On Killing Part II
Virulent, half true, untrue rhetoric is a step towards war, real war, not war as a metaphor.
A thing begins by the language that we absorb and begin to speak. By our manner of speaking one “chooses a lane,” aligns him or herself with a side and thereby voluntarily ceases to think. Consequently one is a foot soldier, a grunt in an army-of-rhetoric under orders from the imperious leader, whomever that happens to be.
Unless something extraordinary and unprecedented occurs to catalyze a change in direction — war comes. The rhetoric takes its course, fulfills itself in a murderous, industrialized frenzy of killing.
Only in speculation can we imagine that the American Civil War could have been avoided. Many attempted to forestall the firing of the guns at Charleston Harbor that reduced Fort Sumpter. They failed. War came.
Could Hitler have been deterred and WWII avoided?
The aforementioned email exchange with a friend reminded me of these apocalyptic words and of this old tune from the 60s.
Revelation 6:2-8
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
