sort of thing), whenever an horrendous crime against anyone is committed, family members, community leaders, and sometimes National Leaders of church and state, come together in front of microphones to beg, suggest, or push the message that they are speaking-out against whatever the crime may have been so that "...this won't happen again to (fill in the blank)."
It's a noble message. Thought. Desire. The truth, however, is that chances are whatever IT was WILL "happen again." And just hearing those hopeful, altruistic words repeated year-after-year are causing most of us to tune out and sigh. How could (fill in the blank) NOT happen again when human nature has barely changed since (our understanding of) the inception of the human race?
Humans can change, up to a point - thus far. The concept of tolerance for others who have different Overall Life views, different skin colour, different religious (or non-at-all) persuasions than us, does occur - beyond conceptionalism. Nay, shall we not forget it's the "animal" within us that has yet to be tamed regardless of our diverse heritages. Our instincts at the core remain in "fight or flight" mode when confronted with danger. The majority of the planet eats other living beings for sustenance. We are often taught that humans are simply the Top Of The Food Chain as we learn from childhood that many other animals "eat their young" or each other.
Right "off the bat" as kids we are immediately inured to what our parents and relatives and friends are really doing when sitting at a table with a huge dead bird or pig or fish laid out for consumption. No one thinks about what they are eating. Unless, just as we've seen countless times in films, the dinner turns out to be the former family pet chicken or duck and a child freaks-out, cries, and flees from the table, becoming an instant vegetarian.
The "pack" mentality (or "tribal") exists within humans, becoming just as dangerous, bloodthirsty and lethal, as a pack of wolves chasing-down its prey when hunger, anger, or fear (thus the need to dominate for "survival") have been activated. And so it goes.
The above are the usual examples when anyone addresses how we haven't shed our "animal instincts". This part of the flog isn't new at all. It's a reminder. The human race has a very long way to go before the majority are peaceful, not slaves to the Ego and Pre-Wired Violent Tendencies which can suddenly erupt to the surface of an otherwise non-violent personality when pushed to a maddening emotional Critical Mass.
Which is why I wish the refrain of "...so this won't happen to..." was/is/shan't be/oh-no-no, not on the brink of becoming another Buzz Phrase no one listens to anymore.
So sorry, but until each person on this planet becomes a genuine Saint in their hearts and deeds, people will continue to harm, maim, kill, other people just as we continue to do in the slaughter of all other Living Beings For Sport and because the steak and sushi taste so great.
Image via: http://sn00per.blogspot.com
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