Moral Imperative

Week ending 2/15/08:

Rude behavior has become a part of daily commuting. At some point in the week, one is sure to encounter a level of trespass that can range from minor annoyance to confrontation that can escalate to assault. When is it right to step in, to intervene at the potential cost of a more serious loss? Is it worth losing your life to say "you can't do that?" The answer lies within one's heart, within one's soul. Most action is an instinctive reaction to the stimuli of our environment and our sense of right and wrong. Throw in the "character" thing and some compound of DNA that cries out for justice and you have the imperfect recipe that can make a hero. Hopefully, there is some balanced measure that adjusts and moderates our call to duty. For example, an obnoxious and inconsiderate rider who decides to play their funky music should receive a different response than the menace who threatens someone else's safety. In your attempt to stop a fiend, he pulls a pistol and shoots you through the heart. Would your spouse say that it was worth the sacrifice? None the less, our moral indignation demands that we come to the defense of the defenseless.

We have countless examples of self-sacrifice, including the fictional Aslan of Narnia, Star Wars and Harry Potter, all of whom thinly-veil the Christ-model of giving of yourself so others may live. Chances are that not every intervention requires mortal consequence. As a society, I believe we are all called to a higher good. As French writer Alexis de Tocqueville obseved, "America is great, because America is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." In my view, our citizenry is America. This week's tragic shooting at Northern Illinois University rekindled my memory of other senseless encounters where a crazed or delusional lunatic rained death and destruction on the innocent. It was in 1993 that Colin Ferguson casually strolled the aisle of a Long Island Railroad car, opening fire on evening commuters. He killed 6 and wounded 19 before being overpowered by three heroic railers. This incident is only one example where an armed civil patrol could have minimized the loss of life, but that issue shall be reserved for a future missive.