Let There Be Light! | Lions led by Sheep -

Feb 12 2009

Would You Die for what You Believe in?

Published by Steve N. Lee at 6:59 pm under animal rights, climate change, conservation, deforestation, environment, global warming, health, human rights, poverty

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If so, how do you choose what to fight for?

I went shopping to the supermarket Asda today. I had a list so I wouldn’t forget anything:

1 H&K 9mm submachine gun - to deal with a noisy neighbour
10 grams of cocaine - to relieve the stress caused by said noisy neighbour
2 Thai hookers - well, a man has his needs
And a bottle of water - thirsty work all that killing, flying, and whoring!

Would you believe it, the only thing they had was bottled water!

It seems the government, in its omniscience, has decided that good people shouldn’t be allowed automatic weapons, recreational drugs, or prostitutes!

Well, excuse me, but what about my FREEDOMS!?

Last time I looked, I lived in a democracy. In fact, the very place democracy was invented - England. And now, those in control see fit to whittle away at good people’s liberties purely for their own pleasure.

Well, I won’t stand for it. I’ll wage a campaign, “We are FREE citizens. We demand Freedom of Choice!”

For those wondering what I’m rattling on about…

I lied: I never shop at Asda!

But I did read a couple of articles on Treehugger (1, 2). You will not believe the outrage some people feel because the US government might restrict the kinds of light bulbs people can buy to rid the world of old-fashioned incandescents in favour of more efficient CFLs and LEDs.

Why outrage? Because they see this as the government gnawing away their freedoms.

Okay, some might say it’s light bulbs today, bread tomorrow, dogs next month, children next year…

Are these people on drugs?

Listening to them rant, anyone would think we are free to buy absolutely anything our twisted little minds can imagine.

Are we?

The government regulates virtually everything we buy. (And doesn’t regulate some it should - cigarettes, anyone?) Most of them for good reason, as in the case of drugs, firearms, and the like.

As for prostitution and bottled water? One of those is illegal in England but, considering their respective impacts on the world, whether the government has picked the right one is debatable (but that’s a topic for another post).

Ordinary light bulbs pollute and eat electricity as if it were free. CFLs and LEDs aren’t ideal, but they are an improvement and will continue to improve, so why shouldn’t they be phased in and the older ones phased out? It would be for the greater good.

So is it really an infringement of a person’s rights to remove their choice to buy a crappy, inefficient light bulb?

Is that a freedom denied? Is that something to set people marching in the streets? Something YOU would be willing to fight for? To die for?

The last tax the government introduced, the Poll Tax in the 1990s, saw rioting across Britain -

cars over-turned
petrol bombs
clashes with police.

Why?

Because the government was literally taking the food from people’s mouths by stealing even more of their hard-earned money. People would struggle with their finances so the freedom to choose food over hunger was a freedom worth fighting for.

So why are people venting so much anger over light bulbs? (If it’s over negative health effects, that’s understandable, but that applies to only a minute percentage of the population.)

Over the freedom to have an inefficient light bulb over an efficient one?

Really!?

And is the government worried?

Worried!?

The politicians must be positively wetting themselves with utter glee!

We are taxed to the hilt
Provided with sickening health care
Fuel bills are rocketing
Mass lay-offs everywhere…

Yet we’re arguing over inconsequential garbage like:

light bulbs
whether saying ‘brainstorm’ is offensive to epileptics
if some book/movie/cartoon is blasphemous
if teenagers wearing their trousers halfway down their butts should be illegal
if we should use the word ‘herstory’ instead of ‘history’ (not according to the Microsoft spellchecker!)
whether global warming exists
if global warming exists but isn’t our fault, should we care about it…

Have you ever seen a street hustler? Cups, cards, coins… whatever. Invariably, his right hand will keep you mesmerized by performing ‘magic’ while his seemingly innocent left hand is up to no end of skullduggery.

Misdirection.

We’re all fooled by it.

He takes our money and laughs all the way to the bank about how easily he conned his gullible audience.

Governments are hustlers. Nothing more. They’ve got us looking at the wrong cup, the wrong card, the wrong issues. And all the while, they’re using our money for their own ends and laughing at how easily they’ve conned their gullible voters.

The government has us squabbling amongst ourselves about bugger all when we should be united and demanding they address the real issues:

Poverty
Disease
Pollution
Extinction levels
Deforestation
Desertification
Acidification
Global warming
Sustainability
Energy reserves
Food production
Water conservation
Child labour
Violence
Exploitation
Discrimination
Carbon emissions
Collapsing ecosystems
Collapsing fish stocks
Collapsing economies…

The world is riddled with cancers and yet instead of reaching for a scalpel or searching for a cure, we’re squabbling like little kids over who said what to whom and ‘started it’.

You’d think with so many MAJOR GLOBAL ISSUES we’d have bigger fish to fry than whether using the word ‘history’ is an injustice to women everywhere.

Who cares!?

When the seas have turned acid and killed all the fish
When the Amazon is flattened leaving air too polluted to breathe
When the number of species left alive can be counted on your fingers…

Will it really matter whether the last person alive clicks on an LED light bulb and writes ‘The History of Mankind’ or if he clicks on an old-fashioned incandescent bulb and scrawls ‘The Herstory of Personkind’?

We are fighting over utterly inconsequential ‘issues’ while the planet burns.

Or maybe you think I’m talking out of my backside.

So answer me this…

If you went to your doctor with a brain tumour and a cold, would you be happy if he ignored the tumour and just treated your sniffles?

So go. See. Feel. Live.
Steve

If you like my blog, you’ll absolutely love ‘What if…?’, a roller-coaster thriller blending political intrigue and high-octane action with a thought-provoking exploration of poverty and environmental crises.

When a mysterious stranger fights to end world poverty, his seeming ability to heal with just a touch catapults him to fame but thrusts him into a deadly struggle with corporate America and the White House that like the world just the way it is: under their control - poverty, disease, wars and all.

But can the stranger heal? Or is he the biggest villain of all, perpetrating the most elaborate scam of all time?

Is it any good?

‘An engaging and exciting thriller with a difference. It would hold its own with many of the books in the bestseller lists - and then some.’
Scott Pack, Book Reviewer, Me and My Big Mouth

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Nicholas Grabowsky, Bestselling Novelist

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26 Responses to “Would You Die for what You Believe in?”

# Patricia McCaskillon 13 Feb 2009 at 3:37 am

“Will the last person left turn out the lights?” Of course, it may be a virulent bacteria that can’t reach the switch…then omg! wasted energy, but whose to care by then?

The situation in the world today is such, that most of us are hunkering down and are zeroed in on our own survival. It has come to this by misdirection and that is just what the powers to be want.

I DO care who got us here, who is to blame, but obviously there are more important issues to address, and unless we do, it will not matter as you state, what the causative factor is.

(I’d love to see Americans hit the streets, yep even an old fashioned revolution, but most folks seem to be so overwhelmed and many too busy trying to hang on to all their toys that they have been manipulated into thinking they ‘have to have’, that I doubt we will see any societal upheaval large enough to save our fannies or this planet.)

~May I be entirely wrong!~
# Steve N. Leeon 13 Feb 2009 at 10:28 am

I think you’re right about our American cousins, Patricia. Surely if there was going to be the kind of unrest Britain saw over the Poll Tax America would have seen it over the Bailout or the Patriot Act or some other such injustice.

Personal survival is obviously at the forefront of people’s minds, but that’s a narrow view to take. If you are okay but the economy AND the environment are in the toilet, you’re not going to have such a great life regardless of how securely you lock yourself away in your protective bubble.

Oh, no, we don’t turn our backs on accountability. Those responsible for this mess should be made to pay. First, though it’s more important we try to solve the problem. If a drunk driver runs over a pedestrian, we treat the injured and then prosecute the guilty - the same must apply here.

Thanks for furthering the conversation, Patricia.
Steve
# FaithMichaelson 13 Feb 2009 at 8:46 pm

Amen Brother Amen!! U have left nothing for me to say except that.
# Steve N. Leeon 13 Feb 2009 at 9:28 pm

FaithMichaels, I’m pleased you appreciated the post. I’m sure there will be some who think it’s utter rot and I need my head testing for decrying other ‘major’ issues, but you just have to have perspective, don’t you? Without that, we might as well all lay down and quit now.

Thanks, FaithMichaels.

Have a great weekend, everyone.
Steve
# Pamylleon 14 Feb 2009 at 12:06 am

Wonderful post, as usual ! Helps us keep our priorities where they should be…
A lovely wekend to all, Pamylle
# Tim Redfernon 14 Feb 2009 at 2:52 am

Yet another fantastic blog post from Steve!
You asked, at Care2, what would we be willing to die for?
The way we deal with death is more important than how we deal with life. If a person has nothing to die for; If a person dies for nothing, that, to me, would be a wasted life.
To answer your question, Steve, YES, there are a number of things for which I would be willing to die; mostly because, as a disciple of Jesus the Christ, I know where I’m going when my existence here is ended. And, in the meantime, the best way for me to live is to be active in the things I AM willing to die for! Others would disagree, but this is what gives my life meaning. If the time should ever come that I am asked to die for something, I can only hope it would be to save the life of another human. As Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than he would lay down his life for his friends.”
Namaste’!, Steve!
# Steve N. Leeon 14 Feb 2009 at 5:53 pm

Priorities. Yep, that’s the key word, Pamylle. It’s amazing how often we all get them mixed up and end up chasing after the trivial instead of what truly matters.

Thanks for dropping in, Pamylle.

Yes, Tim, if you have to die for a cause, you have to pray that it’s a worthy one, don’t you? I don’t think there can be anything worse than needlessly throwing away your life, whether literally or metaphorically by chasing inconsequential/inappropriate causes and dreams.

And while I’m not a religious man, I do appreciate the philosophy in many religions - that quote is both wise and powerful. Here’s another I stumbled upon recently, an old Chinese proverb, which is rather apt to the conversation:

“The person who says a thing cannot be done should get out of the
way of the person doing it.”

If we all listened to the nay-sayers, nothing would ever get done, would it?

The same goes for people fighting for ‘issues’ that aren’t really issues - it consumes resources that could be put to REAL use.

Thanks for adding to the conversation, Tim.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone,
Steve
# Joycey Berryon 15 Feb 2009 at 2:41 am

This is a very interesting article. I would die only for my loved ones. Thanks for a different one Steve.
# Dianeon 15 Feb 2009 at 2:55 am

Good point Steve !
# Heidi M.on 15 Feb 2009 at 3:42 am

The whole “politically correct” movement (herstory vs. history for example) serves no purpose at all! I remember the big flap over “Peace on earth, good will toward men” back in the heyday of the women’s movement. I thought, “Good Lord! We aren’t anywhere near having peace on earth, and you’re worried about whether we offer it to just men?” The whole thing is nothing but insanity, wrapped up in minutia. If I use the word herstory, will women stop being victimized in the third world? Will women in the western world stop starving themselves to be considered beautiful? Will they finally be paid equally to their male counterparts? If I say peace on earth good will to men and women, or women and men, will there suddenly be peace?

More and more in this world there is the overplaying of the “Me Me Me Sonata”. The “I am offended”, not what is better for the greater good. I, for one, will not be taking a bullet for Herstory.
# Steve N. Leeon 15 Feb 2009 at 11:22 am

You make some great points, Heidi. I was worried of feminist reprisals for some of the ‘blasphemy’ spouted in this post so I can’t tell you how pleased I am that people are seeing the common sense in it.

With regards to the treatment of women in the Third World, I’ve had a post planned on that for months, but other things keep cropping up that seem more relevant. I will get to it, though.

Thanks for furthering the conversation.

Joycey, I’m sure most people echo your sentiment. People do herioc deeds every single day, many for complete strangers, but in general, most would hold to your view.

Thanks for dropping in.

Thanks to you, too, as well, Diane. Glad you liked it.

Steve
# Kent Butleron 15 Feb 2009 at 4:22 pm

Actually, I’ve always read that Greece, specifically Athens, was the birthplace of democracy…

You are largely correct in your observations and analysis, I think. However, I really do believe that a New Day has dawned in America, which may well spread “as the world turns”.

We, the people, have demonstrated that we’re sick of the status quo (government doing what they damn well please and screw the taxpayers) and are willing and able to do something about it. The election of President Obama was a start, but only a start. We need to get rid of numerous dinosaurs in Congress, and a host of Congressional toadies for Big Business. Can’t say “Corporate America” anymore, it’s worldwide.

BUT, we need to maintain a balance between the far left belief that government should be all things to all people and spend whatever it takes (plus) - and the far right’s “Go the hell away and leave me alone! Where’s my gun?”

It won’t be easy, it won’t be pretty (see Hillary), and it won’t be overnight. But, if we - the people - keep at it, we can take back our country and maybe save the planet at the same time - quite some time…

With LOTS of help from our friends!

PS - “Political correctness” is often asinine and not worth one’s time. I do not (usually) intentionally offend people, but many PC expressions are simply stupid.
# Carolyn Tonahillon 16 Feb 2009 at 7:02 pm

Superb! I try to be certain to read each new blog post for I am always mentally stimulated…frequently entertained by your pithy writing style…and seldom in disagreement. Thanks for another provocative read…I am recommending it to friends.
# Steve N. Leeon 18 Feb 2009 at 9:22 pm

Yes, Kent, I should have written “modern democracy”. Sorry for that slip.

As for Obama? Well, he has got a couple of gold stars in my book so far for overturning some of Bush’s diabolical decisions. (One in particular: to allow oil exploration in Utah in the areas around Canyonlands and Arches national parks - two of Ania and my favourite places in the US.) He does talk a lot greener than Bush, but then name someone who doesn’t!

I do hope this is the start of a new ear. It does have possibilities. America has suffered a lot of stick because of its recent forays into “international diplomacy” shall we say, but if it can demostrate its money is where its mouth is, I’m sure it will find many friends reaching out to it once again - old and new. Let’s hope so, huh, Kent!

Oh, that’s so nice of you to say, Carolyn. Thank you. I do try to entertain as well as impart something of substance. I’m really pleased you feel I’m succeeding. And thank you for any recommendations.

Thanks for dropping in both of you.
Steve
# Wai Minon 20 Feb 2009 at 7:30 am

Hey Steve,

Yeah. Freedom! =D Anyways, I was just curious, you smoke?
# Steve N. Leeon 20 Feb 2009 at 12:06 pm

No, I don’t smoke, Wai Min. In fact, I know very few people who do. When I was a teenager, almost everyone I knew smoked but they’ve all given up now. I can probably count the number of people I know who smoke on my fingers.

Thanks for stopping by.
Steve
# Andrewon 04 Mar 2009 at 4:25 am

Yes, Steve, they are on drugs.

I’m sorry it took me so long to get here, but I have been swamped with school. I really wish I’d done this when I was a teen like normal people but I was too busy “smoking!”

Being in school however has given me a renewed hope for all our futures. Many future revolutionaries are preparing and it seems need just the tiniest bit of leadership from those of our ilk.

We all need to stick to what we do best, and (BTW- you are!), the coming food shortages will do the rest.

Fanning the flames, Andy
# Steve N. Leeon 04 Mar 2009 at 11:57 am

I’m glad you’re finding a younger generation that’s eager for change, just looking for that nudge to send them in the right direction, Andy. I do worry about our kids because I worry about the values we’re instilling in them - one look at the TV and all the easy ways to build yourself an easy life is enough to worry anyone (American Idol, etc.).

It would be nice if we could change things for the better without being forced into it by the lack of food. When we worry about our health, we try to get a vaccination for whatever we can - why can’t we think the same about our future and put safeguards in place. Why is common sense so alien to so many?

I hope you’re right about our future pioneers.

Keep fanning those flames, Andy. And thanks for the BTW!

Steve
# Diane Glennonon 29 Mar 2009 at 9:55 pm

Hi Steve,
I would die for my family!
The government is trying to brain wash us into thinking about things that do not matter, so they can go on and pass bills, make decisions, do what is harm full to us, while we are all wrapped up in things that don’t matter…One day, you wake up and ask yourself “what happened” ..But then it’s too late isn’t it?

DianeMarie
# Steve N. Leeon 01 Apr 2009 at 12:23 pm

Yes, you’re right, DianeMarie, many people will wake up one day and ask that question. Sadly, way, way, WAY too late. Still, as long as there’re still the important things in life to enjoy like American Idol, that’s all that matters. Sleight of hand - throw us a bone and watch us all scramble for it, while behind us is a big juicy steak!

Yes, family is probably top of most people’s lists.

As for the government, Obama seems to be vastly more environmentally in touch than Bush ever was, so it’ll be interesting to see what he does in terms of that and human rights issues, too.

Thanks for commenting.
Steve
# Matton 23 May 2009 at 4:57 am

Hello!
I love your blog! I thought I would share with you a video I made for Oxfam that discusses the affect of climate change on the human population. It also encourages everyone to go and visit a website where they can sign a petition telling our world’s leaders that we want to see action on climate change at the Copenhagen summit later this year. I thought the video might be of interest to you.
Here’s a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVtTDjMAjTs

With peace,
Matt
# Steve N. Leeon 23 May 2009 at 12:12 pm

Cheers, Matt.

Cool video. Good luck with that.

Steve
# Bobbi Ton 25 Jun 2009 at 3:16 pm

And these energy efficient light bulbs will end up in a land fill somewhere with the mercury leeching into the soil and down to the water table. Guess there will be more work for environmental clean up.
# Steve N. Leeon 26 Jun 2009 at 8:58 am

Sorry, Bobbi, but you have to read deeper to see what this blog is about. It is not about a few light bulbs.
Steve
# Micahon 19 Nov 2009 at 4:29 am

This is a great post.. Very informative… I can see that you put a lot of hard work on your every post that’s why I think I’d come here more often. Keep it up! By the way, you can also drop by my blogs. They’re about Vegetable Gardening and Composting. I’m sure you’d find my blogs helpful too.
# Steve N. Leeon 20 Nov 2009 at 9:44 am

Thanks, Micah. Glad you enjoyed it.

Yes, my posts take a great amount of hard work which is why I’m taking a break from blogging to concentrate on my writing. I’m hoping that my schedule will ease up in 2010 and I’ll be able to start posting again - it is fun!

I’ll pass your blogs to Ania: she’d love a dabble at growing her own vegetables.

Thanks for dropping in.
Steve