Life in Cold Blood

A video I recently saw of a policeman spraying non-violent protestors in the face with tear gas has caused a mental uproar within me. In my mind I have a certain impression of protests, both domestic and foreign. For example, modern protests in the United States of America involve groups of people holding signs and chanting in front of an official building for what they want or believe. These protestors are not harmed in any way, and perhaps their opinions are even considered. At times, they can even bring about change. In contrast, my idea of protests in foreign countries involves screaming, yelling, violence, protestors and police being injured and killed. Is this the truth or simply what the media has fed to me?

I have appreciated my country because of our freedoms, our rights to express our opinion without being harmed, at least physically. However, that video has shown me that my democratic countrymen are also capable of such unnecessary violence. It makes me wonder whether or not I have been naive. Do the words "freedom of speech" and "freedom of the press" only hold to a certain point? Is there a point in which public opinion must be slapped with rubber bullets and tear gas because it has hit too close to home or put someone's fortune at risk? Or am I, are we just not well enough informed?

This topic has taken me further into thinking of how society functions, of capitalism and socialism, war and peace, human beings and animal instincts.

Last night I watched a documentary entitled "Life in Cold Blood." It was about reptiles and amphibians. It showed the lives of some of these creatures, their instincts to survive, daily task of finding food, fights (at times to the death) over territory and sexual partners, and ability to show affection. I found that they do not differ from us human beings. After all, we are all simply animals.

It is said, however, that what does separate us from other animals is our ability to reason. I must propose though that it does not separate us at all, and if it does this slight separation is not a positive one.

You would think that an ability to reason would show us that peace, cooperation, and love are so essential. They are utopia, heaven on earth as it were. However, it does not. Instincts will not be denied. Instead we are jealous, envious, greedy, covetous. A jump to violence seems to be just as prevalent in our nature as feeding our hunger or having sex. What humans have done with "reason" is used it to make large amounts of paper money, bigger weapons with which to protect that sum, and mental walls to stop ourselves from seeing that violence is tearing apart the lives of all beings of the planet.

War, mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional destruction.

One's ability to live in a place without gunfire, bombs and mental abuse is a matter of luck.

Given the power, the money, and the weapons all at my disposal, would I not do the same? Would you?