Blaming games

Herb Morrison

- January 15, 2013 at 10:20:48

Winston. Your point about there reason is well taken. Along with our ability to reason we humans have a responsibility to use our ability to reason in an appropriate manner. It would seem to me that too often in our world of today there is an increase in the numbers of humans, like Fr. Hickey, who use their ability to reason as a means to exploit others, in order to achieve their own self-gratifying end. Speaking as a lover of animals, I agree with your point that animals can be conditioned to be sociable if not loveable. Furthermore, unlike humans who are capable of reasoning, lower animals with whom I have been associated will only resort to violent behaviour if either they instinctively feel threatened feel threatened, or, if another animal who they care about is being threatened. The fact that animals who lack the ability to reason are capable of caring about both other lower animals and humans as well, makes the exploitive, vindictive, violent behaviour desplayed by humans who are capable of reason, all the more senseless and unacceptable.

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Winston Adams

- January 14, 2013 at 17:25:41

Herb, you say what separates us from lower animals is the ability to reason. Most lower animals are very affectionate to ward their young, and many that are pets are kind to their masters. A wild animal can, with care, be conditioned to be non violent. They, especially dogs, learn that they should not bite the hand that feeds them. Is this not 'reasoned' by the dogs? Is it our pride to suggest that animals cannot reason? And how valid is some human reasoning? I remember father Hickey being quoted as being shocked to see himself at fault for wanting sex with boys. It seemed a logicaland proper thing to him. I recall something to the effect Hickey saying that 'Aristotle' would have supported his view-- Aristotle being a great philospher from Greece 2000 years ago, well versed in reasoning and logic. So much for reasoning as a great trait available to humans only. Is it possible many animals, in some respects, reason better than humans? There was a recent story in the National Post on the Idle No more Movement. The police ignored a court injunction , as they could in fact do, and one policement actually danced with the Indians. The issue was resolved without violence. I thought that was great. But the online comments were 95 percent against what the police did. Some commented that the army should be called in to wipe out the Indians.Seems we, as a society has changed little in the past 100 years. Seems there is reasoning, then there is reasoning, and also a condition , particular to humans were reasoning breaks down. Discognitive or some such word . Not uncommon , apparently. Not sure if lower animals suffer from this, or just lowe humans.

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Herb Morrison

- January 14, 2013 at 14:44:52

Human Beings And Animals Despite the fact that we humans are a higher form of animal, we are essentially, animals. Consequently, we, not unlike so-called lower animal, have an inborn capacity to behave violently. Whether the violent behaviour exhibited by humans takes the form of a cruel or unjustified verbal assault on another person or a gunshot to the head of that same person, human beings are capable of violent behaviour. It is our ability to reason, which separates us from lower animals. When our ability to reason is impaired, even momentarily, to the point where we feel threatened by persons around us, we are capable of exhibiting some form of violent behaviour toward others. While I realize that such a portrayal of human nature might be unflattering, it is none the less a truthful portrayal of human nature. My point is that the fact that I enjoy playing violent video games and watching so-called action movies, which I do, will not, in itself, motivate me to behave violently. Attempts to externalize the cause of violent human behaviour in any form constitute and attempt by we humans to deny the fact that we humans are flawed. Truth is, given the appropriate set of mitigating circumstances humans have been displaying violent behaviour since humans were created. Cain did not kill his brother Abel, as recorded in Biblical history, because Cain played too many video games or watched too many movies, which depicted violent acts. Cain slew Abel because his greed overrode his ability to reason in a morally appropriate manner. Similarly, in our contemporary world, when human weakness in the form of mental illness, anger, greed, despair, or hatred motivates a person or persons to behave violently, the motivation for such behaviour comes from within the person involved. Small wonder than, that when a horrific act of violence occurs in our society we choose to place the source of such behaviour as far outside ourselves as it is possible. As long as we humans are flawed by nature, violence will remain a part of our existence.

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Anon

- January 14, 2013 at 09:52:32

Herpity Derp. Violent Video games make people violent, not the violent news that glorifies monsters. Herp Derp.

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