Month: November 2015

It is disappointing to observe, at times, the conflation of the basic and competing, concepts of the elemental words, “Democracy” and “Liberty”.

History reveals that democracy is not the natural state of societies. Rule by a king or queen, chief and the like, was traditionally the case. The 6th Century Greeks can claim the kudos for the origin of the word “democracy” (government by the people, instead of a Ruler) if not the practice. It seems that the right to participate in Greek democracy (viz.,to vote) was restricted to male landowners as distinguished  from most of that population, slaves, women and “foreigners.”

Today it is an established American truism that majority rule (more than 50%) is the preferred (binary) decision- making formula; after all, rule by a supermajority  only vests decision making  power in a needed  minority. Bentham and Mills’ “greatest good for the greatest number,” affords problems for the lesser numbers.

In a democracy, those who do vote not with the majority are understandably concerned with the limits set on society. The ever- present fear of “the tyranny of the majority” was the concern of our founders who added an addendum to the Constitution, “”The Bill of Rights”, protecting all citizens (including significantly, the minority) in general language as to enumerated rights. Generally speaking, individuals are not accountable to society for acts that affect only the actors but only are accountable for acts which harm others, The legal limit between governmental power, exercised pursuant to the will of the majority, while not arbitrary, all too often  requires scrutiny, and, where needed judicial determination.

I have too often heard a Member of Congress (who should know better), demand certain action simply because a majority of his constituency favor it. They need to be tutored in High School civics before they can do great harm.

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Movies and public media, perhaps for perceived marketing reasons, has been mono-focused on the young, shapely and fashionable people, to the exclusion of our challenged and senior population (except for big pharma).

There seem to be a great many people who ignorantly see “aging”  as a” disease”  These people should be disabused of such an erroneous understanding and perception of reality.

Remember those childlike questions, “Is it soup yet?” After enough years of simmering,   it would appear that the “Third Act” of our lives, assuming reasonable health, is a gift–the long awaited soup!

Situational, for most, earlier stages of life seem to present anxieties, school, apprenticeship performance, sexual angst, finances, doubtful self- image and aspirations.,  It would appear that many, at such stages may seem to define themselves by their perceived weaknesses rather than by their strong points and occasional success …

In the maturing adult, gone are the youthful perceptions and resultant insecurities and fears; their place taken by a more pacific and reasoned image of the self and the world. At times, immediate recall of past events may fade somewhat, but reason and philosophical attributes arrive as a sufficient recompense

An appreciation for living things (as well as history) seems to markedly increase even for people who were always caring of our planet its flora, air and fauna. Grandchildren are a generous recompense for getting older.  Those who enjoy the pleasure of reading great novels, understand and identify even more than before, with the literary depiction of humanity, its flaws and aspirations as portrayed by these geniuses. The experience of living shows us filled in blank spaces of which we may have been unaware.

It may be that the most valuable and useful of gifts, the understanding and practice of the appropriate measure of depth and response and depth to stimuli, good or bad; this is a lesson which takes decades to learn.

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