"We can tell much by what we have already willingly discarded along the pathway of discipleship. It is the only pathway where littering is permissible, even encouraged. In the early stages, the debris left behind includes the grosser sins of commission. Later debris differs; things begin to be discarded which have caused the misuse or underuse of our time and talent." ~ Neal A. Maxwell ~
In March of 1993, I began my career as a firefighter for a large metropolitan city. As a recruit class, one of our first assignments was to study the large volumes of Manuals of Procedure. As I recall, there were over a dozen three-ring binders stuffed with rules about what to do.....and what not to do.
At some point, after being assigned to a station more than a year later, I finally mustered the nerve to ask an officer why there were so many rules, many of which seemed like common sense. His response was to the point: "For every rule in those books, whether they be about how to act or what to avoid, there has been a person along the line that acted in a way outside the common good of the department. So, we had to make a rule to spell it out for those to come."
And so it began. And as it turns out, there's little need for a rule unless there's a punishment in place to enforce it. Violate it once and you get an oral reprimand. Violate it twice, a written reprimand. A third time, time off or dismissal. And trust me when I tell you, there were those along the way who made the same "mistake" over and over again until they were no longer employed.
As it turns out, apparently humans living in a civilized society can't be trusted to do the "right" thing. The tricky part is determining precisely what exactly it is that's right or wrong. In simple terms, we can define it as those things that promote the common good. Those on the religious right would want you to believe those things are spelled out in the Bible. Ok, so that's not necessarily a bad place to start, but it also isn't the only place you'll find reference to living a life that's "right." Serving the common good needs to serve ALL those among the common, not just those of one belief set or another.
Which brings me to the sign at the top of the page. Why exactly do we need a reminder in the form of a street sign (which is nothing more than a narrowed-down version of a law) to remind people to do the right thing? It's simple......because many won't. Sure, MOST people will do what's best for the common good. But a few won't, and it's for them the rules are written.
Drive down any highway and you're barraged with signage and warnings, Stop. Yield, Speed Limit, Passing Zone, NO Passing Zone, dotted lines, solid lines, white lines, ad infinitum. And why, precisely, are all these signs necessary? They're necessary, because there are those among us who will drive in such a way that serves their own purpose. The data is indisputable, that driving 100 miles per hour, not wearing a seat belt, passing on a hill or curve, or blasting through an intersection are more dangerous than a "reasonable" speed, yielding at an intersection, etc. And most people will do that without being told. But, a few won't, and those few put us all at risk.
I think you get the picture without quoting law after law after rule after guideline. There are entire libraries full of books containing laws that were written because someone did something less than optimum for the common good. And look, I'm right there with you. It's insane that there are so many rules, and obviously they aren't all about what to do or not do.
And that, of course, brings me to the recent hoopla about wearing a mask. By definition, we're in the middle a a global pandemic. We can debate all day long about whether Covid-19 is worse than the flu or whatever (it IS, by the way), but it doesn't change the fact that wearing a mask, social distancing, hand-washing, etc, HELP flatten the curve of a virus that has already killed over 270,000 americans alone. Is it foolproof? Good lord, no. But it helps. And we should all be willing to help.
But, once again, there are those among the population who believe it's a hoax, or it's not that bad, or we should let nature take its course. (To be honest, some days I can completely get behind a Darwinian approach). And since there are some that won't, there are now some "rules" that state we all must. Why? Because an approach that helps the cause is for the common good. It isn't perfect. No law is. How many stories have you heard about someone who survived a car crash because they weren't wearing a seat belt?
The bottom line is this. Each and every one of us should stand prepared to do what is best for the common good. Quarantine and isolation is grossly inconvenient, and only time will tell if it's part of the answer. But it's a part of the answer we know for now, and we need to be willing to do what is best for our neighbor. It's disheartening to me that we need so many laws and so many punishments in an attempt to enforce them. But until we can ALL be trusted to not murder someone, not rob someone, drive while intoxicated, not pass on a curve, not litter, or......wear a mask, then we'll have rules to, hopefully, minimize the infractions. Because that's what's good for us all.
Wear a mask when appropriate, social distance when appropriate, keep your speed down, and for God's sake....
No Littering!
Namaste,
Matt
