June 25, 2002
TELL IT RIGHT
When we allow Truth to become trite there’s trouble.
You see it often in the home, in business and in so many facets of human
communication.
You have, no doubt, heard the Oriental admonition to those who seek to create
interesting flower arrangements. The rule suggested is: “Less Is More”.” That’s true in much
of what we do, as well.
It is difficult to know when to stop.
When we realize a certain fact to be true and accurate, we ,so often, think we
must tell others. Fine. It is good to pass along knowledge, but to repeat that bit of
information until it become tiresome to the other person is wrong. To force them to do so
is even worse. We have seen good laws come into being only to go wrong when the
populace was required to follow that path; forced to abide by the new rulings. Rebellion
can be expected at such times.
History shows that it may be a slow process, but there are indications that it, almost
always, works that way. Excessive demands invite opposition.
Witness the career of Oliver Cromwell and his type who impose religious “truths” on
civic governments. It results, in time, in a restoration of the previous a pattern of living.
The so-called “Victorian Era” was typified by people who were pretending they
were what they were not. Social rules were set and reset only to be abused and
demonized at regular intervals resulting in a gradual decline of even the most
commendable concepts.
Our own debacle with the Volstead Act should be proof enough that such
situations do come about. Our Tax Code needs revision, too. It has grown so large as to
be grossly non-understandable. It is good thing for a nation to collect reasonable
amounts of tax from its citizens to provide for their needs, but it can be overdone in many
ways, too. The truth of its goodness is warped by excessive tangents and vague
variables.
We need to take a careful look from time to time at our “Truths” - those basics
whereby we live, to make sure we have not abused them in any way or pushed them to
far, too soon - upon others, in particular. Our form of Democracy might be right for us
but to impose it arbitrarily on others may sew the seeds of havoc for all concerned. To set
up a government on the same terms for others will not always work as planned. far better
to seek out the Truths those people hold dear and build on such values as a solid
foundation for lasting government which they can call their own.
A.L.M. June 25, 2002 [c454wds]
