What is the Value of Life?

By LeVoyd L. Carter, II
(Originally written July 21, 2006)
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I feel sad today as I read the newspapers and listen to the morning news broadcasts, which is my normal practice. The reports led me to the blithe reality that life as I have known, experience now and observe is filled with so much unnecessary death and destruction, the conscience lack of compassion and the total void of empathy. What happened to the human spirit that was spoken about when I was a little boy? Have people really changed that much or was I blinded by the innocence of youth and inexperience? I wish I could see and experience life through those blinders again.

Today, I observe people suffering and separated by false barriers - skin color, political affiliation, religious belief systems, fraternities, sororities, education, economic status, sexual orientation and the list goes on. I believe if we all were to take a moment and look into the recesses of our minds, those locked boxes of truth and reality representing our suppressed consciousness and our hidden truths, we can all find something that we know we needs to work on today. Scared, afraid of being found out, afraid to be embarrassed, so you would rather lie to yourself. Is a Muslim worse than a Christian or vice versa in most instances? Is a black man any better or worse than a white man or vice versa? Is a rich woman better than a poor woman or a poor heterosexual better than a rich homosexual or transgender? Is a democrat better than a republican, a president better than a janitor? From my perspective, the answer is no. I will leave that for you to come to your own conclusion.

Last night, the sky was dark and quiet. The darkness was like a blanket over the earth keeping her warm and protected from something that lie beyond. Yet a strange thing was introduced to this black velvet sky. Violent white hot flames erupted from the ends of missiles passing in the vast sky intended to cause havoc on Beirut and Israel respectively. Innocent people, men, women and their children who have not been given the opportunity to live have there lives snuffed out as the hot shrapnel pierces their skin, break their bones and destroy their internal organs, as if they meant nothing and are meat for to scavenger. What sense does this make especially when the same is defended as a way to destroy the enemy and ascertain a peaceful and non-combative existence. Are we so ignorant, arrogant, lazy and/or callous that we believe that any life other than our own or those identified as being a part of our self-selected or affiliated by birth cultures and sub-cultures is not worth preserving?

Intelligent men and women who have been elected, appointed or ascended to honored positions of public service representing the interests of their people as they relate to other people through out the world, cannot seem to think long enough to derive meaningful resolution of conflicts without threats of war, embargos (officially sanctioned starving of innocent individuals) or the arbitrary alienation or isolation of an entire country, nation or people. Without respect of person, political party, religious affiliation or anything else, it seems that man with all the technological advancements, education, modes of communications and etc., is more barbaric and primitive than ever before. Instead of using wooden clubs, bows and arrows, machetes and blow guns with hand made arrows as weapons of survival, so called intelligent human beings waste valuable time, monetary resources and intellect creating mechanisms that will result in nothing but the demise and perhaps annihilation of all forms of life as they currently exist. This collective body of leaders over any given time should come together and focus on improving the human condition for all – not just a few who happen to be born in an area or on a body of land defined by false borders and/or man made walls and fences and is “deemed” a place of distinction.

Children [will] sleeping on streets this night homeless; people are dying from diseases because they cannot afford medicine, while bureaucratic non-sense and corporate greed (profit making) is making the same unavailable as it rots in storage warehouses; rival gang members are killing each other because they compensate for the feeling of being disenfranchised and are viewed as something other than a part of the primary social structure and culture; a mentally diseased child molester just stole a child’s innocence because the parents are more focused on earning money and paying for a show piece overly priced car than spending quality time with their children; and the scenarios go on and on and on. The point I am trying to make is that all life is precious. ALL LIFE!! Afghan, American, African, Jewish, Spanish, English, Dutch, Asian, poor, rich, military, civilian, educated, non-educated, parent, non-parent, slim, obese, black, white, yellow, red, old, young, heterosexual, homosexual, and etc., - ALL LIFE is precious and worth fighting for in a morally sound, dignified and intelligent way to preserve.

In this simplistic message that does not take into account the all too numerous to name obstacles and issues that leaders must face and consider in their decision making processes, I am nevertheless calling upon a heightened level of accountability of analysis, thought and application of all of the resources that are at the disposal of the world’s nations and leaders. Tomorrow will be brighter than today if we all do “OUR” part. Peace, Love and Blessings.

Copyright ©2006 by LeVoyd L. Carter
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