Consider this quote from Albert Einstein:
“The world is a dangerous place,
not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do
nothing.”
I think his statement is a stunner. It cuts to the bone of
many ideas I’ve written about in this blog.
Each of us has value. We do because we have ability. To do
things. To know things. To take action.
If we listen to political debates and read background
articles, we can gather what the content of those offerings mean. We can
analyze the material and make a judgment. And then, when the time comes, we can
make an informed vote.
Not voting is an abrogation of our responsibility. Not
reading or listening or using our brain is an abrogation of our responsibility.
Not following through on what we know is an abrogation of responsibility. Our
responsibility.
Our nation created a form of government that relies on the
citizenry to be informed, educated and involved in its own governance. Taking
part in campaigns is part of that. Keeping up on the issues is part of that.
Voting is part of that.
Avoiding any part of that disappoints your role as a citizen
of an open, free democracy.
Non participation actually hands over your government to
those you do not trust or believe in.
The same dynamic is true in taking action on many other
things. What Einstein said is, evil results because others don’t do what they
should.
A child is aimlessly walking in the street; traffic is bearing
down on him/her. You, seeing the impending peril, stop what you are doing and
reach for the child, and bring him/her back to the safety of the sidewalk. Evil
has been averted.
A suspicious package is spotted in a public place. It appears
out of place. You wonder a bit and then call the police and report your
suspicion. A bomb squad arrives and removes the package. It was someone’s lunch
bag forgotten at a bus stop. It was not a bomb. But what if it had been? Good
job reporting the suspicion.
The kids in your neighborhood have too much time on their
hands. They hang around. They seem restless. You talk to them and learn there
is no program for them to attend that would form a baseball team, or a musical
group. You talk to the Park District and they tell you of programs that are
available. You return to the kids and let them know. You help them with rides
to the Park District. You decide to coach a team. You direct some of the kids
to a church looking for some musicians to form a group. You got involved and
helped young lives become better directed.
Without these quiet forms of leadership or involvement, less
would get done. Lives would likely be less full, maybe even endangered. Sitting
down with some youth, even the ones that make you uncomfortable (they dress
funny! Or bear body piercings! Or talk in strange phrases!); sit with them;
listen to them. Ask a question or two? What do you want to do five years from
now? What would you like to be doing with your life?
Find out their answers. And listen closely to them. You
might be astonished to learn they are very much like you 30 or 40 years ago.
They just talk differently. But they yearn in similar ways you did when you
were their age. They want to be special. They want to be useful. They want to
experience life more fully.
And you can help them. You can make something happen that
will change their lives. In very elemental ways.
But the opposite could happen, too. If you don’t take the
first steps. If you don’t, will there be someone else who does? Probably not;
at least you can’t count on there being another person to do it. You are here;
now. So why not take that step?
Doing nothing is not a good answer. Leaving it up to someone
else is a crap shoot. With big consequences. A generation in peril. It’s up to
you.
Albert Einstein said so.
May 26, 2012
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