Locks and Laws

I have read and heard it said by some that in this thing called society, there are norms, standards, beliefs and traditions which define it, but which, in the regular course of time can and must change in order for the society to grow and improve. Along these lines, there are some who have assumed that this change or growth must include a change in moral values, especially where religion is concerned and they use this reasoning to attack religion in all it's forms. While not attempting to control anyone's thoughts or beliefs, I think it would be helpful to examine the idea that values can become outmoded and useless in a society where people agree on such a course and wish to freely follow it to it's end. 

 

So, let us take as an example the moral value of property rights. History is almost nothing but the chronicles of property rights disputes, whether personal or national. Everyone wants their own property, free from the oppressions of a neighbor, king or ruler of any kind. Thousands of years ago, from Mt. Sinai came the words, “Thou shalt not steal,” and ancient civilizations reserved their harshest punishments for those who felt inclined to violate the property rights of their neighbors by stealing or any other dishonest act. No one wanted to be taken advantage of.

But suppose there was a group of people who decided that property rights were old-fashioned and that they wanted to set up a society where this value was absent. Because they have decided that stealing is not wrong any more, they start taking whatever they want from whomever they want. The most bold and greedy among them would find themselves in possession of the greatest wealth, which in turn would make them prime targets for others. No one would want to work hard to produce or procure anything honestly because they would be afraid that someone bigger or stronger would take it away and murder would follow closely on the heels of this wanton theft as people would resent the removal of their property. 

 

Believe it or not, there have actually been many instances in history when this very thing has happened. People, in their zeal to find the 'perfect society' decided that old values, laws and standards were outmoded. They substituted 'common goods' for property rights, and found themselves in a vortex of shifting ground where no one was safe. Common property quickly evolved to include people, and soon the family was dissolved in favor of 'free love'. Unlike the bold predictions of glorious cities of wealth and peace, these societies always led to a terrible sort of economic and moral cannibalism. The strong preyed upon the weak until the weak were either dead or silenced. When there were only the strong and greedy who remained, they always ended by fighting to the death for what they wanted. History shows that when you take away a man's right to own property, you take away his outward motives for self-restraint and self-respect.

If a man will not control himself, I must either let him take what he wants from me, whether it be my property, my family or my life, or, I must find a way to either stop him or remove him from my society. Anciently, those who lacked self-restraint were not allowed to wantonly kill, steal or violate another's person but were either punished or banished for their crimes. Without property rights and the laws and punishments to protect them, there can be no peace or safety in any society. But if this is true for property rights, could it not also be true for other laws? For instance, if there is no moral code, then who is to stop a man from abusing a child? If moral codes can be outmoded then where does one draw the line between what is abuse and what is not? And If there is no line for restraint, then where will be the line for defense?

Most religions provide the best safeguards of a man's liberty. They teach that a man has a right to life, property and the pursuit of happiness, but not the right to destroy or take another's life, or property. They provide motivation and social pressure for restraint by reminding him of the eternal nature of law and justice. But, if people do not believe that there is a just retribution for their actions, then, no matter what we say, they will have no reason to keep to a moral or ethical code of any kind. If they do not believe in an eternal justice, then they naturally will desire to remove the restraints of physical justice. In other words, if I don't believe that stealing is wrong, why should you punish me for it? Such a person would desire to legalize everything he believes is not wrong. A group of such people could create a society where there was no such thing as wrongdoing, which, as has been observed numerous times throughout history, always ends in disaster. Throwing out religion, or the moral values espoused thereby, is like throwing out the locks on your safe. It isn't very safe.

Silver Screen Savvy

I'm a big fan of the silver screen. I love old movies. My children think it's strange when some of their friends have never heard of men like Cary Grant, Danny Kaye or Fred Astaire. In our house, it's standard fare to have an old movie playing at least once a week. And, every year as a family, we gather around the fireplace, pop some popcorn, snuggle up in blankets and watch White Christmas. When we watch it, we sing along with all the songs and laugh at all the bad jokes, again. Sometimes we even dance while they are dancing. It really is a lot of fun. I know it seems like an unorthodox family tradition, but we like it.

Some of my favorites are movies like Bringing Up Baby with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. Their frolicsome antics and slapstick humor is unforgettable, and in this one, we even get to hear Cary Grant sing!

Speaking of Katherine Hepburn, who is perhaps the greatest actress of our time, we just recently watched Pat and Mike, the wonderfully funny and surprisingly heartwarming film with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey. It's hilarious how, with a little Jiujitsu, Pat takes out the thugs who are trying to hurt Mike. But the interplay between those two actors is never better than in the great film called, Without Love. Endlessly entertaining and interesting, these two actors should have been granted immortality. The world would be a better place now if they were still in Hollywood.

One of my quirky tastes is that I love old British films. Alec Guinness, in The Ladykillers is a British theater/ film mix that is absolutely unmatched for sheer cleverness. I also love him in The Swan, where he plays a crown prince with Grace Kelly as a princess. Funny, sad, thoughtful and unexpected, I loved every minute of it. Movies with Alec Guinness in them are sometimes hard to find, but with the help of Youtube, Netflix and Amazon, I am having a little better luck. One of my recent finds was an old, old one called Barnacle Bill, where Alec Guinness plays a sea captain who gets seasick but who finds his niche running a little pier carnival. Insightful and tender, funny and ridiculous, this movie is one I will keep around to show to my grandchildren!

A few years ago, I also discovered a terrific singer who was famous in the 1930's and 40's. The first time I heard her sing, I just couldn't believe it. What a voice! She had an amazing career as a young singer/actress and then, after ten years of tremendous success, she left the movies and never went back. She disappeared from public life altogether. But, cinematography has kept an archive of her films which are a real treasure for any music lover. Starting with Mad About Music, her debut film, then First Love, which is a sort of Cinderella story and going on to It's a Date, His Butler's Sister and Lady on a Train among about a dozen others currently available, Deanna Durbin is one of the best singer/actresses of all time. She rivals Julie Andrews for singing and has a youth and bubbliness that became her charming trademark.

And where would musical theater be without dancing? Gene Kelly, with his captivating smile and amazing dancing skill, is a favorite at our house. In Summer Stock, a movie with Judy Garland, Gene Kelly shows the scope of his talent for singing, dancing and acting. He and Judy make a terrific couple and they literally sweep you off your feet.

Today, we've got a lot of computer graphics and I'm told that you don't even have to be able to act to be successful. You just have to have the right company doing your special effects. I don't know; It's just not the same. My idea of good special effects is Fred Astaire dancing on the ceiling in the movie Royal Wedding. I think my problem is that I was born an old fogie. I'm always saying things like: They just don't make movies like they used to. So, when I'm tired of the glitz and glamor, shock and awe, death and gore, I turn to the black and white, song and dance, clever and friendly. Can you blame me?

This Blank Page

As I sit staring at this blank page, wondering what to write, I am thinking about this beautiful new day and how it is a little like this blank page. Everything I do, everything I say has yet to be determined. I am the master of my choices and the possibilities are endless. I can take this day and this page and make of it whatever I choose.

In spite of the 'blank page' effect, however, human beings are often bound by their past. Habits formed over years' time make strong fetters for our lives that can be nearly impossible to break. I say nearly because they are not impossible to break, just almost impossible. But if you think of your day, or even your life as a blank page, with the key of choice in your own hand, it does not seem so impossible.

There is something in my life that I have wanted to do for a long time. I have known of it's value for many years and yet, I have not actually done it. Why? Well, I suppose it might be habit or fear of failure or just laziness. But whatever the reason, I realized only this very minute that the only thing between me and the accomplishment of my goals is me. My habits of thought and behavior, perhaps begun in childhood, color my blank page every day and I stand by and let it happen.

If you like what your page looks like every day, then I suppose there is no need to change it. But if, at the end of the day your page is not what you had hoped, then there may be a need. Some people are oddly indifferent towards their blank page, as if they expect someone else to fill it up and then sit around complaining about all the things they don't like about it. It's like some people I have read about who will go into a doctor's office and expect him to 'fix' what is wrong with them. But when the doctor asks the person about his lifestyle and finds out that the cause of the 'illness' is poor habits and deliberate self-destruction, the person becomes defensive and angry saying that the doctor's job is to 'fix' the problem, not tell him how to live.

A blank page can also be intimidating. Some people are not comfortable with taking responsibility for their choices and their lives. They want to allow life to happen to them, while they complain, worry or just don't care. On top of that, blank pages and empty days can be filled so easily with wasted hours and mindless entertainment that many now spend their whole lives in this manner. I guess the real question is: Why should anyone try to do something besides waste their days?

Even in a very narrow view, life is spectacular. Speaking in terms of humanity, there have been thousands of generations of human beings inhabit this planet. Billions now inhabit it, and if we can assume anything from that, billions more will yet be born. If that is true, then there is nothing more we need to know in order to have a reason for improving our lives. With my limited perspective, I can see some of the choices which my Great-Grandparents, Grandparents and parents have made and their attendant effects on me and my life. I now have the opportunity to live and choose. All people, not just my own posterity, could potentially be impacted by my life and decisions (take Thomas Jefferson, for instance).

It may not be the only reason, but it certainly is a reason for spending my days in the anxious pursuit of a worthwhile dream. My dreams today will largely determine the reality of my children tomorrow, just as the dreams of a few good men determined the destiny of this great country.

So, with the blank page of a new day in front of me, I feel like shouting: “Hooray!” because I have the power to shape the future, both for my children and for humanity. It sounds a little like magic beans from a peddler. OK. Anybody want to buy a cow?