Winds of the Day OR A Take on (Collective) Responsibility
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
There have been several suspected terrorist attacks in
Europe within a week, the latest in Vienna which left three people dead. The jihadist
group, Islamic State, is thought to be responsible. Our thoughts and sympathies will invariably
home in on the families and friends of the dead and anyone injured (physically
and/ or mentally).
So, what provokes extremist views and/ or actions in
any of us? It is not good enough to suggest, as some do, that provocation excuses
responsibility in the sense that we are being manipulated by forces,
emotions (or people) over which we have no control.
It happens, of course; from time to time circumstances
may cause us to lose control, to some extent or another, but that doesn’t mean
we are excused responsibility even in the most mitigating of circumstances.
The chances are, the worst punishment for anyone
unable to control themselves at any point in time to the extent we say or do
something regrettable, is a sense of guilt we will never quite be able to quite
shrug off; however hard we try to justify certain actions to others, we know,
at heart, we have to accept responsibility.
Jihadists may well believe they are justified in
killing any person or institution that, as they see it, offends their religion,
but all religions preach peace and love, whatever reservations they may have
about other religions, so …?
As regular readers well know, I don’t subscribe to any
mainstream religion; we must agree to differ, although I am neither atheist nor
agnostic in so far as I consider myself something of a Pantheist at heart.
This poem is a kenning.
WINDS OF THE DAY or A TAKE ON (COLLECTIVE) RESPONSIBILITY
From
birth to grave,
we
infiltrate mind-body-spirit,
vulnerable
to temptation,
strong
on certain other life forces
anxious
for unity,
calling
for clarity where confusion,
reality
over illusion;
logic,
though certain to have its say,
losing
out to winds of the day
Life
forces, colluding
to
sustain the human condition
for
better, for worse,
in
its sickness and in health, for richer,
for
poorer, no matter who
or
where, regardless race, rank, politics
religion
or sexuality
nor
above engaging with such hypocrisy
as shames much of humanity
Kin
to genius, invention
and
progress, but (as likely as not)
inclined
to muddy
the
waters of our motivation with pain
for
paying attention
to
certain critics jealous of any ambition
as
may result in fame
and
fortune, while determined to get a slice
whatever
it takes, at any price
We
are such thought processes as following
any instructions our host may be giving
Labels: collective responsibility, formative years, human condition, human nature, hypocrisy, indoctrination, life forces, media hype, peer pressure, poetry, politics, religion, society, vulnerability
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