i’ll tell you some Stories.
you tell me what they mean.
two People were on a boat.
one of Them was a cannibal.i will spare you the details.
you know what They did.survival of the fittest.
might makes right.it was gruesome.
it was horrifying.
it was depraved.it was a crime against Humanity.
They are dangerous.
They are Evil.i do not care what you have to say.
you weren’t there.
i know what i saw.We must find them.
They must be brought to Justice.the end.
i hope that you understand that Story’s perspective.
that cannibalism is an act without justification.
something pure Evil, that must be brought to Justice.
you may not fully agree, but i hope you can understand that someone might feel that way.
i want to share a different Story, with a different perspective.
a perspective that challenges the previous one.
my brother and i were on a boat.
We had no food.
We were lost at sea.We waited as long as we could.
We knew that both of Us could not make it.
that Death would take Us both if We did nothing.the Truth demanded that one of Us die.
We got to set the terms.We knew what needed to be done.
We could not spare water for tears.
We looked each other in the eyes.
steeled Our hearts.
and worked together to figure out a Plan.We argued for hours.
We debated every reason why the other should be the one to live.
he told me i’m the bigger nerd.
i told him he has a wife.in the end, We decide that none of it mattered.
that it all canceled out.
that Our lives were equal.We settled on a coin toss.
i will never forgive myself for winning.the end.
again, i hope you understand that Story’s perspective.
that faced with an impossible situation, We need not lose our Humanity.
that a depraved act may not always be Evil.
i don’t know you, but i hope with all my heart that there is someone in your life that you feel that way about.
someone that you would stand shoulder to shoulder with.
and stare down Death itself.
the final Story is not new, but a combination and continuation of the Stories above.
two People were on a boat.
one of Them was a cannibal.They got away,
but i tracked Them down.They are dangerous.
They are Evil.
They will say anything.steel your heart.
ready your weapon.
it is time for Justice.the last words They say are:
please.
i know i deserve to die.
i accepted it on the boat.
but i promised my brother that i would tell the world about him.i will not rest until all of Humanity knows that my brother was a Good man.
please.
i have to live.what are you doing?
NO
PLEASE
HE WAS MY BROTHER.
HE WAS A GOOD MAN.
HE GAVE HIS LIFE SO THAT I COULD LIVE.
PLEASE.
YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME.
PLEASE BELI-i told you They would say anything.
the end.
there are a few layers to discuss.
first, the Story as it’s told.
where no Evil was done on the boat.
where the source of Evil was those that sought to fight it.
i believe this is the primary source of the Evil We see in the world.
it is an Evil born of assumptions, mistrust, and lies.
“Their actions show that They are Evil, and We must destroy Evil.”
it is very infrequent that Evil is done for Evil’s sake.
We must not become Evil in trying to fight it.
too often, We do.
second, the Truth as arbiter of Good and Evil.
where you tell me the Story.
what if the second Story, where i ate my brother, was a lie?
what if it was fabricated to get sympathy?
what if hunting down and killing Evil was the right thing to do?
you have a choice to make.
you decide the Truth.
you assign Good and Evil.
is this a tragedy where the Truth was not listened to?
or a solemn warning about the Evil in the world?
which is the world you would prefer to live in?
last, Human nature.
where you tell me who We are.
do you believe that two People could decide Their fate with a coin toss?
what does it mean to face an impossible situation as a Human?
where do Legends come from?