Justice Considered Once More

A blogger friend, Unitary Moonbat, posted a story about Kenya including the following African proverb.

Just because he harmed your goat, do not go out and kill his bull.

Folk wisdom is a natural part of my childhood as my family lived in rural Kentucky, hunted with locals who were many times very poor, and worked on local farms in the summer. In so many instances folk wisdom holds kernels of truth we may miss in our modern society and the ongoing rush to something bigger, better, and newer.

This particular proverb reminds me once again of the meaning of true justice. There is not one iota of just action in the continued air attacks by American military forces against villages in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Iraq. One sniper firing on American forces may be the reason to call in an air strike. Then who suffers? In many instances the civilians nearby, men, women, and children, are the ones who are wounded or killed. We have killed the bull in response to the killing of our goat.

We need a new way in the world today. We as a nation and as a worldwide society cannot continue our militaristic ways if we are to survive. Several nations today own enough armament to destroy the entire globe. How are we to avoid the use of those weapons if we fail to find a way to bring justice to our entire world?

The future is not in our view yet. There is so much work to be done, but if we all continue one day at a time to do the best we are able to change the bits of the world that touch us we may in the end find a better world. It is only when we fail to take action that we insure our future will not be the one of which we dream.

Peace.