Sunday, May 27, 2012

stray dogs and miscreants

I intended to post a commentary on Miami Beach's conversion of itself into a police state for Urban Beach Week, a 'spontaneous' annual gathering of hip-hoppers, real and imagined hedonists, and general gadflies of meism that usually produces one or more bizarre events—last year police fired some 400 rounds into a car and its driver whose sole offense seems to have been driving on a barricaded street.  Police claimed he was firing at them, but it took three days to find a gun.

This year a heavy police presence seems to have calmmed everyone although several days remain.  It is unlikely any event will top the spectacle of one naked biped trying to chew the face off another in broad daylight on the off ramp of the MacArthur Causeway, the main thoroughfare to South Miami Beach, epicenter of the debauch.  Miami police shot and killed the cannibal.  Forget ravening wolves and marauding dogs—it's the people who are truly frightening

******

Fortunately this story out of China of a mountain bike racer and a stray dog who adopted each other and then made a 2000 kilometer ride together in a race through the mountains of western China into Tibet reminds me that the naked biped is capable of more than debauchery and barbarity—not that I have anything against ritual frenzy per se.  I do, however, dislike groupism.

It goes without saying that these extremes of behavior define our species and demonstrate why religion and ethics exist and why we constantly violate them.  We are performing according to our natures.  The world will change when our natures change, and they will be transformed ony through a change in each individual's  consciousness that must come from within, from a confrontation with the worst of us that allows the best of us to ride on.  And it's a damn good thing I'm not a religious man.