barb@oliven.UUCP (Barbara Jernigan) (08/28/85)
With regards to Richard Bach, and your permission, I'd like to
throw an aside into this discussion. I keep hearing the credo --
LIVE AS YOU LIKE, SO LONG AS IT DOESN'T HURT OTHER PEOPLE. I
submit the following, NOT to make a judgement, but in an attempt
to jog some thought processes -- as it did mine. So often we
take a stance, build it in cement and plant our feet in it. I
do not think that God (if you believe in same) or Mysterious Biology
intended Life to be this way (stasis is equatable to Death, even in
thought). Like Jacob in the Old Testament, I find it good exercise to
wrestle with angels -- my philosophical beliefs. They may not change
for the endeavor, but I do come out knowing that I indeed Believe something
-- and a bit of Why I Believe -- rather than satisfying myself with
simply saying it over and over.
The following may flame some people -- this is not my intent. I
say again, I do not judge nor hope to persuade, I simply present, in the
spirit of encouraging thoughts on the matter (not even POSTABLE thoughts).
Read with an open mind -- and reach YOUR OWN conclusions. My only wish
is that you do think about the ideas presented -- in the privacy of your
own mind.
Also if you read any farther, READ THIS CAREFULLY FIRST! I am NOT
saying baby fetuses are vampires, and that they have choice of whether or
not to be aborted (Shimoda's final point strays from the aspect
I want to address), so don't flame on about it, PLEASE. The ONLY issue I
*intend* the quote to address is:
WHEN WE SAY, "I LIVE AS I LIKE, SO LONG AS I DON'T HARM OTHER PEOPLE,"
DO WE *REALLY* MEAN IT?
A final disclaimer -- do not assume that I am presenting my own
credo. I do not agree with much of Richard Bach's philosophy -- but that
does not mean there is no Truth for me in it. I take what I find valuable,
mull over the rest, and reach MY OWN conclusions. That is the gift of being
a thinking human being. If you are interested in my own conclusions, reply
by *MAIL*.
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From Richard Bach's ILLUSIONS (chapter 13):
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--- * ---
Your
conscience is
the measure of the
honesty of your selfishness.
Listen to it
carefully.
--- * ---
"We are all free to do whatever we want to do," he said that night.
"Isn't that simple and clean and and clear? Isn't that a great way to run
a universe?"
"Almost. You forgot a pretty important part," I said.
"Oh?"
"We are all free to do what we want to do, as long as we don't
hurt somebody else," I chided. "I know you meant that, but you ought to
say what you mean."
There was a sudden shambling sound in the dark, and I looked at him
quickly. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah. Sounds like there's somebody..." He got up, walked into the
dark. He laughed suddenly, said a name I couldn't catch. "It's OK," I heard
him say. "No, we'd be glad to have you...no need you standing around...come
on, you're welcome, really..."
The voice was heavily accented, not quite Russian, nor Czech, more
Transylvanian. "Thank you. I do not wish to impose myself upon your
evening..."
The man he brought with him to the firelight was, well, he was unusual
to find in a midwest night. A small lean wolflike fellow, frightening to the
eye, dressed in evening clothes, a black cape lined in red satin, he was
uncomfortable in the light.
"I was passing by," he said. "The field is a shortcut to my house..."
"Is it?" Shimoda did not believe the man, knew he was lying, and at
the same time did all he could to keep from laughing out loud. I hoped to
understand before long.
"Make yourself comfortable," I said. "Can we help you at all?" I
really didn't feel that helpful, but he was so shrinking, I did want him to
be at ease, if he could.
He looked on my with a desperate smile that turned me to ice. "Yes,
you can help me. I need this very much or I would not ask. May I drink your
blood? Just some? It is my food, I need human blood..."
Maybe it was the accent, he didn't know English that well or I didn't
understand his words, but I was on my feet quicker than I had been in many a
month, hay flying into the fire from my quickness.
The man stepped back. I am generally harmless, but I am not a small
person and I could have looked threatening. He turned his head away. "Sir, I
am sorry! I am sorry! Please forget that I said anything about blood! But
you see..."
"What are you saying?" I was the more fierce because I was scared.
"What in the *hell* are you saying, mister? I don't know what you are, are
you some kind of VAM-?"
Shimoda cut me off before I could say the word. "Richard, our guest
was talking, and you interrupted. Please go ahead, sir; my friend is a little
hasty."
"Donald," I said, "this guy..."
"Be quiet!"
That surprised me so much that I was quiet, and looked a sort of
terrified question at the man, caught from his native darkness into our fire-
light.
"Please to understand. I did not choose to be born vampire. Is
unfortunate. I do not have many friends. But I must have a certain small
amount of fresh blood every night or I writhe in terrible pain, longer than
that without it and I cannot live! Please, I will be deeply hurt -- I will
die -- if you do not allow me to suck your blood...just a small amount, more
than a pint I do not need." He advanced a step toward me, licking his lips,
thinking than Shimoda somehow controlled me and would make me submit.
"One more step and there will be blood, all right. Mister, you
touch me and you die..." I wouldn't have killed him, but I did want to tie
him up, at least, before we talked much more.
He must have believed me, for he stopped and sighed. He turned to
Shimoda. "You have made your point?"
"I think so. Thank you."
The vampire looked up at me and smiled, completely at ease, enjoying
himself hugely, an actor on stage when the show is over. "I won't drink your
blood, Richard," he said in perfect friendly English, no accent at all. As I
watched he faded as though he was turning out his own light...in five seconds
he had disappeared.
Shimoda sat down again by the fire. "Am I ever glad you don't mean
what you say!"
I was still trembling with adrenalin, ready for my fight with a
monster. "Don, I'm not sure I'm built for this. Maybe you'd better tell me
what's going on. Like, for instance, what...was that?"
"Dot was a wompire from Tronsylwania," he said in words thicker
that the creature's own. "Or to be more precise, dot was a *thought-form* of
a wompire from Tronsylwania. If you ever want to make a point, you think
somebody isn't listening, whip 'em up a little thought-form to demonstrate what
you mean. Do you think I overdid him, with the cape and the fangs and the
accent like that? Was he too scary for you?"
"The cape was first class, Don. But that was the most stereotyped,
outlandish...I wasn't scared at all."
He sighed. "Oh well. But you got the point, at least, and that's
what matters."
"What point?"
"Richard, in being so fierce toward my vampire, you were doing what
you wanted to do, even though you thought it was going to hurt somebody else.
He even *told* you he'd be hurt if..."
"He was going to suck my blood!"
"Which is what we do to anyone when we say we'll be hurt if they don't
live our way."
I was quiet for a long time, thinking about that. I had always believed
that we are free to do as we please only if we don't hurt another, and this
didn't fit. There was something missing.
"The thing that puzzles you," he said, "is an accepted saying that
happens to be impossible. The phrase is *hurt somebody else*. We choose,
ourselves, to be hurt or not to be hurt, not matter what. Us who decides.
Nobody else. My vampire told you he'd be hurt if you didn't let him? That's
his decision to be hurt, that's his choice. What you do about it is your
decision, your choice: give him blood; ignore him; tie him up; drive a stake
of holly through his heart. If he doesn't want the holly stake, he's free to
resist, in whatever way he wants. It goes on and on, choices, choices."
"When you look at it that way..."
"Listen," he said, "it's important. WE ARE ALL. FREE. TO DO.
WHATEVER. WE WANT. TO DO."
--- * ---
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___________________
______________\ Best regards,
___________ |
______ / Barb Jernigan
. / / o
.ooo. ./ /. . o@ooo0 (sometimes known as PANDORA)
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