The Kings and the Jesters

As I had commented previously about the current eruption, and upheaval of the world of which many of us knew, on my previous post We All Need A Hero, I have remained in a sense unbiased in the current conviction of a hero in our town. I could see the logical conclusions that were derived on either side for both seemed to have truthful standing to some degree. Yes the man should have done more, and yes his name is being dragged through the dirt because he is dead, but to what extent of either? I will never know, for I was not their.

Now, the one statue that has stood, something that all of my life I have known to be, something I thought would outlast, is now being removed. The logical reasoning that they stated is a farce, it is a joke. This is no Berlin Wall, where winners and losers are found on both sides. The statement made by the King, our president of the school, says that he is removing it because it is a source of tension. He thinks that we are all fools, and we are if we believe that is the intention he seeks. How is declaring a clear winner, and a clear loser of a situation ever help? It causes a loathing, a disgust.

Time is what solves tensions, had the statue remained then eventually the war between the Judgers and the Loyals would be over. Who is more correct in their logic? I have to right to say. But what I can say is, if they honestly mean to take down the statue to calm the people, to ensure peace, they are looking for peace in the grip of a grizzly bears jaws. In World War I, who was the clear loser, and had their faces essentially rubbed in it? Germany, and you know what happened, they resented everyone for it. They had a total defeat, and many of the people did not want to resign, defeat was shameful. Had they had one ounce of victory, would they have evolved into the Nazi Germany that consumed almost all of Europe? This I do not know, but something would have changed. In the same way, now the King is ordering his Jesters to remove the statue, issuing a total defeat by the Loyals, leading to an internal, and strong resentment. (I am not comparing any group to Nazis, I just used it as an example).

When total defeat is handed to a group one of two things typically happen. The defeated resign their activity, and halt their continuance of open support, for it has become clear that any person who stands for the Loyals will be cast out into a world of disgust and judgement. Or activism rises. This is a more likely scenario. Even the smallest action from this point on will spur on the crowds. Words spoken now carry weight. The average man in our community now holds a power not known to him in average accounts. With very little attempt, the agitation of either group can be made. And this is the healing, the slow revival of our town that they so foolishly call for? The King himself is merely a Jester. He is submitting to the rest of America as it looks in and judges all of us based upon their own twisted, uneducated views. Both of these defeats share a common ground, a resentment, a disgust, is built up between the opposing groups to the point that they will fight with words, or by physical means. This resentment is the most dangerous thing of all.

Do you not see what has happened? The Kings, the ones who are supposed to keep the peace, and protect all have been pressured by a mass of Jesters, the people. The King now submits, resigning his true power and placing it into the hands of the people, out of fear of what might happen. I believe that in history we had seen this (on a much larger scale of course), the French Revolution. The King was still alive but eventually lost all of his power, as he submitted to the mob. In his short-sited mind, he figured he could get out unscathed. Unfortunately, this Kind this man with all the power ended with his head in a basket. And a war of the people commenced.  With the power out of the "Kings" hands we now have people against people, it is not people against an institution, people against an idea. It is now individual vs. individual. That alone should be a cause for concern.

To return to the point that was crafted: The statement that the "King" made about how he is attempting to help the school progress forward by removing the statue, is a statement crafted to fool the people that he looks down upon, from his high horse. Doing such an act will only declare a final winner, and final loser. This will result in the development of resentment, and even violence towards the two groups. They have opened Pandora's box, and what will exit was a monster of their own creating. The man himself did not commit the crime, but did he do enough to be completely removed from everything he has done? I am no judge to say, it is in the peoples hands to decided, and decide they will.

We now have all the power. We can make war with words, and by merely standing for one group on another. The world wants the school to burn, even those that did nothing, but merely wanted a school of high stature in education. The verdict was not enough for the Judgers, they want the blood of the Loyals, as well as the innocent. At what cost are these Judgers willing to go in order to make the Loyals submit to their will? Time will tell, a time that will be full of vengeance.

Police barricade. Pic. courtesy Jeff Preval (WTAJ Distributed)

So again I ask you, at what cost do we seek "Justice" at what cost do we see reconciliation? If you can not have reconciliation with the outside view of justice, then how can one proceed? Was dragging a dead man through the dirt worth the pain, bickering and disgust? Was this justice/condemnation of a man seen as a hero, who committed no crimes worth the schism that has been formed? Whatever the case, we are the ones that must live with it, we are the ones that must carry the resent of the man or the men that controlled this fall. If peace were to be truly found by this action, why were officers lined up in front of the statue? Does that not shout war, an not peace?

The town is now divided, and the division has been set with the removal of the statue. There is no return to the potential peace. The statue represented the one thing that the Loyals still had to hold on to, but with it gone, the most symbolic move yet made by the Judgers, will carry in the hearts of the Loyals. I do not believe that we should be so divided, but we are being lead by those who do not think. Had an adequate reason been present for the removal of the statue, then it would be less infuriating, but the statement given shows that the logic behind it's removal is entirely flawed, you can not create peace by removing a symbol, only war. And you, King, you Mr. President have thrust this upon us with your failed rhetoric. Are you ready for the answer that is at hand? Because as sure as the turning of the worlds, a response, a retaliation is coming.
 
(To note: not by me).