A Consideration For Collateral Damage In Opening Up America

A Consideration For Collateral Damage In Opening Up America

Commentary by TLB Staff Writer: Ken LaRive

So, we are being sold an idea of late, that sometimes death is considered collateral damage. It’s a powerful idea to contemplate in a world of fear and irresponsibility. Mmmm… I was considered collateral damage in Vietnam, and my almost thirty years on oil rigs around the world was dangerous too. We worked, and took it all in stride, but we were expendable. Yes, without a doubt, the corporations that controlled both of those scenarios thought of us all as collateral damage.

Fortunately, I survived the experience, but in retrospect, there are many decisions that power structures have incorporated into our consciousness and culture that accepts a calculated loss of life for the greater good, and the pharmaceutical industry is a prime example. People weigh the chances, to seek a cure, and hope that the long list of adverse effects will not pertain to them. We accept loss on the highway, the preservatives in food, in law enforcement, and thousands more. We chose the greater good, and that goes for liberties too. Our founders told us many times that if we sacrifice liberty for security we lose both.

I have a Libertarian friend who’s wife is very sick, and her doctor told her that she might have to move if the abortion clinic she works for is unfunded. She likes her doctor. He told me that Liberty trumps the death of these children, and they should be considered collateral damage. I got so upset when he told me this I started crying in front of the both of them. It broke my heart to think about it in those terms, completely selfish in nature, without a shred of compassion, empathy or love… It doesn’t matter how long it takes, he said, even if it is years. Even if we go into recession …our safety comes first.

When the virus hit, they were both afraid that they were vulnerable, and proposed that we should shut down the economy to make sure the virus was contained. Again, he called the loss of revenue and businesses failing as collateral damage. Of course, the main portion of their sustenance comes from a government assistance program, so they are unaffected… there was no concern that my business was about to fold, that I would have to go into major debt to survive, and that everything we had worked for, for the last fifty years, was being eaten alive… I was considered collateral damage, and that hit me right between the eyes.

He was shocked when I told him a few days ago that we were going to very soon open up the economy, and he then pushed back hard saying if anyone died it should be on the conscious of those who ignored the dangers of the pandemic. My immediate reaction was hypocrisy, and that it was drawn from a narrow and selfish perspective. Indeed, there is a lot to think about when you find that the shoe is now on your foot. As a Christian I want to do what is morally right, but have also studied the Catholic doctrine called Situational Ethics.

Sometimes it is difficult to make a decision based on good and bad and right and wrong, because what you think might be good in a decision might turn out bad, and though you are trying to make the right decision, being responsible, there are times it didn’t turn out as expected. It’s a complex issue to think about, but an example might be a bike you gave your child for Christmas. If they fall off that bike, is that your fault? I like situational ethics, as it helps us navigate through a complex life… but there are some Christians who say that the rules, the laws of God are strict… but to me, like the commandment not to kill… certainly I have the right to protect myself and family. Yes, it’s complex.

It seemed my friend did not consider his actions for anything or anyone else, only selfish concerns, but he truly loved his wife, and wanted to protect her… I remembered he mentioned Ann Rand, and his Hindi faith in his thought process, and indeed, it is survival of the fittest, the true nature of nature, he proposed… he weighed his options, and saw that he wanted to win. It wasn’t that he actually wanted me to lose, but that he did not want to lose. Thinking of me as collateral damage gave him a justification, and indeed, a form of solace.

I told him thanks, that I had learned a lot from his philosophy of life, and that karma seemed real and viable in a world where anything goes, anything at all, where good and bad and right and wrong have relatively little or no meaning. But karma has reversed the rolls, so it seems, and the process of survival of the fittest is indicating that he is possibly now considered collateral damage, as indeed, I have a right to survive too.

We have to open up the American economy, and protect, as best we can, those who are considered most vulnerable, unlike the abortion issue where 3100 children are cut up and sold for profit, every day, we will try and protect the most vulnerable in this situation. Indeed, that seems the most ethical… but ethics has no part of selfish decisions, only selfless decisions, it seems. And indeed, if my analogy is true, karma can be a bitch. There are, of course, no guarantees, so, to be safe, it might be best for them to stay inside for as long as it takes to find a cure or vaccine, even if it takes years. We just can’t let America die.

He hasn’t spoken to me since, and I find it a loss. I had grown to accept the differences in him, but it seems, just like trying to save a drowning man, in his will to survive, he just might drown you too.

… Collateral Damage

••••

Read more from KEN’S CORNER

••••

From the Author, Ken La Rive – We in the Liberty movement have been fighting to take back this country for less than a decade, peacefully and with the love of God and country in our hearts. Our banner has been trampled on and displaced by a multitude of distractions, further eroding our nation and the cause for Liberty. And so, as we are pulled by forces we cannot fathom, powerful entities with unlimited resources stolen from our future, unaccountable trillions printed out of thin air and put on our backs as debt, we must formulate the most pitiful of all questions any patriot might ask in the final hour: Are we going to fight for our master’s tyranny, or are we going to demand the return of our civil liberties and Constitution? Are we going to choose The Banner of Liberty, or the shackles of voluntary servitude? Will it be a war for corporate profit, or a war to regain our ability to self govern, as the blood and toil of our forefathers presented to us, their children, as a gift? I fear that decision is emanate. I fear that any decision will be a hard one, but my greatest fear of all is that the decision has already been made for us.

••••

••••

••••

The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)

••••

Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.

••••

Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.

••••

Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.