war and peace

I think there are two main differences between me and most comedians. One, I’m not a comedian, and two, I believe there are some things that are not funny, and should never be treated in a humorous fashion.
With that in mind, I was watching 60 Minutes last night (as I’m sure some of you were) and discovered a “war” going on in Africa I knew nothing about. At first I thought they were talking about Dufar, which is a horrible debacle of human depravity, but this conflict is taking place in the Congo, and I am not at all sure what it is over. A wealth of natural resources I suppose. But unlike the other conflicts we have had the misfortune to suffer—albeit at a distance—this one seems even more heinous. According to Cooper Anderson, more people have been killed in this conflict than any since WWII. Think about that. But in this conflict, which has all the usual characteristics of man’s inhumanity to man, a new and dreadful weapon is being used to great advantage, and even greater perfidy. It is the systematic rape, torture, disfigurement and dismemberment of women. And Children. It is being done in such a way as to terrify entire villages—who are often forced to watch. It is being used as a component of power-brokering. It is being used as a strategy to intimidate a populace. If you saw the segment, then you know that most of the stories are too terrible to even relate here, but I want to mention one as an example. A twenty-four year old woman with two small children was attacked by six “soldiers”. They tied her down and began to rape her, one after another. They gave her brother a flashlight and forced him to hold the light so he could see what was happening. When they were finished, they told the brother to take his turn. Terrified, he refused, saying “I cannot rape my sister.” So the men took out their knives and stabbed the boy to death. They then took the woman and dragged her into the bush to their camp where she was kept for eight months and raped repeatedly every day. She finally escaped, pregnant with one of the rapists children. She kept the baby—a girl—and named her Luck.
Africa is killing itself. I don’t know why, but I am suspicious it is not an accident. Even though it is too hideous to contemplate, I am beginning to believe that someone, some group of people or cabal, a Star Chamber somewhere, wants Africa empty. They want it for themselves. I have no proof of such a thing—I wouldn’t even want proof of such a thing—but it’s the only way I can make any sense out of the slaughter, the petty, mindless killing and torture. I know it happens other places as well, but not on such a scale, and not for so long a time.
And I don’t know how to fix it. I’m not sure I would have the courage to try, even if I did. It will be fixed, eventually, I have a deep and abiding faith that that is true, but having to live through it—even as a distant, vicarious witness—is soul-wrenching. I think most of us feel that way about these kinds of things. We want to help, to make it stop, to go and explain why it is wrong and have them all just say “oh, I see what you mean,” and suddenly become good, but that isn’t going to happen. So what can I do? What can any of us do, individually or as small groups with limited resources and influence? Then it hit me. I am doing something. Nita and I spent our lives doing our best to raise, decent, polite, educated, compassionate children who would never do anything like what is happening in the Congo. We try to be good people every day, with admittedly uneven results, but we are serious about the attempt. We are spreading the only available cure—not just us, but lots of others—you I hope—thousands of people who sacrifice and teach, discipline and love and nurture their children. Millions. And with luck our children will do the same, and their children, and it will spread, just like the madness, the lust to kill and the “will to power” until the charity and compassion, the sincere desire to live lives of peaceful service, prevail. I have little faith that there is any other way. The generation coming up must be given a mandate to be the best, the most moral, virtuous and selfless generation in history. And the generation after that, and so on. If you think that might be the right way to go, pass it along. Become truly involved in the lives of your children, teach them incessantly, cherish them, be the example they need. If your children are grown, help your grandchildren, be a positive presence in their lives. If you have no children—there are plenty to choose from at work every day. Pick a few. Teach them eternal principles, show them values, introduce them to the idea of being good people. It needn’t be “ religious” in nature—all these things are found in the philosophies of men. But if anyone feels strongly about it, make it theological; introduce God, a Supreme Being—do it in a deistic fashion, without the trapping of particular creeds of sects. Do it in spite of the politically correct ideologues, in spite of District policy, in spite of a disingenuous ruling by the High Court. We have to change the direction of the world. Not politically—that doesn’t work. We have to do it individually, then collectively, then universally.
We can’t let Africa—or anywhere else—destroy itself. We need those people. They are us. We need everyone, because everyone has worth. This is a struggle between those who believe human beings have intrinsic worth beyond that of other living things, and those who don’t. When we listen to those who don’t believe in the ascendancy of humanity, we get the Congo, Dufar, South Africa, Iraq, our own national past and so many other tragedies. It’s time to grow up and stop it.