Opaque Lucidity

Search For Blood

I don't know if you've ever seen it, but there is a photo from about 1963 showing a Buddhist monk setting himself on fire in the middle of a street in Saigon. He was protesting the continuing war there in the most attention-getting way he knew. However, I have now come to the conclusion that he was also motivated by a level of frustration to which most people never rise. While I'm not to that point, I certainly can envision that level of "bother".

I thought of that monk this morning as I drove on I-71. This is the first time I have driven myself to work since January 9th, and even though I enjoyed sharing a ride with one of my co-workers these past few months, I also love the solitude of driving alone for 20 miles. This morning, however, was spoiled by a traffic slowdown caused by a fender-bender on the OTHER SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.

Why do people slow down? First, there were two Metro cop cars there, lights turning. Despite the fact there was no one in the cruisers and there is a safety barrier running down the median, drivers felt the need to slow down because, golly, the fuzz might pull you over for going 57 in a 55. Good grief.

Second, and this is more disturbing, there is the American public's desire to see death and destruction. Why do TV stations in Los Angeles broadcast car chases live? Because we might get to see a gruesome, fiery death. In Clarksville, IN, the race track features figure-8 BUS racing. Does this sound like an invitation to a wreck? Of course, because that's what people want to see. If you think everyone who attends a NASCAR race is there to see 42 cars run seamlessly around a track for 2 hours, you are sadly underestimating our desire for mayhem.

We are not the first society to revel in other people's pain and misfortune. The Roman Coliseum operated for three centuries and featured everything from mock naval battles to Christians made to fight against mounted cavalry. As time goes by, I see more and more the model of Roman decadence and moral decay being copied by our society. What many people don't see, or don't believe, is that like Rome, this nation is the light. Without a strong United States, the world would soon enter a dark age of Islamic terror and economic ruin. I'm sure the Romans of 180AD found the notion of their collapse to be far-fetched as well.