Wednesday musings – June 3, 2020
I want to begin by being clear about my beliefs about the following:
I also want to be clear about the following:
I should explain that I understand and use the term immoral to mean a behavior which temporarily may benefit one or more people at the expense of self or others. Destroying the environment so some can profit for the moment; instilling fear so the collection plates will ensure a lavish life for the staff of a church, using plastic bags because it is convenient or provides an income for a few, selling guns and other weapons of destruction for profit are all examples. I am sure the reader can think of many more examples.
The intent of sharing these thoughts is, as always, to challenge the reader their circle of family, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues is to encourage civil, challenging discussions of such subjects as:
It seems to me that these discussion need to take place around the family dinner table, in school settings, at teacher conferences, in boardroom and conference room and even around the campfire. I believe that children and adults can rise to the challenge and find a more solid base for this society.
Written June 3, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
I want to begin by being clear about my beliefs about the following:
- Looting and burning is not productive or ethical.
- Responding to violence with violence is not productive or ethical.
- We often give our law enforcement personnel very conflicting and confusing instructions.
- Law enforcement can only be guided by the will and directives of the larger community.
- Oppression of any person or any group of people is immoral.
- Oppressing a person or group of people over a long period of time will cause them to reach a boiling/breaking point.
I also want to be clear about the following:
- Lethal violence by the police is not moral or necessary.
- Force by the police to restrain behavior which is dangerous to others is often necessary.
- Necessary force does not have to be disrespectful or lethal.
- No parent should have to teach their children that they must assume that the police are their enemy and will likely mistreat them.
- Addiction and other mental illness are not a crime.
- Treating the symptoms of a problem or “dis ease” is not effective in reducing or curing the disease. Treating the symptoms will, at best, offer some temporary relief or respite.
- For 1% of the population to have a majority of the wealth of a people is immoral.
- Legal looting, blackmailing or withholding of essential services such as products of Big Pharma is immoral and should be illegal.
- Withholding funding or unequal funding of so-called public schools is immoral, unethical and designed to oppress. Blaming the victims of this unequal funding for not being able to function well because the tools were withheld is immoral and should be illegal.
- Expecting everyone to learn the tools to function well in the larger community in spite of an unequal school funding system is immoral.
- Selective withholding other tools such as commonly used computer programs by overcharging and then giving some of the profit to help the diseases or conditions created by this behavior Is immoral despite assignment of such eloquent terms as philanthropy. The term for the illness caused by the treatment is iatrogenic.
- Withholding the best available heath care from anyone is immoral.
- Treating the symptoms of addiction and other mental illness by criminalizing them is immoral, expensive and counterproductive.
- Allowing politics to dictate medical decisions is immoral.
- Pretending as if individuals are independent rather than interdependent is immoral, unrealistic and unproductive.
- Using religious to justify oppression while enjoying the fruits of the oppression is immoral.
I should explain that I understand and use the term immoral to mean a behavior which temporarily may benefit one or more people at the expense of self or others. Destroying the environment so some can profit for the moment; instilling fear so the collection plates will ensure a lavish life for the staff of a church, using plastic bags because it is convenient or provides an income for a few, selling guns and other weapons of destruction for profit are all examples. I am sure the reader can think of many more examples.
The intent of sharing these thoughts is, as always, to challenge the reader their circle of family, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues is to encourage civil, challenging discussions of such subjects as:
- The definition of moral and, thus, immoral.
- Are their economic systems which are robust, viable, kind to the environment, healthy and serve the population as a whole?
- What is the relative price of short term thinking and behavior versus long term thinking and behavior.
- How did we come to think of universal health care for all as immoral?
- Is income or profit to be the guiding moral principle.
- Can a society exist long term if it systematically treats a significant percentage of the population as less then or undeserving?
- What percentage of the population being in jail, prison or having a record of same is indicative of a breakdown in the system?
It seems to me that these discussion need to take place around the family dinner table, in school settings, at teacher conferences, in boardroom and conference room and even around the campfire. I believe that children and adults can rise to the challenge and find a more solid base for this society.
Written June 3, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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