CompuServe Messages

Bang Bang

    04-Oct-94 18:52:09
Sb: #166245-Bang Bang
Fm: John Toebes/SYSOP 70007,3467
To: Supra Corp 76004,565
That's great; I agree with everything you say. Half of my b*ing about this stuff is letting off steam so I can concentrate on living. And, you're right. A guy I work with takes a great interest and involvement with the raising of his kids, and I encourage him as much as I can because I know how important it is. And you hit the nail on the head when you say there's too much shuffling of blame in this country anymore. The word "honor" is either almost forgotten in this society, or been distorted into a meaningless joke. Yet men risked their lives and did what couldn't have been possible for the sake of honour. In a little valley in Greece, there's a plaque I wish to see someday. On it is engraved, in Greek (I assume), "Go tell the Spartans, passerby, that here, obedient to their law, we lie". 300 men held off 10,000 in that little valley of Thermopylae, and died rather than abandon the body of their king, whom they were sworn ("honor") to protect. This isn't a fairy story; that noble point of view was once *everyday* common sense. Sometimes it was called "manhood" (before that fell into disrepute); a man doesn't run, doesn't lie, doesn't back out when he's given his word, and takes care of himself and his own or he's not a man but some crawling creature in mannish form. The Romans of the Republic had a word for it; veritas (virtue). It is not easy or fun, or even very rewarding. Simply necessary for a society to thrive. Get AutoPilot, or get lost! Eet