What are monsters? Are they real? Where do they come from? What do they subsist on?
In this rapidly ever-changing world of 24-hour news where not much is really new except for opinions given about the topic of discussion, it seems that we are increasingly presented with viewpoints and declarations of the monsters among us. It matters not which side one sits upon, or which side the opposite claims “real” or “fake”, our access to news has somehow evolved from partisan bias at best to divisive incitement at worst, with the representative party pointing their finger in blame to those they oppose. It is why we are where we are, in a perilous time of and which we could see the first legislated restrictive measures on the liberties of citizens since Prohibition.
Defining what free speech is would be the important first step; free speech is the right to say as you please as long as you do not cause libelous or slanderous harm, induce panic, or incite others to violence. There are laws in place to make sure those rules are abided by. Libel or slander means we cannot defame another’s character without just proof as per the claims being made. Inducing Panic says no person shall cause the evacuation of any public place, or otherwise cause serious public inconvenience or alarm. Imminent Lawless Action is defined as speech not protected by the First Amendment if the speaker intends to incite a violation of the law that is both imminent and likely. The later of the above is more easily identifiable, when one uses speech in order to compel others to fight, vandalize, invade, or any other way make credible threats to the safety of others or their property, they are subject to Imminent Lawless Action. As per libel and slander, the accusing party must be able to prove how the speech caused irreparable harm to her, in order to prosecute the accused party. Inducement of panic is pretty well covered in its definition.
A discussion of free speech limitation is not the aim of this entry, but a necessary place to start, as we want to understand how the misunderstanding of our First Amendment rights have led us to where we find ourselves currently. On January 6, 2021, many people who were at first exercising their right to assemble peacefully, descended into chaos and violent unrest. Told by one side, they were incited to the violence by one man. Told by the other, they were a mostly peaceful group of which some were incited to commit an injustice they believed to have occurred by fault of the opposing side.
This scenario had played itself out in a different setting only 6 months prior, with the participating parties switched in their roles. So, I must ask, what is happening that is causing us to act out in such a way, and to be ok with the behavior of the side we identify with versus abhorring the acts of the other? And more pointedly we must also get to why it is, that in casual conversation, both sides seem to be opposed to the violence that keeps taking place, but in biased reporting it is touted as necessary to the cause of the perpetrating party. I offer a simple conclusion to this; we create the monsters we fear most.
For all of our evolutionary and rational advancements as humans, we are still susceptible to irrational fears. Our most irrational being our fear of death. Yes, it is irrational for one to fear death as it is the only fact of life provable beyond all reasonable doubt. In all of recorded history as well as before records we have created stories to remedy this fear. Some may say we have used the irrational power of storytelling in order to cure a crippling affliction to fully living life. These stories and the belief in them stem from our capacity for emotion and our obligation to a social order of living, which creates bonds between us, parents to children, friends to friends, lovers to lovers, and stranger to stranger. Homo Sapiens would not exist in our apex capacity were it not for our ability to work together, and we would not work together well or at all without a capacity to feel for one and other. However, as intelligent creatures we do more than just exist as a unit of people; we have come to understand and define our “true self” via self-actualization. We are individuals that function as a unit at our best, but our individualism can cause distrust, division, or, dissent, which poisons our ability to cooperate.
In my short or long life, depending on who else one may compare it too, it seems to me that these stories we use to help us deal with our innate fear of dying, are most often used against us, be it by others or a lot of times by ourselves. If someone is using one’s belief system in order to exacerbate their fears, in order to tell them it will be even worse than their worst fears; they are not a preacher of truth. They are not their ally or supporter. They are not offering them protection. They are their oppressor, and they wish to control them through the most heinous of means, the manipulation of their most hopeful beliefs. If someone is telling one, or if one is telling themselves, that a person or people are monsters, it would be best for them challenge those claims not only in rhetoric but also in practicality. Face that which they fear, and watch the false pretexts of the liars fade away. When challenging in words be careful to watch for the accuser’s emotions to turn on them, for when this happens, they can be sure that they are on the being led by the carrot of manipulation. One that will lead them further and further into the dark abyss of untruths. And if one is to go too far, they may never find their way out or worse. As Nietzsche said, “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster…for when you long gaze into the abyss. The abyss gazes back into you.”
We create the monsters we fear most. We give them sustenance with which to grow. We give them power over us, and we allow them to lead us to do horrible things. Much of this is because as Nietzsche said above, we can become the monsters we fight. An American example by the author and thinker James A. Baldwin, is most pointedly expressed and still quite relevant today; he said, regarding the plight of the black man in America, “I can’t be a pessimist because I am alive. To be a pessimist means you have agreed that human life is an academic matter, so I’m an optimist. So, I’m forced to be an optimist. I’m forced to believe we can survive. But, the negro in this country, the future of the negro in this country is precisely as bright or as dark as the future of this country. It is entirely up to the American people, and our representatives whether or not they are going to face and deal with and embrace this stranger they have maligned so long. What white people have to do is to try to find out in their own hearts, why it was necessary to have a “n****r” in the first place? Because I am not a “n****r”, I’m a man. But if you think I am “n****r”, it means you need it. The question you have to ask yourself……. If I am not the “n****r” here and though you invented him… you have to find out why. The future of the country depends on that. And the future of the country depends on that. Whether or not it’s able to ask that question.”
So, I ask, why do we still need to create the things that haunt us? And the more I ask that, the more I believe it is because we fear not death, but life. And if we are scared to live and scared to die, then what is it all really worth?
Written - 01.10.21 - Published 01.31.21
