Personally Opposed

The university’s graduation exercises drew a large and enthusiastic audience. Proud parents, relatives, and friends of the graduates chattered happily about the wonderful weather, the great achievements of the graduates, and the expectation of future success for each of the graduates. The graduates themselves were also chattering excitedly…. they had made it. The graduates were now in position, along with the faculty members, to march to their assigned seating locations. The faculty would be placed closest to the main viewing stand where the dignitaries were situated. All was in place for a grand event and celebration.

The dignitaries located on the viewing stand included the university’s chancellor, the heads of the various academic disciplines, a clergyman, a politician, and the keynote speaker. Once everyone was seated and the introductory announcements were issued, everyone took their places in anticipation of highly motivational speeches. (It should be noted that the graduates had another expectation. They just wanted to quickly receive their diplomas and then head to nearest celebration venue.)

It was at this point that it happened! One of the faculty members rose from her seat, walked purposefully to the viewing stand, threw open her academic gown, thrust out a pistol, and shot the clergyman… dead! Pandemonium broke out among all the attendees, until the esteemed faculty member was disarmed and subdued. Once the situation had been calmed and the body of the clergyman carted away, the various dignitaries conversed and decided to precede with the graduation exercises. All the faculty members agreed with the decision to proceed. One highly honored professor snickered, “He (the clergyman) was a real pain anyway; always claiming that science, as well as philosophy and theology, proved that the life in a mother’s womb was indeed human and therefore should be protected with the same rights as other humans.” Still another prestigious educator quipped that the clergyman, “supported the aged, contending that they should also be protected as a human, while we all know that at certain stage the aged loose grasp on reality and lack self awareness. How can they be happy… and they certainly hindered our happiness, having to support them?  “Yes,” exclaimed still another faculty member, “He even proposed that the physically and mentally retarded, who provided no benefit to society should be guarded against any effort to marginalize or eliminate them from society. Such nonsense.” Still another echoed what was in the minds of many of them, “I hate violence, but sometimes it must be applied. He just would not listen to us. We know best.”  In the best tradition of humanitarianism, they all decided to start a fund raising effort to help in the defense of the assailant and do everything possible to promote her reputation as a selfless, caring person.

Then it was time for the politician to give his speech. Although he professed some traditional belief about religion, he was still accepted as one of them by the learned. He did not stand by his professed religious beliefs, being flexible with the current beliefs of the culture and the times. A well-spoken man, known for his support of human rights, he began his speech by lamenting the tragedy that had just taken place. He then added, “While I am personally opposed to violence and particularly the taking of this man’s life, I cannot impose my philosophical beliefs on others. Thus, I cannot condemn the shooter.” His statement drew thunderous applause from the crowd, including from some religious personalities and ethicists.

(“I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos.”  Thomas More, “A Man for All Seasons”)