Guy Fawkes Day

Remember, remember, the 5th of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot;
I know no reason why
the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, 'Twas his intent.
To blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below.
Poor old England to overthrow.

By God's providence he was catch'd,
With a dark lantern and burning match

Holloa boys, Holloa boys, let the bells ring
Holloa boys, Holloa boys, God save the King!
(Image and verse courtesy of Wikipedia)

If you've seen the movie V for Vendetta (or read the graphic novel that inspired the movie), you may recall themes of anarchy versus fascism or violent opposition to a corrupt regime. Others may recall the original Gunpowder Plot, where Guy Fawkes was captured while planning to destroy the British Houses of Parliament.

In England, this date is celebrated with fireworks and bonfires. And it's an important date to Art Garfunkel, Sam Shepard, Tatum O'Neil, and many others. At one time, it was also a date important to me because it was important to someone else. Now, it's traditional celebration echoes, well, something else...and I find myself thinking of the storyline where, among other things, justice is a dish coldly served.

Someone who shouldn't expect anything from me asked me to do them a favor today. Ultimately, I chose to do what they asked...but not for their sake. Instead, I chose to not risk creating a problem for someone else, someone near both to the person who made the request and to myself. That second person, who I've recently written about, is very dear to me and I would not make a problem for her for anything in this life or the next.

I'm being sort of vague, I know.

I've been thinking a bit recently about the relationship between hypocrisy, selfishness, and denial. Together, these three traits are more dangerous than the witches from "The Scottish Play." Taken together, these traits allow you to redefine the world in ways that justify and defend your actions, no matter how brutal or manipulative. They allow you to re-present what actually happened as something that really didn't. They allow you to live with yourself knowing you've taken advantage of people, hurt them, deceived them, and stolen the things they hold most dearly...all in the name of what's best for you. Nacissicism at its "finest."

To my mind, there are two forms of evil. There is the megalomaniacal evil frequently portrayed in action films ("What are we going to do tomorrow night, Brain?" "Same thing we try to do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world!"). And then there's the casual, careless selfish evil of those who think everyone should serve their needs, regardless of what's happened in the past.

The second form of evil is more pervasive in this life, because it involves people who truly do not care about anyone else other then themselves, people incapable of genuine compassion because they lack empathy.

And thinking of the latter form of evil had lead me to slightly corrupt one of the taglines of the movie I mentioned earlier. Truly, victims should not be afraid of their abusers. Abusers should be afraid of their victims.

Let's all look forward and work toward a world where manipulation and abuse in all its forms is documentable, actionable, and (ultimately) preventable...and prevented.