IN THE BLOOD

"Those who want to live, let them fight; and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live."--Adolf Hitler

Not that I'd want him organizing my 401K or anything, but I believe Der Fuhrer was onto something there. Struggle, war, trials, tribulations; all lie at the heart of just about any significant progress made by our species. Yet we are taught to distrust our aggressive instincts almost constantly, at least in America. Never mind that anger and hatred have probably built more civilizations than love and acceptance ever dreamed of; never mind that without conflict we would be pretty much bereft of any great literature; in fact, the "darker" emotions are typically at the heart of all great works of art.

Do you ever suspect that our feminized and therapeutic culture's constant yammering about anger management and keeping our more violent emotions "under control" is simply a ploy by those in power to keep the male population safely emasculated and thus eliminate any potential threat to said power structure? I certainly do. The level of testosterone-fueled rage that lies just barely under the surface of the "average male" is something I believe keeps the female power structure tossing and turning at night. Not sure, why, though, as there are no signs of any real threat to this hierarchy on the horizon.

I am not saying this tongue-in-cheek: I honestly believe we have lost something as a society by teaching kids that hatred and anger are emotions that should NEVER be cultivated and always distrusted. Sorry, but anger and hatred are at least part of the reason America was founded, and I don't mean the type of oh-dear hatred much maligned by the academy and the media. I am talking about the righteous indignation felt by any member of a culture or society that believes its "people" are on the receiving end of the proverbial shaft.

On May 19 and May 20 of 1856, Senator Charles Sumner (R. Massachusetts, and a well-known abolitionist) gave a speech on the senate floor attacking both the Kansas-Nebraska Act and its authors, Stephen Douglas of Illinois and Andrew Butler of South Carolina. In his verbal assault on Butler, Sumner repeatedly mocked both the speech and mannerisms of the 59 year old senator. See, Andrew Butler had suffered a stroke in the past that had affected his nervous system, as strokes often do. Apparently, Sumner saw this unfortunate turn of events as fair game for a public speech. Sadly for Senator Sumner, not everyone agreed with his assessment. On May 22, two days after his speech, Congressman Preston Brooks (D. South Carolina), a nephew of Butler's who had been, quite understandably, somewhat offended by the senator's oration, approached Sumner in the senate chamber, made a few perfunctory statements, and proceeded to beat him severely with a thick cane over the head. The beating was so severe that Sumner was blinded by his own blood, and rendered unconscious. Brooks continued the beating until his cane broke. Sumner spent the next three years recovering from the attack, suffering from chronic headaches and a healthy dose of shell-shock.

Brooks's actions are lost on us, of course, as a society almost completely devoid of the concept of personal honor, outside of gang warfare. Today, we would only ask if Sumner had the "right" to say what he said, and if the answer was "yes," the debate would probably end. I have to frankly admit that I admire Preston Brooks and the actions he took that day. I'd like to think I would have the balls to do the same thing if someone publicly mocked a relative of mine who had suffered a stroke but, of course, as I am a product of our age, that is seriously in question. Most likely I would simply make fun of someone who did something like that as a product of a by-gone and best-forgotten era, while simultaneously dying a little inside.

This is a subject that probably deserves greater attention than what I have given it here, as I believe it is about our essence as human beings, and the ideas and actions necessary for us to constantly strive and to maintain something resembling integrity and courage in a culture that values neither. I'm sure there are authors who have addressed these concepts, but they've escaped my notice so far. I'd love to hear suggested reading material on the topic.