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I’m not exactly sure what ‘gangstas’ do for a living, although by the article in The London Free Press this week, I gather that it is a noble lifestyle. I often find it rather odd. Do you? I mean, we’re reading the report of the demise of a young man who lived a life of crime and we’re told about what a wonderful young man he was. He bought his daughter a Barbie. He hugged his grandma and told her he loved her. Nice kid.
I'm sorry for this young man and I'm sorry for his family. I'm certain that no one in his life could have ever seen this coming. Gangsta's usually live happy, peacefull lives. I'm sure that the people in his life did absolutely everything in their power to intervene and help him to find a more reputable career.
So I guess living a life as a ‘gangsta’ is a lifestyle. I know that we can’t expect any kind of investigative journalism in our day. I doubt that London has the funds to have reporters who actually ask tough questions like, “What did this young man do? If he sold drugs, did any of his customers ever die from an overdose?” Instead we read about how he loved his family, how he really didn’t want to be a gangsta and so on.
I’m being silly. From what I see in our culture, I think I do have some small idea of what he might have been up to. I also understand why we have the kind of commentary that we do. Have you ever met a bad person?
No seriously? Have you ever asked people this question?
“So, do you consider yourself a good person?”
If you have, what kind of response do you get? Everybody is a good person right? Gangstas are basically good people. Drug dealers are basically good people if you look at their positive side. Every individual I have the conversation with tells me the same. “I’m basically a good person.”
If that’s true, then I don’t really believe that the problems of our society exist. I don’t believe that women are victims of violence. I don’t believe that my coworker’s friend died from an overdose. I don’t believe that anyone is verbally, physically or sexually abused. I don’t believe that honour killings actually happen. I don’t believe that child pornography takes place. I don’t believe that dunk drivers kill innocent bystanders. I don’t believe my friends when they tell me that they were molested when they were children. I don’t believe these things, because everyone that I have ever met tells me that they are good people. I have never met anyone capable of comitting such attrocities.
How about you? Where do you find yourself in that? Are you a good person?
If you tell me that you’re good, I’ll understand. I’ll understand because I’ve been there. I remember when I used to think that I was a good person. It was before I met Jesus. I remember how I would listen to Mr. Preacher man saying that we all have skeletons in our closet. I sat in the chair thinking to myself, “No. No I really don’t have much in my life that I need to be sorry for.”
It wasn’t until after I believed that I began to notice the foul stench which lingered down the hallway of my life. If you believe yourself to be better than the rest of humanity, would you really want to see your depravity for what it is? Or would you rather go on living thinking that life is a bunch of freshly cut roses?
There is a whole lot about this world that really isn’t right. Do you recognize your part in it? Do I?
Probably the biggest example I can share with this is the fact that often I choose to do nothing, or, I have chosen to stop reading the paper/listening to the news. While I often state that it is the nonsense reporting that irks me, deep down it is that I am largely unwilling to do anything about it.
ReplyDeleteI think this clarifies why we get along so famously. I respond pretty much the same way most of the time. Doing and saying nothing is easy.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder if I should make a point of reading and resonding to nonsense reporting, but when I sit and look at those who do, it doesn't seem to help. It's like trying to damn the mouth of the St. Lawrence using a packacge of toothpicks.