Editorial by Nicholas Pediaditakis, MD, DLFAPA
There was in the near-past a cartoon, sometimes shown before starting the main feature in a movie or on television, whereupon a coyote was forever chasing an animal known as the roadrunner through the Arizona desert.
“Beep beep!” went the roadrunner. “Beep Beep” and the roadrunner was foiling the designs of the enemy forever. On and on and on.
We humans, too, have our own “beep beep” that must be really characterized and sustained by a kind of a” loose screw” embedded in our nature — directly from our evolutional past and now ludicrously obsolete, .
There are thousands of examples throughout human history. For example, for twenty years now, we have been raining thousands of bombs over the heads of people living in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan for no discernible reason except to call them enemies “harming our national interests” without ever the authorities explaining what these national interests are. (In the case of Afghanistan, its mountains were in fact hiding a few hundred fanatics easy to find instead of starting a war with a country where no invader was ever victorious.)
We have killed thousands.and our enemies multiplied, and they themselves developed fanatic fighters calling themselves “martyrs,” while ourselves calling these fighters “cowards” and “terrorists.” They in turn are calling us “Satan,” while we call our fighters “fallen heroes.” While all along, both are the victims of mutual foolishness.
This phenomenon has been ignored, or when confronted by thoughtful fellow citizens, even elicited rancor and resentment. In fact, this writer may be accused of being unpatriotic and being asked as on whose side is he? Well, I cry for the dead children. I am a grandfather. The phenomenon is irrational, lethal to thousands of our fellow humans, whether our own from our side, or theirs remembered as martyrs.
The phenomenon can last for years, or even half a century. “Beep beep,” said the roadrunner. And no remedy in sight.
Oh and I forgot, each side evokes the help of our common single God, whether named for their tribe Allah, or for ours Theos, Yahweh, or God.
In my mischievous moments, born out of despair for this monumental foolishness bringing so much suffering, I have often imagined we should collectively build a world monument whereupon a coyote is forever chasing a roadrunner with the title underneath, “Beep beep! Here they go!” as a stark reminder of our own, collective, human folly.
Copyright © 2017 by Nicholas Pediaditakis, MD
For more information on Dr. Pediaditakis and his Raleigh NC mental health clinic, visit his Facebook page.
Dr. Nicholas’ blog may be read at chroniclersofthesoul.com.
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