To paraphrase Thomas Paine

Paraphrasing Thomas Paine, these are times that try people’s souls---if they recognize they have them, and aren’t convinced they are merely stimulus-response animals. Denial of the spiritual portion of the human being composite shows clearly in the dramatization of selfish animal nature overwhelming America today. I’m talking about a propensity towards---and providing legitimacy to- — violence, criminality, rejection of the orderly processes of justice and government, rejection of the notions of morality and living with truth, and mob-driven rebellion.

The genesis of civilization itself is the spiritually driven notion that uncomplicated brotherhood & cooperation amongst humans is the only ethical weapon against human imperfection. Society can never escape such imperfection and the necessity to be forever striving against it with evolving reform. So the irrationality of blaming all police for the sometimes horrible conduct of a few, or blaming all whites or all blacks or all Russians similarly is monstrously discriminatory and racist. Indeed in just this way, the Nazis blamed all Jews and Jewish character for the poor conduct of just a few Jews.

So support evolution of America under our Constitutions---not violent revolution under special interest-manipulated mob rule. Support using structured justice---no matter how slow it is---instead of riot, retaliation, and revenge. And encourage widespread efforts to apply The Golden Rule---despite temptations not to do so. Please?

Stuart Thompson,

Wasilla