I am disturbed by the direction our country has taken during the second-half of the last century to the present. To be frank and honest, it is because of the greater role democracy and openness have contributed to information about ourselves. From an observational viewpoint, progress has many positive aspects yet we continue to become involved in protracted wars that lead to famine, disease, societal devastation and human dislocation/migration. Why? Is it avarice, a need to recreate the world in our own (i.e., Western Civilization) image, or a concern for the well-being of our fellow human beings and the planet we all share?
The American male, for example, has many positive qualities that foreigners are likely to admire. There are those of us who are traditional and conservative believing that the opposite sex can share with him and provide complementary qualities to help him succeed in life. Others, such as myself, have found that a solitary existence provides the time for contemplation, self-indulgence, and freedom to examine life for its richness as well as its depravity without the encumbrances and responsibilities of family life.
No one purports that existence is guaranteed or that it will not have its challenges, however severe or rewarding. All men struggle to create a level of being that is fulfilling for themselves and their legacy. Thus, the paths men take to acquire the objects they need and desire are the principal factors that make the struggle for existence a highly Darwinian (i.e., evolutionary) and competitive undertaking. Be that as it may, the majority will settle for marriage, a family, and a modicum of wealth: a house, a job/career, and a belief in the tranquility retirement brings. Nevertheless, each man will find that he has either taken the proper path or an erroneous one and will likely realize that the price for his decisions will be his reward or earned punishment.
This certainly cannot apply to aberrant individuals such as Stephen Paddock or irrational men of that caliber. He did not meet with the punishment he deserved although his death finalized his predicament leaving us with the question of why he murdered defenseless revelers that night in Las Vegas. But what of the actions alleged against Harvey Weinstein a wealthy and powerful film producing executive whose sex-drive is disconcerting to women who have accused him of rape and coercion to sex against their will. In Mr. Weinstein’s case, as with other men obsessed by sex, he must deal with the consequences of his compulsion. They lead to the harm his victims’ experience to their mental and physical health as well as the possibility they may become pregnant. As aspiring film stars, those women also risk advancing their careers in the industry or not.
These are only two aspects of our male nature and making sense of the male sex, obviously, takes a lifetime of committed intellectual resources. We men are numerous and each of us is a unique individual. We can, we will, and we must overcome our deficits and create a still brighter future for ourselves and posterity.
Bill's Planet 