Monsters within us or monsters among us?
I listened to or read the following this morning:
Us humans have a long history of judging and labeling each other on the basis of a particular act, an illness, or some other feature. Labels are very convenient. The often tell us what to think of a person, how to treat them and alleviates us of the responsibility to love or respect those we label. If we do not need to love or respect the object masquerading as a human we can, as Lyndsey Stonebridge on her discussion of Dr. Hannah Arendt on Oh Being, suggest, render them superfluous or non-human. The history of humans is rife with examples of labeling others as not human. We have and do refer to Christians, Muslims, pagans, gooks, the enemy, insurgents, terrorists, criminals, the insane or crazy, monsters, terrorists or a host of terms which purports to announce that this object is not human like us; that we do not have to see the mirror of ourselves in the other; that in using them, killing or otherwise mistreating “them” we are not hurting o killing a killing a human and, thus, not committing an immoral act. The actions of a Roman Emperor, a Hitler, a Stalin or anyone who labels or treats others as non-human, as monsters, disposals, or superfluous will eventually lead to the breakdown and destruction of not only the moral fabric of that society but the society itself.
Whether it Jesus reminding us that only the person without sin is entitled to throw the first stone, Martin Niemoeller reminding us that eventually we too will be labeled as superfluous or undesirable, Marion Peterson reminding us that those who commit violent crime are more than their crimes, Lisa Allen leading the way by giving those who have lived with addiction a second chance, or Father Boyle proving that Los Angeles gang members are our brothers and sisters, we need to “listen” and heed their truth.
Bryan Stevenson in his book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, reminds us that we are all more than our worst mistakes or the worst thing we have ever done. We may never be a desperate addict, a person addicted to power, a person driven by lust, a person existing on the lowest level of the Marlow hierarchy who cannot consider the needs of others, an autistic person who is not able to see the mirror. the person whose brain is unable to have a conscience and can thus kill without any identification with others, or a President addicted to power and with a compulsive need to react with tweet. Yet, we might be any of these or we might have other ways of hurting others. We may have a compulsive need to put individuals or groups of individuals into little non-human boxes.
I am suggesting that I need to be very clear that:
When we hear ourselves or others confusing the behavior with the core of the person we need to stop, take a breath and allow for the possibility that we are all more than that label. If that is not true and we are just that label, then there is hope for any of us.
Written June 1, 2017
I listened to or read the following this morning:
- A Ted Talk by Marion Peterson who was convicted of a violent crime in his early twenties, sentenced and served 10 years in prison. Today he is a productive and healing presence in his community and beyond. He “found redemption through a penpal mentorship program with students from Brooklyn.
- A story in the Wheeling, WV Intelligencer about an employer, Ziegenfelder, who gives men and women a second chance. “Lisa Allen, president and CEO of Ziegenfelder Co., a frozen novelty manufacturer in Wheeling, said the company’s hiring policy allows former drug offender to enter the workforce and become productive members of the community.” (The Intelligencer, page 1, June 1, 2017, article by Lind Comins)
- In the same article reporting on the West Virginia Opioid and Substance Abuse Seminar and featuring the report by Lisa Allen regarding the policy of Ziegenfelder’s, FBI Special Agent, Jeff Cisar who has been the Eastern Panhandle Safe Streets Coordinator for five years “recommended consistent, stiff penalties for the sale and possession of synthetic narcotics.
- An editorial in the same June 1 edition of The Intelligencer about the action of Rachel Duncan, a teacher and coach who has recently been convicted of nine counts of gross sexual imposition after “she victimized a solfball payer who was a juvenile part of the time the abuse (sexual) was going on. The editor of the newspaper called Ms. Duncan a monster.
Us humans have a long history of judging and labeling each other on the basis of a particular act, an illness, or some other feature. Labels are very convenient. The often tell us what to think of a person, how to treat them and alleviates us of the responsibility to love or respect those we label. If we do not need to love or respect the object masquerading as a human we can, as Lyndsey Stonebridge on her discussion of Dr. Hannah Arendt on Oh Being, suggest, render them superfluous or non-human. The history of humans is rife with examples of labeling others as not human. We have and do refer to Christians, Muslims, pagans, gooks, the enemy, insurgents, terrorists, criminals, the insane or crazy, monsters, terrorists or a host of terms which purports to announce that this object is not human like us; that we do not have to see the mirror of ourselves in the other; that in using them, killing or otherwise mistreating “them” we are not hurting o killing a killing a human and, thus, not committing an immoral act. The actions of a Roman Emperor, a Hitler, a Stalin or anyone who labels or treats others as non-human, as monsters, disposals, or superfluous will eventually lead to the breakdown and destruction of not only the moral fabric of that society but the society itself.
Whether it Jesus reminding us that only the person without sin is entitled to throw the first stone, Martin Niemoeller reminding us that eventually we too will be labeled as superfluous or undesirable, Marion Peterson reminding us that those who commit violent crime are more than their crimes, Lisa Allen leading the way by giving those who have lived with addiction a second chance, or Father Boyle proving that Los Angeles gang members are our brothers and sisters, we need to “listen” and heed their truth.
Bryan Stevenson in his book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, reminds us that we are all more than our worst mistakes or the worst thing we have ever done. We may never be a desperate addict, a person addicted to power, a person driven by lust, a person existing on the lowest level of the Marlow hierarchy who cannot consider the needs of others, an autistic person who is not able to see the mirror. the person whose brain is unable to have a conscience and can thus kill without any identification with others, or a President addicted to power and with a compulsive need to react with tweet. Yet, we might be any of these or we might have other ways of hurting others. We may have a compulsive need to put individuals or groups of individuals into little non-human boxes.
I am suggesting that I need to be very clear that:
- Violence is not healthy whether it is one person mistreating another or society being violent in the name of self-defense or justice.
- Abuse of any sort is not healthy for the victim or the perpetrator.
- Using a position of power to abuse or misuse others is not acceptable.
- Selling recreational drugs is not helpful or healthy for anyone.
- Stealing, robbing others or otherwise mistreating others does not benefit anyone long term.
- Treating an employee, a spouse, a janitor, or anyone else as less than will not bring positive long term results.
- Labeling and treating others as superfluous can never have long term positive results. (It was not prison which “healed” Mr. Peterson but the mentoring program with the students.)
When we hear ourselves or others confusing the behavior with the core of the person we need to stop, take a breath and allow for the possibility that we are all more than that label. If that is not true and we are just that label, then there is hope for any of us.
Written June 1, 2017
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