L’attentato
di Boston offre l’occasione a un’Americana a Venezia per una riflessione sul
male. Gli eventi, come quello di Boston, confondono, ci danno la percezione
della nostra vulnerabilità. Zygmunt Bauman, un filosofo polacco di
origine ebraica, così precisa: ‘…la fiducia si trova in difficoltà nel momento
in cui ci rendiamo conto che il male si può nascondere ovunque; che esso non è
distinguibile in mezzo alla folla, non ha segni particolari né usa carta
d'identità; e che chiunque potrebbe trovarsi a essere reclutato per la sua
causa, in servizio effettivo, in congedo temporaneo o potenzialmente
arruolabile…’ RR
Have you ever noticed how easily just a few
drops of milk can change the complexion of black tea or coffee? Or how a brief dash of brown concentrate turns
an entire can of white paint into beige?
By the same token, it takes very small amounts of certain toxins to poison
water and soil. This last, I think, is
an apt metaphor for what deviant minds managed to do near the finish line of
the 2013 Boston Marathon. They ruined and
poisoned countless lives. Immediately
after the physical damage was done, the question "Why?" came to
fore. Is there ever an answer when it
comes to evil? Is there anything not
evil about detonating a couple of bombs where unsuspecting bystanders are
waiting and cheering? What did the
victims of those bombs have to do with the perpetrator(s) in the first
place? Nothing. The killed and injured were faceless victims
that the unknown element meant to hurt.
Why then and there? What good
will ever come of killing innocent people at random, which seems to be the only
point of such an attack? What is
produced in the end? Terror? Yes, for a while. But in the long run, attacks against
unwitting people in crowds only produce ill ease, trauma, mistrust, and blind
hostility. What do terrorists accomplish
then? Nothing, if not to spoil the
social climate, and create the circumstances whereby innocent people must be
treated as suspects, and have their personal liberties taken away in the name
of public security. Terrorism breeds the
opposite of freedom. There are places in
the world which have been dealing with this for years--in their businesses, in
their marketplaces, on their means of public transport. News stories from these places are reported
regularly, but many of us cannot relate, except superficially, because we've had
little experience of that sort of mindless evil. If it's not one organization claiming
responsibility, it's another. Sometimes attacks
are anonymous. In Boston, the absurdity of
the attack and the malice behind it were crystal clear. No amount of political prattle or vitriol
will ever justify hurting innocent people enjoying a marathon. Even if the perpetrator is found, the damage
has already been done. Murder is murder
on any scale. Speaking of which, is the
dropping of bombs from aircraft evil? Despite
what it says in the Old Testament, "A 
time for war, and a time for peace,"
I think that Jesus and the Buddha would say enough already! The time for peace is now! Peace and survival may soon be synonymous. I clearly remember Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, now
deceased, saying on his analog satellite TV channel before the "war"
in Iraq began, "Prevent war before it happens." He made it sound so cut and dried. I think he'd say the same thing about exploding
pressure cookers in the streets of Boston.
But how do we start preventing such atrocities? Backpack and body searches on every corner? No, the solution is even more demanding. The alternative entails a revamping of our
value system towards an instinctive rejection of combat in favor of peaceful
solutions. Above all, we must not lose
contact with our hearts and souls, even following a terrific event as in Boston. We must start noting cause and effect in our
lives. We must stop feeding children a
game-and-entertainment diet of blood, smoke and guns, and a mental regime of
war, fear, and lots of advertising. Have
some of our species gone mad? It would
seem so, whatwith people killing and maiming strangers on the streets by means
of exploding pressure cookers, with or without the expectation of provoking some
sort of change. Of course, madness is
too easy an excuse for this sort of violence.
I'd rather call terrorism "concentrated evil." All that is needed is a few drops of it, and
many innocent people risk being tainted forever. But let us remember, as Jesus said, "Do
not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy
both soul and body in hell." UN’AMERICANA
A VENEZIA
place? Nothing. The killed and injured were faceless victims
that the unknown element meant to hurt.
Why then and there? What good
will ever come of killing innocent people at random, which seems to be the only
point of such an attack? What is
produced in the end? Terror? Yes, for a while. But in the long run, attacks against
unwitting people in crowds only produce ill ease, trauma, mistrust, and blind
hostility. What do terrorists accomplish
then? Nothing, if not to spoil the
social climate, and create the circumstances whereby innocent people must be
treated as suspects, and have their personal liberties taken away in the name
of public security. Terrorism breeds the
opposite of freedom. There are places in
the world which have been dealing with this for years--in their businesses, in
their marketplaces, on their means of public transport. News stories from these places are reported
regularly, but many of us cannot relate, except superficially, because we've had
little experience of that sort of mindless evil. If it's not one organization claiming
responsibility, it's another. Sometimes attacks
are anonymous. In Boston, the absurdity of
the attack and the malice behind it were crystal clear. No amount of political prattle or vitriol
will ever justify hurting innocent people enjoying a marathon. Even if the perpetrator is found, the damage
has already been done. Murder is murder
on any scale. Speaking of which, is the
dropping of bombs from aircraft evil? Despite
what it says in the Old Testament, "A time for war, and a time for peace,"
I think that Jesus and the Buddha would say enough already! The time for peace is now! Peace and survival may soon be synonymous. I clearly remember Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, now
deceased, saying on his analog satellite TV channel before the "war"
in Iraq began, "Prevent war before it happens." He made it sound so cut and dried. I think he'd say the same thing about exploding
pressure cookers in the streets of Boston.
But how do we start preventing such atrocities? Backpack and body searches on every corner? No, the solution is even more demanding. The alternative entails a revamping of our
value system towards an instinctive rejection of combat in favor of peaceful
solutions. Above all, we must not lose
contact with our hearts and souls, even following a terrific event as in Boston. We must start noting cause and effect in our
lives. We must stop feeding children a
game-and-entertainment diet of blood, smoke and guns, and a mental regime of
war, fear, and lots of advertising. Have
some of our species gone mad? It would
seem so, whatwith people killing and maiming strangers on the streets by means
of exploding pressure cookers, with or without the expectation of provoking some
sort of change. Of course, madness is
too easy an excuse for this sort of violence.
I'd rather call terrorism "concentrated evil." All that is needed is a few drops of it, and
many innocent people risk being tainted forever. But let us remember, as Jesus said, "Do
not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy
both soul and body in hell." UN’AMERICANA
A VENEZIA
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