Opinion. The views expressed are the author’s own.
The world we live in today challenges us all to be wide-eyed, aware, curious and skeptical. Wide-eyed, so that we can tell the truth from nonsense, propaganda and lies. Aware of the presence of human evil, of opportunistic predators and manipulators. Curious, so we keep looking for what matters most: truth, equality, fair play, honesty, and knowing whom to forgive.
We are told that the elite knows best, that specialists in every field tell those in charge what is correct, doable and needed. There is no need, we are told, to investigate on our own or to look for the truth of a situation for ourselves. “Don’t worry, be happy!”
Accepting ignorance is a terrible crime against humanity. Being ignorant because we simply do not know, through a lack of education or opportunity, is forgivable. Choosing to ignore something because of prejudice, hatred, or political or social belief is not. Various political, social and religious organizations tell us that ignorance is bliss, but we find out that ignorance affects us all, directly or indirectly.
One person’s hatred is another’s love for nation, family, culture or religion.
We are told that peace is only achievable through military strength and a willingness to use weapons of mass destruction against our enemies before they use them on us. But when you greet someone with a weapon in your hand, what can you expect except a similar, calculated response? A fist raised in anger or fear gets the same response every time.
Slavery can even be presented as a path to freedom. In a religious context, a person with no possessions can experience the freedom of poverty. Yes, the freedom of poverty. If you have nothing, you may not aspire to acquire, hoard, steal or possess. That is the hope, though often not the reality. By the same logic, if your rights and freedoms are taken from you, you might still find a sense of freedom and peace. That lasts until you disagree with the government, organization or despot that has taken away what every person naturally wants: personal and collective freedom.
The slogans of our day are often the same ones expressed long ago, the ones George Orwell put in the mouth of the Party in Nineteen Eighty-Four: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” They are ancient in nature, divisive and unforgiving. They trade accusations that do not build societies but tear them down.
My friend Mike Tripka has a colourful response to all of this: “Get me a shovel.” It is blunt, but it is exact and truthful. Slavery is intolerable, ignorance is destructive, and war has no place in a world of civilized people. So, truthfully, we are still mostly uncivilized, hoping to become something better and searching for something we are not yet prepared to experience. Truth can be unbearable, intolerable and, for a time, destructive. Why would we want it, then?
The truth will set you free, but only if you are prepared to do the work and make the sacrifices it demands. War, ignorance and slavery all let humanity hide behind an excuse and deny its responsibilities to itself.
Steven Kaszab lives in Bradford, Ont.
