The Most Violent Element

"The most violent element is society is ignorance". One more time, "The most violent element in society is ignorance". This is a quote from Emma Goldman (1869 - 1940) in response to an objection about anarchism that stated "anarchism is violent and destructive".

My son had this quote on a bumper sticker on his car. Before the car was traded in, I removed the sticker and put it on my truck. Eventually it faded to nothing so I no longer have it but I have not forgotten.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not an anarchist, an advocate of anarchy, nor do believe that anarchy is a solution for what ails any country. I do believe that the quote above is true however and is relevant in today's world just as it was when she penned the thought in 1910.

Why do I believe this? I believe it because every day television brings vivid images of ignorant people into my home. People that believe in "death panels", people that believe that the correct way to engage in a discussion is to keep the discussion from taking place. There are also those that believe that they will no longer have access to their current private insurance, and that 120 million people will be deprived of health care.

What leads someone that would normally behave in a rational manner, why are all these people so worked up? Some say race is involved, that the realization that this country has elected a black President has hit home. Others believe that the President is leading the country down a path toward total socialism. Why to they believe this?

Because they are ignorant! They do not know the truth, don't want to know the truth and I'm sorry MSNBC no matter what Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow or Keith Olbermann says, they remain ignorant because they aren't watching you.

The fact of the matter is that ignorance causes fear and those listening to the corporations and causes that wish to derail heath care reform have played their cards well. I just wish some good investigative journalism would come out of this. These poor ignorant souls that are on our TV screens every night would make wonderful candidates for an in depth expose. Do they have health care, how much do they pay for it, if they do not want any government sponsored health care plan are those on medicare willing to give that up? They should not be that hard to find, just go to a town hall meeting somewhere, pick them out and when it is over and their emotions have subsided interview them.

In the early 1980's I told a person he was ignorant, he never spoke to me again. You see, he thought I called him stupid even after I explained the difference between the two words. Maybe I was wrong then, perhaps he was stupid and perhaps all of these people aren't ignorant, just stupid but it would be nice to find out.