What Is The Greater Good For Society?

By honoring the brave men and women who fought and died for "our" country, might we simply be perpetuating resentment and conflict? By not honoring these brave men and women, might we curtail the sowing of resentment and conflict and as a result progress toward world peace? What if history stopped being taught?

Aside from the "immorality" of not honoring "our" brave forebears, what other detrimental consequence might result? Perhaps ignorance of history? But does not much of history seem very subjectively written (especially by winners of wars)? Might we be wise to question whether being taught history actually does make us less ignorant if much of it is overly subjective anyway?

Imagine Palestinian and Israeli kids no longer being taught (perhaps indoctrinated with might be more precise) their vile history. Might they become amiable to one another? Is this more or less a societal priority than honoring "our" brave forebears which seems to, among other things, perpetuate resentment and conflict?

What is the greater good for society?

Things That Make You Go Hmmm.....

I recently perused a story in the newspaper about a pastor in Louisville inviting "responsible" people to bring their guns (unloaded of course) to church to honor the Fourth of July and the Second Amendment. This seemed particularly asinine to me.

Why do I say this? Well, which segment of the population tends to be the most overzealous supporter of “gun rights”? The overly paranoid of course, those that believe armed perpetrators will likely show up anywhere at any time. In other words, the very people that would likely bring their guns to church upon their pastor's encouragement.

But what happens if an armed perpetrator were to show up during this church celebration of “gun rights” and begin to shoot the place up? Will not these overly paranoid advocates of “gun rights” all bearing their unloaded guns* be completely impotent if they are unable to thwart this perpetrator only because their guns are unloaded and hence useless?

If defense is one's primary concern, is not the whole point to carry the gun loaded everywhere at all times? If not, what is the point? If I had to harbor a guess, it is ultimately ego showing off or desperately trying to. I have no affinity for guns but am neither for nor against “gun rights”. But why would an overly paranoid citizen ever carry his gun unloaded? For safety reasons maybe? This then seems to be a tacit admission that guns are overly dangerous. So why ever carry one? Sheer madness!

*Of course many would likely flout the pastor's demand to bring their guns unloaded, but at this point the gun holders would be disobedient. Are we not supposed to be obedient to authority figures, especially those ordained by God Himself? So why go to church to honor and worship “the Man upstairs” if they are going to deliberately subvert the pastor's will in essence mocking God's authority?