The Baltimore Riots and The Purge

The Baltimore Sun has reported that a horror movie called “The Purge” has inspired High School students to spark anarchy in the city of Baltimore.  The violent protesting is being referred to as The Baltimore Riots or The Baltimore Uprising.  In this article it is documented that an invitation flyer was circulated around social media to invite High School students to participate in a real-life purge.  The city could burn itself to the ground and it will be done at the hands of its own people.  I have some things to say about it.

I start from a point of reference.  I wasn’t there.  I wasn’t there last week when a man named Freddie Gray was mortally injured by six police officers.  Maybe he was the most innocent man in Baltimore.  Maybe he deserved what he had coming.  I wasn’t there.

Were you?  Can you bear witness?  Or can you only bear false witness?  “Demonstrators” have become judge jury and executioner on the streets of Baltimore.  This is more Judge Dredd than The Purge.  At least The Purge ends after only one night in fantasy land where it is government sanctioned policy of all things.  Let’s sail right past the MLK quotes.  I’m going biblical.  There are only two choices.  You are either bearing true witness or you are bearing false witness.  YHWH thought false witness was important enough to make it one of only Ten Commandments written on the tablets of stone …

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour – Exodus 20:16 KJV

It is a serious offense.  So before you take up your sword in false witness I have some very constructive alternatives.  It applies in Baltimore.  It applies in Ferguson.  It applies in the Rodney King LA riots.  It applies in all riot situations.  A rule to live by.  Never criticize unless you have a superior plan to put in place.  In America we have a national government, a state government, a local government, a trial system, a police force, judges, magistrates, all the like.  They all may be unfair, corrupt, and rotten to the core.  That very well may be true – and therein lies the opportunity.  That injustice is your calling to take up the cross – not take up a molotov cocktail.  You aren’t satisfied with the police?  Good.  Become a police officer.  Raise the bar.  You aren’t satisfied with the magistrate?  Become a magistrate.  You don’t like the President?  God help us all because I would never want that job but you can vote him out (in theory).  Or you can become President (clearly only a select few have the means).  This is the society I want.  Not what we have playing out in Baltimore.  Now with that said destruction is not always a bad thing.  It is often required.  But what is the accompanying constructive action?  What is the “win”?  We have none in Baltimore.  And that’s the problem with anarchy.  No one knows when the win happens.

The concepts of anarchy and chaos are not lost on the powers that be.  Far from it.  When you participate in chaos you are often a pawn in the game – especially when its funded on both sides.  Research the Hegel Dialectic.  Divide and Conquer.  Order out of chaos.  It doesn’t matter your class or race.  You too can educate yourself on chaos theory.

Back to The Purge.  I have seen the movie – but I generally don’t watch horror movies.  I have my reasons.  A long time ago I quit watching demon possession movies for example.  I quit watching vampire movies.  I quit watching werewolf movies.  I understand the entertainment value.  I also understand that by willfully observing that stuff I am endorsing it on some level.  A popular thing to say is “you are what you eat” – and there is truth to that.  You are what you let in (even if it is just a tiny spark).  It starts with the willingness to consume it.  Those sparks become an inferno when enough garbage is let in.  Music is not so different from the movies …

“If one listens to the wrong kind of music, he will become the wrong kind of person”. – Aristotle

Aristotle was a smart man.  Speaking of Aristotle let’s talk about another man from the old school named Dante Alighieri.  Dante wrote a well-known classical work called the Divine Comedy.  Within it we find a traditional interpretation of the layout of Hell.  This can be  found in Volume I called Dante’s Inferno.  I suggest picking up a copy where the cantos (chapters) are explained in plain English with cliff notes.

I’m not endorsing Dante’s Inferno as fact – but you can use Dante’s Inferno as a general guideline to establish “how damning are human actions on the hierarchy of evil?”.  Check out “Dante’s Inferno the 7th circle in the outer ring”.  Also check out “Dante’s Inferno the 8th circle Bolgia 9”.  Finally “Dante’s Inferno 9th circle Round 2”.  There are only 9 major circles of hell in Dante’s Inferno.  We have descended very deep within the pit.

I’m not going to tell you who goes to those circles of Hell and what happens in those circles.  I don’t want to ruin the surprise.  Google it and find out for yourself.