Is Might Right?

I have been impressed of late to jot a few thoughts down concerning behaviour and human relations in a very general sense. I was horrified yesterday with the news event that indicated a group of youths went into a school yard with baseball bats and a knife and wreaked havoc on property and some people causing a great deal of distress and angst, and thankfully no deaths. I certainly don't wish to become a prophet of doom in this post, or even demonise the youths who created such a situation, far from it. My purpose in writing this is to try and come to a sense of where we as a society and community are headed. I saw the near riot conditions for the Olympic torch relay runners in England yesterday, and heard that last night Sydney time, in France the flame was extinguished. This is all done in protest for the alleged treatment of the people of Tibet who live in difficult circumstances. I don't doubt that things are terrible and difficult for the people there but isn't there another way of getting the world to see their situation? It would seem to me that if you try and pressure a nation like China to "buckle" under the pressure of international attention and riots, that those who subscribe to this thought are dreaming. The Olympics are meant to be an event where we put our international issues to rest at the start and end of a series of physical tests we call games. This sadly is not the first politically motivated event involving an Olympic games, and probably won't be the last. I am so glad and grateful that Sydney 2000 went so well. I loved it. I loved the vibe, the excitement and zeitgeist of that time.

Is might really right? Does having an excuse or reason justify violence of any kind? It would be my belief that might and violence never is right. Further, I believe that the concept of winning at all odds seems to have created a difficulty where we have new names for various displays of anger, as though it is societies fault and creation. Excuses are often proffered to sanitise and diminish our responsibility for the actions we do. We have Road Rage, Phone Rage, Checkout Rage and a couple of others I have heard. It all suggests that we cannot contain our anger anymore. Hey, I have been known to fly off the handle myself on a few occasions on the road, but I have never and will never, intentionally or otherwise, hurt somebody physically or threaten them. I am not pointing the finger at everyone else, when I have certainly been angry myself at times. However, have we lost our ability to accept responsibility and care? Have we lost our ability to reason? I hope not. I pray not.

How does this relate to photography? I would be clutching at straws to try and weave a connection, though I accept these things trouble me when I think of the subtle global escalation in violence as a means to settle a dispute or as a call to action. My view I guess was formed as a youngster in a humble home. My parents when I reached 12 gave me a regular opportunity to express my feelings in the home, both good and bad. Even as a youngster I thought that was a bold move. When prompted I let my parents know how I felt with both barrels at times! How I felt about their decisions, How I felt on lots of topics. My Mum and Dad became very angered at times at what I said, I could see the temperature rise on my Dad's face, though he never fired back at me with the same invective I leveled at him on occasion. Thanks Dad. At the end of those periods of time I felt a stronger presence of love and respect toward me, for how I felt. Later, I could see I was slowly being schooled in the art of understanding, negotiation and compromise. I attribute my perspectives on life to having had the opportunity to express myself in different ways within the home and I always felt that my opinion mattered. There are other ways to express your point of view, there are other ways to get people to see and to change.

I look at Dr. Martin Luther King, who preached a passive resistance and preached non violence, there is Rosa Parks and even Nelson Mandela. I look at many many others throughout history who have shown us a better way through their example. These are the heroes I seek for. These people are the great ones who in my estimation change the world, and those of us within it, by such small means. I don't suspect they wake up one morning thinking how can I get the world to take notice, often it is just by their quiet composure and strong convictions that momentous change is brought about. Long may these people exist for us all to see and follow.

The pictures today are firstly from a sunrise I took at La Perouse and the last one is to signify the period we are in now, which is my absolute favourite time of the year. Autumn, or Fall for those in the continental US of A.