If you could do anything...

If you had the power to change the world and every living thing on it, what would you do?

WOW! Where to start. First step would be to look deeply in to mankind's history and take notes on all the ways we went wrong. Then consider how many of those things would not have happened if we hadn't done the wrong things that led up to them. In other words, a pattern would need to be envisioned. A common factor in all of these wrong doings would need to be found. At what point did we fall from grace? What was it in our history that instilled in man a natural tendency towards ill will? What ingredient of our psyche would need to be removed in order to obtain a Utopia?

Greed would be a prime target. In some quantity or fashion, we all have greed. Some definitely have it worse than others. It's what makes us strive in our work place. It's that element that drives us to improve our education and skills to get better jobs that pay better. It's that part of us that wants what we can't have. In your life today you may be happy with what you have. You may have enough food on your table and enough clothes on your back. But what would happen if society crumbled and you had to rely on your survival instincts to simply exist? Would your greed level increase if you didn't know where your next meal was coming from? Would it increase if you were out in the cold with no shoes or warm clothes? In your life today you probably consider yourself a compassionate, caring, unselfish individual. But I believe deep down inside all of us there lurks a hungry, greedy animal that would do whatever it takes to survive...if the circumstances were bad enough. The question is...where did that instinct come from? Imagine a world where that instinct didn't exist...in any amount whatsoever.

Jealousy. That feeling driven by inadequacies and insecurities. This emotion has definitely been a negative aspect of our existence. It's caused people to steal from their neighbors. It's led countries to go to war over more fertile fields and prosperous trade routes. Jealousy goes hand in hand with greed. Victims of jealousy aren't humble or proud enough to feel that what they have is good enough. They want to be better than the other person and have a nicer car or a prettier wife or a bigger house. And they'll never be completely happy with what they have because they'll always be jealous of the person that has a little more...be it money, love or material things. And this breeds deceitful and dishonest behavior in the pursuit of satiating that insatiable beast that is Jealousy.

Hate. The bastard offspring of intolerance. The very first person that ever experienced hatred would certainly have been quelled by a healthy dose of tolerance. Understanding that the person that just pissed him off may not have done it intentionaly but just because he or she was different. Different views, personalities, desire and such are not grounds for hatred. Embrace diversity and expel the infernal emotion of hate. And if someone is attempting to invoke your hatred through intentional malice ask yourself this. Is it worth the emotional and physical toll on your body? Do you want to entertain this person with your show of negative temperment? Shrug off their incendiaries aiming to boil your blood. Expel them with a cool head and deep breaths.

These are just a few of the negativities that I would destroy. My justice system would be as uncaring towards criminals as they were towards their victims.

The penal system in a Miller Utopia would consist of judges that ruled on a very simple ethos. If you want to be a member of society you must follow the rules of that society and respect the rights of your fellow citizens. If you fail to abide by these rules there would be no variable imprisonment terms. There would be no capital punishment. There would be no probation or parole. You would simply be removed from our society. You would be placed on a large island where you would be unable to inflict harm on anyone other than your fellow convicts. The island would be a minimum of 100 miles from any other body of land. Shark infestation would be promoted by routine air drops of those convicts who may have perished prior to their delivery to the island. In addition, the waters would be monitored by underwater sonar devices and manned submersibles. The island would be entirely self sufficient with no outside assistance of any kind. The convicts would be dropped in to the water from a slow moving boat approximately 10 yards from the shoreline, giving them plenty of opportunity to reach land before being attacked by sharks. Once on the island the convict would be left to his or her own resources. If he's able to find food and water, good for him. If he's able to find shelter, good for him. If he's killed by his fellow convicts and served for lunch, too bad. He shouldn't have violated the rules of a peaceful society. He or she would now be in a society inhabited by their own kind and would therefore be subject to the customs of their new home. Certainly once word of this type of enforcement got around every member of society would take great measures to coexist in a more peaceful and mutually respectful manner. Assuredly there would be instances of false accusation and conviction based on an individuals desire for revenge. This would be a potentially severe downfall to my penal system and would therefore become a very serious crime in itself. This crime may be punishable by public whipping prior to removal to said island. However, it's quite possible that after several generations have lived in a virtually crime free environment notions of this nature may become non-existant.

That's enough for now. It's getting late and I have work to do. More later.

I just don't know anymore

It's a sad world out there. Is it getting worse or has it always been this bad? Is mankind as a race in a downward spiral or have we always been like this? It's possible that we've always been a sorry lot and that it just wasn't known how widespread it was until the advent of modern communications and the Internet.

Why? Why is it that it's a common occurence to hear about a baby being abused to death? Yeah, it's still shocking. Yeah, it's still considered atrocious. But it keeps on happening. Why are drug addicts, psychotics, convicted felons and other low forms of mankind allowed to bring children in to this world? These children might as well be euthanised as soon as they're born because they don't stand a chance if left in the care of these people.

Why is it that the insurgent attacks continued in Iraq even during the mourning and funeral of the Pope? Do these people not realize that the leader of one of the most powerful religious groups on the planet had just passed away and that a period of respect was in order? What are they thinking? If ever there was reason for a cease fire his passing was definitely one.

Why do people constantly criticize President Bush? Do they have an educational background comparable to his? Are they privy to the same information that the President of the United States of America is? They think they can do a better job than him. They think they know what's better for our country. They think he's the devil in disguise and he's caused an enormous loss of life for no good reason. I say give them a day in his shoes and see if they can do a better job. Obviously they couldn't or they'd be President instead of him.

Why is the tiger population in wildlife sanctuaries taking a sharp decline? Poachers no longer fear the government troops that patrol these areas. Is it such a hard concept to grasp that if you eradicate a key predator in an ecosystem, that ecosystem will be harmed irrepairably? They kill tigers for their medicinal qualities. They believe parts of the tiger will make them more virile, strong and fearless. It's so stupid it's sad.

On the other side of the coin, they're culling seals in the frigid northern wastelands. Greenpeace and other environmental activists are protesting. Physical altercations have erupted as a result. These activists...are they scientists? Have they conducted or witnessed the studies that show what will happen if a species population goes unchecked.

No, I doubt they are. They're probably running on emotions alone. If they're going to open their fat yappers and protest something, shouldn't they educate themselves on the topic first and not just go by somebody elses word? Institutions such as Texas A & M offer courses such as animal husbandry and wildlife management. That's the kind of qualifications that professionals have. What do these protestors claim as qualifications?

Our world is a big place and every thing that lives on it has a purpose. Everything plays its own role. Those living things that have the ability to conduct their lives in a responsible, thoughtful, educated and civilized manner should do so. Life on Earth is a privilege and should be handled responsibly. Those that go through life with no thought or consideration for their environment and those they share it with don't deserve to live a peaceful and prosperous existence. Because chances are they're making life hard for someone else. And that ain't right.