Posted by Gracie2 on January 21, 2002, at 3:45:07
In reply to Rules, posted by Dinah on January 13, 2002, at 13:03:50
As in all things, moderation is the key. A lack of rules results in anarchy. Too many rules result in a military state. I should know, because I was in the military for a long time.
Trouble comes from ignorance and a lack of knowledge for why these rules are applied.
As a small example, when I was a young soldier, I was constantly disciplined and punished for wearing gold or silver barrettes to hold up my long hair, because I thought it was a senseless rule. It wasn't until later when I realized that, in a combat situation, the shiny barrettes in my hair would make an excellent target for a sniper, and my vanity could have gotten my head blown off.Another example was my hardcore resentment against welfare, the money from our taxes that go to pay for Section-8 housing and food stamps.
Admittedly there still needs to be a great deal of reform in this area, as I stand in line at the grocery store with my hamburger and generic macaroni and coupons while the person in front of me buys sirloin steak and lobster with their food stamps, often wearing Tommy Hilfinger jeans and gold jewelry and cellular phones that I can't afford myself.
Still, a welfare state is necessary. I have the odd hobby of collecting books on Jack the Ripper,
who lived in the East End of Victorian London at a
time where there was little socialized welfare to speak of. The lives of these people were so appalling that it defies imagination. It was necessary for many destitute women to prostitute themselves for the price of a night's sleep in a shabby, vermin-infested bed. People died in droves from starvation and exposure, or were beaten senseless from attempting to steal a little bread or piece of soap. Anyone who has read the book or watched the movie "Angela's Ashes" cannot help being moved by the abject poverty and suffering experienced by the poor, especially the children.So, yes, rules are necessary. It's become fashionable in my city -and doubtless others- to sail though stopsigns, and this has made driving a dangerous game of bumper-cars. It's frightening and depressing when people don't follow the rules,
and sometimes you wonder if anyone really does care about anyone else. All you can do is rise above those people and be a better person.Last week, my 20-year-old son was able to take off work early and was happy to be able to meet his friends early. While he was driving home on the highway, he passed a woman on the side of the road with a flat tire. He turned around and pulled up behind her, and she jumped in her car and locked the door. He knocked on the window and asked her if she had a spare tire, but she was frightened and wouldn't talk to him. Then he asked her to pull the hood release, which she did.
He changed her tire while she was still locked in the car, and then he knocked on the window again to tell her that she should be able to make it home, but not to drive too fast on the spare. Then he got back in his own car and was ready to drive away when she jumped out of her own car and ran up to his window with a $20 bill. He wouldn't take it from her.The point of that story was - besides the fact that I have a great kid - is that there are rules and reasons for following them, and this woman did all the right things in protecting herself. On the other hand, you must use your own judgement in order to prevent these rules from forcing you to act inhumane and robotic. If this woman had driven away without so much as a thank-you, after it had become obvious to her that a stranger had rendered a great kindness to her, this would have been a disservice to not only herself and my son, but to many other people that
he might have helped in the future. As it turned out, I know she was greatful and my son felt good
about himself.I told him that if they were keeping points in heaven, he just got a big gold star.
-Meandering Gracie
poster:Gracie2
thread:16709
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020112/msgs/17027.html