Good Guys and Bad Guys

We bounce back and forth between good guys and bad ones. What basis for making the labels in the first place, is unknown. Perhaps it is a favored religion, ideology of governance, interpretation of history, simple personal bias, and so on. This labeling assumes you and I favor one side of the label’s identity, and the people on the other side are the ‘bad guys.’ Of course, we assume the good guy identity!

Having said this, what are we to do about the good and bad guys? Do we sit on the sideline and let disgruntlement exist without response? What might our silence produce? Might it cause the bad guys to overreach and take action that is a threat to us?

For example, religious hegemony in a region becomes the root of power in a region or country. Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, are all ruled by people favoring one religion, Islam. They go so far as to legislate citizen behavior to comply with religious principles and edicts. This action imposes a religious stricture on those who do not believe in Islam. Hardliners claim nonbelievers are not just heretical, but enemies of the state. Religion and government have become one. Religion, emotion and behavior may easily lead to violence. It has in the Middle East. It has in eastern Europe. It has in Asia, as well.

Sitting in the United States, we know hardliner Muslims cause violence in other nations. We deplore the violence. Yet we do not interfere. Does that lead to more violence, or our probable involvement in those countries’ internal affairs? At what point do we get involved and for what stakes?

Abortion is another good guy/bad guy issue. If we do not believe in abortion for ourselves but do not want to limit access to the procedure for those who need it and are willing to have an abortion, do we aid and abet abortions? Should we be active in limiting abortion rights?

You see the problem. I do not want anyone in my family to have an abortion, but that is not my choice. It is the other’s choice. And, they may abhor having the abortion, but choose to have it anyway for a host of good reasons. It is not my personal belief to interfere with the other person’s freedom to choose. Evidently, I am not alone in this. Abortions have dropped significantly from their high. People are avoiding abortions and preventing circumstances that cause the need for abortions. My position has not made a difference one way or another, thus my position has had a neutral effect.

The Muslim violence issue, however, does not lead to neutral outcomes if I choose to take no action.

The same is true about Global Warming and saving the planet. If I do nothing, conditions worsen, and the planet dies along with all of us. Doing nothing is not a viable choice in such circumstances.

Right wing or left-wing ideology? What are the outcomes if the sides make noise but take no action? How much of a threat exists to the ‘other-siders’?  What happens to us all in these instances?

Simple defensive moves are designed to block another’s action. Taken to an extreme, gridlock is the result. An example is the US Congress. Nothing much gets done there; each side is busy blocking the other from making any headway. The result? Nothing. But then, the nothing opens us to so many threats caused by the work not being done. This is how global warming came about in the first place.

Think about that.

Had we not developed vaccines against COVID-19, millions would have died by now instead of 800,000 in the US alone. Along with that outcome, hospitals would have been so swamped other emergency health care and treatments would have been blocked. Those patients would most likely have died. From those outcomes come a lot of other related outcomes, none good.

Fixing the broken elements in life is a job belonging to each of us. No exceptions. If you are aware of the broken, do something to care for those affected, find a solution, and mend the problem. If you cannot aid in this progress, at least get out of the way of those who can. Do not hinder that which will help us all.

The good guys know this. They help or get out of the way. The bad guys do not know this. They only focus on their own point of view and advancement.

It is time to call out the bad guys. The good guys need room to do their magic.

For the good of us all.  Let the Hope begin.

December 27, 2021

 

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