“They say there’s a heaven for those who will wait. Some say it’s better, but I say it ain’t. I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. Sinners are much more fun…” – Billy Joel, Only the Good Die Young
Well, if only the good die young, I must not have been very good, as I’ve been around for the greater part of a century. In that time, I’ve seen communication progress from telephone and radio, to satellite TV and the WWW, but the content hasn’t kept stride with the medium. We still argue, insult, and disrespect one another with the same frequency and vehemence as in Biblical times. Canaanites, Philistines and infidels are an abomination, saith the Lord. Also saith Rush Limbaugh.
The blogosphere isn’t much better than talk radio in this regard. It is all too easy to find posts which might better be called roasts, and practically inescapable in the comments. I’m sorry to say that the internet hasn’t brought people together in the way many of us hoped that it would.
Fatwas are declared, bombs are dropped on women and children – “collateral damage” is an acceptable consequence of any holy war, mobs and their leaders call for the total destruction of Israel, Bush is burned in effigy, as is Osama, Castro, and even the Pope.
What can the lonely blogger do?
I’ll tell you what you can do. Learn to be charitable. Take to heart the advice you probably heard as a youngster “If you can’t say anything good, it is better to say nothing at all.” Caritas in Latin is translated as caring, love, or charity, and it is available to you and to everyone absolutely free, gratis. So take some and spread it around. It won’t hurt nearly as much as you may expect.
