being frank

Who’s in Charge Here?

Being Frank

I’ve been writing lately on a wide variety of subjects to address our responsibilities in supporting and protecting our humanity as we contemplate the mounting dilemmas of the 21st century, already in progress. It’s been a way to help clear the air or just clarify certain aspects of who we are in order to better understand what we’re doing, and why. I saw this effort as a way to expand the borders of our wisdom and understanding. Yet after I wrote my latest article concerning how far we’ve come as a species, I thought it was time to write about something else. I mean, that article was over 6,200 words; what more could be said?

Then I came across a random series of news reports that had me shaking my head once again and asking the question I posed above. So I thought I’d take a moment to shift our attention in the direction of those few essential things we need to focus on.

OK, so who is in charge here? The answer came to me almost immediately:

We are.

 

Pay Attention

Don’t worry; I’m not going to dive into another lengthy tome. And since I can already hear the sound of defensive shields being hoisted to deflect what might already be getting misconstrued as partisan rhetoric, let me ease your concerns. All I’m asking is that you look before you leap; challenge cruelty regardless of where it comes from and form opinions or propose ideas with other people’s welfare in mind and not merely your own. What I’m sharing is based on common sense as understood by the framers of our nation’s legal and moral codes, and sound judgment and perceptiveness on the part of philosophers, educators and spiritual leaders throughout history.

  1. The Foundations of Liberty. These principles were proclaimed two hundred and fifty years ago so the citizens of the United States (aka you) may have the right to effect change when the people placed in positions of power and authority overstep the boundaries of ethical behavior, decency, and their oath to serve and protect the interests and welfare of the population.
  2. Compassion, Humanity and Understanding. These are not characteristics to be overcome, defrauded, minimized, denied or eliminated. These are entitlements, and as such no government, leader, or any majority vote from a party or judicial body bears the authority to deny anyone the right to enjoy these entitlements. These are granted by the simple act of being human regardless of color, creed, gender, nationality, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. If you feel a need to contest the granting of these rights, please confer with the deity of your choice.
  3. Lies. In plain terms, a lie is an assertion or statement that someone knows is false, delivered with the intention to deceive or mislead another person (aka telling an untruth.) In the United States, lies are protected as free speech as part of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Yet certain lies are considered to be illegal when they create a legal liability in situations such as fraud, defamation or perjury such as when a legal oath goes against its covenant. So if you believe that someone has willfully lied to where the rights or safety of others (or yourself) have been compromised, then refer to foundational laws concerning liberty and the rights provided to the people for effecting change.
  4. Responsibility. This is (and I’m going to the Cambridge dictionary for a clear meaning of the term) “something that it is your job or duty to deal with.” It also means “to be in a position of authority over someone and to have a duty to make certain that particular things are done”, or “to have a duty to work for or help someone who is in a position of authority over you.” Being responsible is a learned behavior. You might be assigned responsibility through a delegation of authority, but this doesn’t automatically make you a responsible person. That is achieved through training whether as a child by learning the consequential nature of responsibility, through observation, or through the development of empathy whereby you witness how your actions or a lack thereof may affect the well-being of others. When responsibility is assigned to a child, a teacher, a leader or a public servant, it’s granted to them under an implied understanding (by deed, reputation, knowledge or action) that they’ll be able to fulfill the task, job or duty inherent to that responsibility. So if you believe that someone has been willfully irresponsible to where the rights or safety of others (or yourself) have been compromised, well, you know the drill.
  5. Conditional Knowledge. This is a process that aligns with the notion of metacognition, meaning that you’re aware of what you know and how you’re supposed to use it. It’s the concept of understanding when to use specific cognitive knowledge or behaviors and why. It goes beyond knowing what to do and how. Those latter two options merely indicate what the knowledge or behavior is but don’t necessarily indicate that you understand why it needs to be used. In addressing the capabilities for compassion, humanity, understanding, truth and responsibility, knowing what they are within the framework of human interactions and why they are an important component of our humanity become the cornerstones for a capable, productive and ethical human being. Knowing what these are and how they’re meant to be used without the actions necessary fails to put those values into practice and thus demonstrates an intent that goes contrary to the ways of a civilized and ethical society.

You see, these items are part and parcel of who we are as human beings. Or to keep this issue aligned in terms of today’s reality, they are part and parcel of what we’re supposed to be as a nation. You can only blame human nature so far. We each have been given approximately three pounds’ worth of some of the most fascinating, complex and adaptable brain matter the world has ever known.

Yet, that doesn’t mean that we’re smarter.

 

Final Thoughts

Look, I could write until I’m blue in the face concerning bioengineering, AI, geopolitics, and where our responsibilities lie. What we need to be addressing are the people, places and things that will strengthen, lengthen and brighten our lives versus destroying them. We’re all going to die at some point in time, so why not focus our energies on how we can all enjoy the bounty from the world we live in today? You are stronger than you believe, less fearful than the worries that plague you, and if you have the love of family and friends, then you are far wealthier than some of the richest people on earth. And that’s because a person’s value doesn’t come from what’s in their wallet; it comes from what’s in their heart. It’s fueled by passion and a notion of goodness that lets you go to sleep with a clear conscience and a smile on your face.

In the overall realm of public figures, I’ve felt as if we’ve been flooded by two types of characters right out of mythology: Loki, the person with a thousand faces who relishes dispensing all manner of hatred, clever conspiracies, and malicious lies. And Cassandra, endowed with the gift of objective truth yet cursed never to be believed by anyone. They were designed primarily to be a mirror concerning our human behavior. They guided people into understanding what was acceptable in society and what was strictly forbidden.

In the 21st century, we have muses in the form of influencers, pundits, experts and artificial intelligence. Each weaves a piece of that mosaic of truth that we desperately want to find. Like the Roman goddess Veritas (whose name means truth in Latin), we wish to look into the hand mirror she carried that reflected the objective truth of a person’s soul, moral character, and reality. Natural selection and countless epochs of human evolution gave us that mirror in the form of a conscience. So when you look into the mirror and see something that distresses you, perhaps you may want to consider taking a closer look at your muse of choice.

I’ve written before about Viktor Frankl concerning his studies on the pursuit of purpose. But in the context of this article, I wanted to address his thoughts concerning the power of love. Viktor lost his wife, his parents and his only brother while interned in a concentration camp during World War II. Yet it was in the midst of that nightmare that he encountered his truth. In his book “Man’s Search for Meaning”, he wrote:

“The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way —an honorable way—in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment.”

In his award-winning series, Cosmos, Carl Sagan noted:

“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”

Both he and Viktor Frankl touched upon a very important point that I want you to take to heart. Viktor saw the image he carried within him of his beloved as his way to achieve fulfillment. Sagan saw humanity as the representation of the cosmos; we are made of the very elements of all that exists. The responsibility we owe one another is part of our humanity, and respecting the life we each possess is the greatest part of that burden. It’s the single most valuable asset each of us owns. And it’s inextricably bound to the power of love.

So yes, we are in charge here. We’re responsible for our destiny and the legacy of the only world we’ve ever known. Do your best to give of yourself for the sake of improving the human condition. Remuneration should never be seen solely as an expectation or an obligation; it’s a reimbursement for the effort you made and the faith you inspire. And don’t waste your time on those who aim to diminish this world. Take the responsibility for protecting the consequences of our future by working alongside those willing to invest in it.

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4 responses to “Who’s in Charge Here?”

  1. Maria Avatar
    Maria

    Frank, I appreciate that you ask us to consider our own responsibility for the kind of world we want. It’s fair to expect better from our leaders. We also have to consider what we accept, what we excuse, and how we treat one another.
    Your article speaks to collective responsibility. Our actions affect other people, sometimes in ways we never see. Yet we’re taught so much about independence and personal success, and far less about what our choices mean for someone else. I wish we asked as often, “How does this affect others?” as we ask, “How does this benefit me?”
    Having come from Cuba, I value the freedom to make my own choices. But that freedom also asks something of me: to respect other people’s rights and care about their welfare, even when we disagree.
    That’s why I appreciate your bringing love into this discussion. Caring for my mother and working with children and families taught me that concern means very little unless we’re willing to do something. We won’t always know what to do, and we won’t get everything right. We can still make the effort.
    “We are” is a simple answer with a great deal behind it. Finding meaning in that “we,” and accepting responsibility for people beyond our own immediate lives, may be one of the hardest things you’re asking of us. I’m glad you’re asking, Frank. We need to have this conversation. ??
    Maria

    Reply
    1. Being Frank Avatar
      Being Frank

      Maria, thank you so much for sharing these insights. You bring to the table a unique perspective that many people cannot understand. It’s not because they lack wisdom; it’s because some lack that “first-person” experience that comes from having seen and survived what you did.

      Actions are like stones dropped into a lake. The ripples radiate outward and can reach farther than we can see. The greater the action, the greater the effect they can cause. The question always goes back to the actions taken that determine the positive or negative make-up of those ripples. Some can carry you forward while others will help guide you to a new destination. Then there are those that can cause you to capsize. I wholeheartedly agree that we should spend more time asking what our actions will eventually mean to those around us. Because whether we wish to accept it or not, all of our actions will generate consequences.

      In a previous comment, I wrote about how I spent time learning about other religions while in seminary studying for the Catholic priesthood. In almost every instance, I found a universal belief in the power of love. In the article, I wrote about Viktor Frankl’s thoughts concerning that very power. I was moved by his acknowledgement to finding bliss in “the contemplation of his beloved”, as I know all too well of the power that such a ripple creates in the heart. Love is one of our most cherished emotions, yet it’s the first one that we’ll tend to toss aside and usually for something far less valuable. Yet as you noted, we won’t get everything right. We’re human, and that’s OK. The secret is to hang on to those portals in our heart where love resides. Once it takes hold, it may get ignored, maligned or even cast away. But it will never disappear. That is what gives power to that pronoun; it reminds us that we are part of a collective. And whether we wish to accept it or not, being responsible is what brings us together.

      So perhaps, the idea here should be to treat “we are” as a fill-in-the-blank exercise. If we wish to bring peace and unanimity into our lives and our communities, what are the phrases we need to create? I’ll start us off by sharing this: We are hopeful.

      As ever, thank you so much for taking the time to share your passion and perception!

      Reply
  2. Philip Caterina Avatar
    Philip Caterina

    Hi, Frank!!
    Another great article!
    Besides “the ugly stick”, something hit me this morning. Our (incumbent) senator from Georgia is putting a commercial on almost every YouTube program. He wants to do so many things for the people of my state. He also states that he has done so much for the people of our state. They used to call several people in my profession “BABY KILLERS.” He voted for full-term abortions! I guess we get upset about that subject only when people we don’t like are in office or IN CHARGE. He also is voting for a Socialist agenda……you know, like the former Soviet Union had. How did that turn out in Eastern Europe. When the wall finally came down, I saw thousands of people racing to freedom. I was in West Germany at the time. NOBODY was racing in the other direction….NOBODY!
    I guess that TDS can make you vote for things that will hurt our nation & its people. I spent almost 12 years protecting the western part of Europe from becoming the western part of the Soviet Union. The cry for Socialism today is made by malcontents who never lived a day of it. All of the industry being built in the United States will inevitably reduce the 40 trillion-dollar debt. The “TDS people” vote against almost everything the present people IN CHARGE do. Remember the “Kick Me” signs we used to tape to people’s backs. TDS is making people put those signs on their own backs!
    Lastly, Frank……The reason 25 million people were let in the country was NOT for humanitarian reasons. You & I know that it was to grow 25 million more votes in upcoming elections. Some of the people IN CHARGE are protecting “the worst of the worst” for one reason. You & your readers know that reason. Regardless of party, all candidates firmly stated that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. I guess that it all depends on who is IN CHARGE! All the Americans who were killed by that LARGEST SPONSOR OF TERROR didn’t really matter if you suffer from TDS. Families who lost their loved ones in all those murderous attacks know what has to be done.
    I wish you love & peace as we navigate the upcoming mid-term elections. It does matter WHO’S IN CHARGE!!
    Phil

    Reply
    1. Being Frank Avatar
      Being Frank

      Phil, it’s always good to hear from you, and I greatly appreciate you sharing your insights and experience. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that party politics are just two sides of the same coin. People go out and vote, and the coin gets tossed. And when it lands, one party will be facing toward the sun and the other toward the ground. The hope that remains is that the party in office remembers that it has a responsibility to the people who helped them land in the light. Our responsibility is to ensure that we stay informed, support the party’s efforts, and air our grievances with those who represent us. In turn, the party is responsible for listening to us. Because the administration that was granted their time in office was given that responsibility by the people; that is how we (the American public) are in charge. There is one party that administers the offices and functions of the country, and one people – the American people – who determine whether on not that party stays faithful to the collective voice of the country.

      I tend to avoid politically-motivated acronyms, labels or catch phrases. The vast majority of those bear no weight other than to sow dissent, generate anger, or promote insults that are at best, juvenile or condescending. The biggest problem we’re facing today is the wholesale decimation of the truth. The power of the bully never comes from the strength of their words; it comes from their ability to drag people down to their level. Once that is achieved, the first casualty is the truth, and it causes the greatest damage to all the people regardless of party affiliation, ethnicity, religion or race. You know all too well that once you engage in battle, there is little recourse for peace until the battle ends through the sheer exhaustion of people, power or weaponry. Taking part in politics like a battle places political leadership in charge of the conflict while the people become ideological foot soldiers, each fighting for their side; each doing what must be done to win. And when the truth in their heart dies, democracy is wounded and its chance for survival is imperiled. You can’t squeeze blood out of a stone, and you can’t breathe life into the dead.

      When we were in seminary, I made it a point to go and visit the various churches that were in the area where we went to school. I felt that to be a good Catholic priest, I first had to understand the other faiths. That took me on a years-long journey in life that taught me much about our collective faith in God. And at the foundation of each, there was love – for one another, for family and for faith. Yes, there are varying sects and all manner of factions that exist. That’s because some people interpret the holy word of their scriptures in a way that fits the narrative in their hearts – not the one that resides in the heart of their religion. Most religions have had dark days in their past. But in the vast majority of cases, those times were instigated by humanity. The 21st century is no different. So the more we wage battle, the less we can hear; the less we hear, the less we understand. And the less we understand, the less we’ll be able to see the truth with clarity. The more that people choose to lie and therefore diminish the sanctity of life, the less opportunities we’ll see for a future where love and peace will prevail.

      In the end, my friend, we the people are in charge. So it’s up to us to measure our steps, be critical of all people seeking office, and be mindful that the desire for truth remain in the hearts and minds of those whom we love, cherish and admire.

      As always, thank you so much for taking the time to share your insights and passion!

      Reply

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