If you are optimistic—in general—you are a remarkable person. That is, if you are optimistic about the potential and kinetic good in your species, you are remarkable. Especially in the context of a single day’s report in The Guardian:
“Tens of thousands of refugees flee from Somaliland clashes”
“Patients dying as Nigerian cash crisis hits health services before election”
“Mexico’s former drugs tsar Genaro Garcia Luna convicted for aiding El Chapo cartel”
“Peruvian loggers given 28 years in jail for murder of four indigenous leaders”
“Bangladesh shuts down main opposition newspaper”
“Journalist and child killed near scene of fatal Florida shooting earlier that day”
“Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ club shooter posted to neo-Nazi website, police say”
“Southern Baptists expel Saddleback megachurch over female pastor”
“Former attorney general in key state withheld evidence debunking 2020 election fraud”
“Scientist convicted of editing babies’ genes has Hong Kong visa revoked over false statement”
War in Somaliland, the economics of patient care, a runaway drug trade with corrupt officials on the take, destruction of the environment tied to greed and murder, out-of-control killing by youth without compunction, extremists willing to shoot people because of who they are, fundamentalism at work in the Baptist community, the politicization of election processes, and the uncontrolled experimentation on humans—AND I DID NOT LIST ALL THE HEADLINES: Other headlines were very similar.
Ten headlines on a single day’s news! And not one of them bespeaks joy, compassion, understanding, open-mindedness, respect for life, and a respect for law. Yes, as I wrote above, if you are optimistic, you are a remarkable person. Certainly, today’s headlines challenge anyone’s sense of optimism.
Maybe we humans are only potentially good and rarely kinetically good.
But, as “they” say, don’t give up hope. Maybe tomorrow’s headlines will be full of joy and love. Maybe tomorrow will dawn on a peaceful world of cooperating individuals seeing good in one another. One can only hope. I'll remain optimistic. How about you?
*The headlines for The Guardian on February 22, 2023, online at https://www.theguardian.com/world
“Tens of thousands of refugees flee from Somaliland clashes”
“Patients dying as Nigerian cash crisis hits health services before election”
“Mexico’s former drugs tsar Genaro Garcia Luna convicted for aiding El Chapo cartel”
“Peruvian loggers given 28 years in jail for murder of four indigenous leaders”
“Bangladesh shuts down main opposition newspaper”
“Journalist and child killed near scene of fatal Florida shooting earlier that day”
“Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ club shooter posted to neo-Nazi website, police say”
“Southern Baptists expel Saddleback megachurch over female pastor”
“Former attorney general in key state withheld evidence debunking 2020 election fraud”
“Scientist convicted of editing babies’ genes has Hong Kong visa revoked over false statement”
War in Somaliland, the economics of patient care, a runaway drug trade with corrupt officials on the take, destruction of the environment tied to greed and murder, out-of-control killing by youth without compunction, extremists willing to shoot people because of who they are, fundamentalism at work in the Baptist community, the politicization of election processes, and the uncontrolled experimentation on humans—AND I DID NOT LIST ALL THE HEADLINES: Other headlines were very similar.
Ten headlines on a single day’s news! And not one of them bespeaks joy, compassion, understanding, open-mindedness, respect for life, and a respect for law. Yes, as I wrote above, if you are optimistic, you are a remarkable person. Certainly, today’s headlines challenge anyone’s sense of optimism.
Maybe we humans are only potentially good and rarely kinetically good.
But, as “they” say, don’t give up hope. Maybe tomorrow’s headlines will be full of joy and love. Maybe tomorrow will dawn on a peaceful world of cooperating individuals seeing good in one another. One can only hope. I'll remain optimistic. How about you?
*The headlines for The Guardian on February 22, 2023, online at https://www.theguardian.com/world
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