Evil Remains Resident to Us All

In the modern world we often find ourselves caught up in what we consider to be the latest news. We also have quick access to the news that occurs all around the world almost as quickly as events transpire. We comfort ourselves in believing that the evil so evident and the tragedies it fuels are disparate from the lives we lead.

However, history teaches us that evil has been present since the dawn of human civilization. The evil that history clearly and categorically demonstrates through actual data and real evidence remains present to this day. It is convenient and somehow gratifying in choosing to believe that evil is perpetrated elsewhere and does not really impact us in any substantial way. Reality, which reflects the true nature of things, tells an entirely different story. Most nation states and sovereignties were founded and were sustained using violent means with the inevitable consequence of many lives lost, much blood spilled, and much grief endured - enfolded by actions and events shaped by evil intent. Here, I define evil as strategies envisioned and precipitous actions taken without concern for the usually disastrous consequences of these actions on the real lives of human beings. These actions are usually inspired by an insatiable quest for power and dominance with the real cost being ultimately born by the powerless.

A relatively unsophisticated search of the brief history of the United States readily demonstrates the evil that was perpetrated as an integral part of the development of the burgeoning nation – this of course includes the near genocide of the native populations, the enslavement of a people captured in Africa, compelled against their will and forcefully taken to America, the horrific wars against defenseless peoples around the world (Central America, Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea, Iraq, etc.) leaving millions of deaths and shattered lives in the nation’s quest for economic and political hegemony.

As a people, we cannot escape this history, but we are completely capable of recognizing our collective failings and purposefully fashioning a better world for not only ourselves but for future generations to come. We can do this by speaking out against evil and working towards a more equitable environment for all of us.