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Ruminations On the Execution of Troy Davis Artists of all persuasions have a responsibility to examine human nature, and Nature in general, with an honest eye. In so doing, sometimes they bring to the surface that which may be frightening, distasteful, or even disgusting. And when they are brought into the light these things become the substance of art. Music, comedy, painting, film, and so on. They become beautiful in their own way, and touch a part of the human psyche that is often untouchable any other way. If you don't have the proper tools and experience, what's in those dark caverns can drive you crazy. The deeper you go, the deeper you get. Yet the more likely you are to return to the surface with something of true value. There are those who would have us believe that human nature is in and of itself evil. That it must be conquered and caged, if not totally destroyed. I disagree. Human nature is, as they say, what it is. Nothing more and nothing less. Human nature is an extension of Nature itself. As near as I can tell Nature is the only eternal and all pervasive power that exists. All things are expressions of Nature. We are no exception. So a crime against Nature is a crime against ourselves. Nature is not there to be exploited, any more than, say, your intestinal tract is there to be exploited. While I've found no evidence of a loving God, or a hateful one for that matter, I have found multiple instances of loving people. And in my experience, they far outnumber hateful ones. Matter of fact, the most hateful people I've known were loving on some level. It would seem to be a part of human nature. I see no need to attribute it to an external force. Of course, if it makes you feel better, why not? To quote Peter Green... "when I talk to God I know he understands/He says stick by me and I'll be your guiding hand/But don't ask me what I think of you/I might not give the answer that you want me to." Nature is the ultimate survivor. Even stars have a life span. Yet Nature survives. She reminds us, on a regular basis, where the true power lies. The expression and celebration of Nature, especially in its human aspects, through art in its myriad forms, and the subsequent communal spirit that binds together those who participate in that expression and celebration, is, for lack of a better word, my religion. Church is any place that magic happens... it could be in a dingy bar, or an art gallery, or a street corner, a cathedral or a meadow in the forest. I would never try to convince somebody that my viewpoint is the only one that's valid. Nor would I want anyone to try to convince me that theirs is. That's the beauty of freedom. Freedom is the foundation of America. At least that's what we're taught. But more often than not it's just used as a catchword or campaign slogan by political operatives, or a sales pitch for yet another foreign invasion. It would be great to have an atheist president in America. Just to show we actually believe in this freedom thing. We're not a Christian country, nor a Moslem one. We're not fundamentally Jewish or Catholic or Pagan. WeĠre a wonderful gumbo of believers and non- believers of all textures and flavors. Why would we want it any other way? The recent execution of Troy Davis in Georgia goes against the grain of all that is right about America. Our entire justice system is predicated on the presumption of innocence beyond a reasonable doubt. And yet, the Supreme Court failed to stay the execution of a man who exuded innocence from his very core. It's sad to think that nobody in a position of power had the chutzpah to step in and do something truly just. For the record, I support the death penalty. But only in the most extreme cases, where there is zero chance of rehabilitation and no doubt whatsoever of guilt, and the person in question is an extreme menace to those around him/her. In those rare cases, it's just not practical to keep somebody alive. Troy Davis, however, certainly did not fit those criteria. I have a fear that we are becoming too dumbed down as a society to adequately express ourselves beyond a kind of digital grunting in protest. And that people are more upset about the changes on Facebook than the execution of an apparently innocent man. I hope I'm wrong. If you read letters from, say, the Civil War era, they are filled with the most poignant and eloquently composed thoughts and descriptions. Not by writers, per se, but by regular people. Because regular people were writers. I don't think that's true any more. I fear that the complexities of expression, and along with that the subtleties of conscience and even consciousness are becoming things of the past. And they are being replaced with hash marks, bad grammar and stupid contractions thinly disguising poor syntax. Of course, we can always share the narrative provided for us by the narrative providers... the typical and largely irrelevant left vs. right, liberal vs. conservative, rich vs. poor construct. It seems important that we express ourselves in complex ways. Doing so becomes an almost radical act, because it takes us out of the mainstream narrative of who we are and what we think. We have to define ourselves, each of us. Or we will have our selves defined for us. And then be led like cattle to the slaughterhouse. Excuse my meanderings. Some things, regardless of your political leanings, religious beliefs or lack thereof, are plain wrong. And indefensible. They go against human nature itself. And thus they are crimes against Nature. One of those is the execution of an innocent man by a state executioner. Close Window
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