- “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
(Saying attributed to Edmund Burke (1729-1797))
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When good men do something
CRIME WILL BE BEATEN
in our country!
[This blog is set up initially for my country, South Africa, but the principle applies everywhere in the world. I hope it will be taken up everywhere where good people want good to prevail over evil where they live.]
We are all touched by crime, many directly in their own persons and many more when someone known and dear to them has been violated. We hate it and we feel threatened and insecure. Many of our compatriots have left for safer countries to live in. But South Africa is our home and we love it and have no desire to go anywhere. What we want is an end to CRIME so that we can all enjoy our lives in our beautiful South Africa.
WE CAN DO IT!
We can make CRIME go away.
All it requires is that we act together with a new will.
First, HOW and WHY is there CRIME? We know WHAT it is, but HOW and WHY is it?
Crime is simply Lawlessness, that is a disregard for law and lack of respect for our fellowmen and women. It is performed deliberately with full intention to inflict harm upon its victim. But it is often done in ignorance or with a careless disregard for the life and well-being of another or of all of all others. It does physical, mental, psychological or spiritual damage to others.
Where is CRIME found? It is found in the actions of officials at the highest levels of our society in government, in business, in NGOs, in charities, in organs of religion. It is seen in corruption and extortion, in giving and receiving of bribes, in family violence and abuse, in hijackings and house robberies. Those are the obvious places where it is immediately recognised and detested by all good people.
But it is found also in the very ordinary people like you and me where it is seldom recognised as evil. This is where the cancer starts — in the daily actions of all of us ordinary people — and from there it spreads to infect all of society. Simply stated it is disobedience to laws set by central government, all ordinances set by Provincial Administrations, all bylaws formulated for municipalities and local authorities, for rules governing bodies corporate.
The requirement for simple obedience also applies to all rules set in voluntary clubs, companies, political parties, religious groups, where the simple rule for members is “If you don’t like the rules, and can’t persuade the rest to change them to the way you want them, don’t disobey them — simply take your leave of them and go elsewhere”.
In all these places, it is required of all of us that we avoid breaking the law and abide by the rules. The reason is simple — all laws, ordinances, bylaws, rules, are framed to make our lives together in society pleasant and liveable. They seek to express what is commonly known as “Love your neighbour as yourself — Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
In out country, South Africa, where over 80% of us are categorised as ‘Christian’, it is a clear requirement for Christians that they always respect and obey:-
” Let every soul submit to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. Consequently the one resisting the authority has opposed the ordinance of God, and those opposing shall receive judgment to themselves. For rulers are not a fear to good works, but to evil. And do you wish not to fear the authority? Do what is good, and you shall have praise from the same. For he is God’s servant to you for good. But if you do evil, fear; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s servant, an avenger for wrath to the one practicing evil. Therefore it is necessary to be subject, not only on account of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For on account of this you also pay taxes, for they are ministers of God, always giving attention to this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe nothing to no one, except to love one another, for he who loves one another has fulfilled the law.”
I am not familiar with the requirements for adherents of other faiths set for them in their holy writings, but I would guess that it is similar because all good people wish to live together in harmony with all others.
In what way does my failure in obedience affect you and your life, and your failure affect mine? In what way is it CRIME? We can start at the lowest level of antisocial acts which are often not even seen as criminal:-
- A person drops a piece of paper on the pavement. There is a bylaw against littering. It is a crime. The pavements and all public spaces belong to all of us equally. It offends our sense of orderliness, and taxpayers money is used to clean it up.
- The law says ‘Buckle up your seat belt in the car’. At the traffic light, glance at the car next to you. Are they buckled up? Chances are that they are not, and if the driver is buckled up, the passengers at front and back may not be. How does that violate ‘neighbour’? The law is there to prevent unnecessary injury and death in the case of a collision. Treatment for unnecessary injury is subsidised by ‘neighbour’ in ways such as by increased contributions to medical aid and ambulance services, and taxpayers’ money spent on policing.
- Here is a woman who runs a small business. Her turnover and profit is enough so as to attract tax — but she does everything for cash and keeps no books. Because she and a lot of others like her do not pay tax, the tax rates for everybody are higher in order to provide government with the money it needs to run the country.
Many will think these things are just very clever and, given the same situation, would think nothing of doing it themselves — but an honourable man or woman would not do it. Their consciences will not let them.
The one who breaks the least law is a lawbreaker, a criminal. One does not have to rob or murder to be a criminal. Small ‘sins’ do not harm only the victim but the doer himself or herself suffers in the end because small things done against conscience lead to bigger things as in the old saying “I might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb”. The child who is disrespectful of others at age four will be the bully at age fifteen, the over-ambitious, greedy entrepreneur at age 30, and the corrupt director of companies at age fifty — that, or the corrupt politician ready to take bribes, greedy for status, power, money.
How then do we beat CRIME in our country?
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
The answer lies right there. It just needs all the men and women of goodwill to act together in the littlest way. If each one does that littlest thing, goodness will triumph and put an end to evil. What is that littlest thing? Starting with that 80% Christian population, when each one takes his or her faith seriously, and takes first little steps to avoid knowingly doing wrong, and with a gentle nudge nudges others to do the same, there will develop a new paradigm — a new spirit — in the country. Add to these 80% the members and adherents of other religions, and other men and women of goodwill, a drop in the level of ‘small crime’ will follow. And when the majority have an attitude against any wrongdoing, big-time CRIMINALS will hesitate about doing CRIME and corrupt officials will be shamed.
Good people do the right thing for conscience sake. Evil people avoid doing wrong for fear of punishment, but where discovery and punishment are slow and lax, they act with boldness and aggression, and CRIME stimulates the commission of more CRIME. But where a majority of our people are clearly opposed to wrongdoing, there is strong discouragement for evil-doers to thrive. The solution for us starts with our firm inner resolve.
LET THE MANY GOOD MEN AND WOMEN MAKE A STAND TODAY, AND TOMORROW WE WILL LIVE IN SAFETY AND SECURITY.
Jessop.
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Herbert Jessop Sutton, Cape Town, South Africa
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The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock:
and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain, saith the Lord. (Isaiah 65:25)
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