Illegal is when others do what we are doing

Philip Mudartha
Bellevision Media Network

We get to read, hear and use the word “Illegal” so often these days, I thought it is time to put it in perspective. One picture is worth a thousand words. So, join me:

 

The truck is obviously breaking the law. It is illegal under many provisions of national highway rules and regulations to drive around such loads. Is a politician behind the steering wheel? Is he driving under the cover of darkness? Are the owner and driver came from Italy? Were they trained by the treacherous Englishmen in their effort to divide and rule us? Are they not true Indians, whatever that word ‘true’ means to each of us?

 

 

I have a request to Principals of Schools in Belle. Please show this picture to your students as resource material for civics in social studies classes. Let the students spot every illegal aspect and list corrective behavior that they would like to adopt.

 

One more and I will leave you to go round the village centers of Belle and its surrounding hamlets, with a camera to come up with tens if not hundreds of examples to document my theme:

 

We break laws at the drop of a hat. It is only that we do not point a finger at ourselves. We forget when we point one finger at others, we fold the other four and they point at us.

 

 

I come to my second theme: Pointing fingers at others in public does serve our society. Conflict develops when fingers are pointed at others. Conflict is good; contrary to conventional wisdom that peace is good. Peace does not change people behave, conflict does. The old adage, people living in glass houses do not throw stones, was written to ensure that status quo is maintained. People living in glass houses should throw stones at each other and break their windows: conflict ensues, from which change comes, which is for better or worse. Through pain, pleasure comes. Things get worse for a while until the good eventually wins to make things better.

 

Where do we start? Right with ourselves. Throw stones at ourselves first, and with everyone else who does what we habitually do.

 

And be prepared for a bloody nose!