There are two kinds of Rules which Society makes up for themselves to follow. Some call them Agreements, others call them Paradigms, I call them Rules, and there are two kinds: Fake Rules (Opinions, or Rules of Normalcy) and Real Rules (Laws, or Rules of Peace).

The Fake Rules are opinions, and generally have to do with what is 'appropriate' or 'normal' (Don't wear white after Labor Day, blue is for boys and pink is for girls, old people are useless, young people are stupid, K-Swiss is cool, Levi's are not, bumper stickers promote change...) any stereotype you can think of also falls into this category.

I am very familiar with breaking the Fake Rules. It is my philosophy for a good life to prove the Fake Rules wrong by breaking as many of them as you can, as often as possible, make fun of them, and the people who blindly belive in them. Why? Because it drives a wedge between the Fake Rules and the Real ones, and forces people to see the difference. The disapproving looks and comments I get about my appearance and actions are feedback that tell me that I do a pretty good job at it.

It goes without saying that sometimes Society has it's collective head clearly, squarely up it's collective ass, but not all of Society's Rules are bad ones. There are certain Rules we have to agree upon to live together on this planet in Peace. These are the Real Rules; more easily identified when passed into Laws. These are the rules which allow us to live in cities without walls and moats around them. I'm pretty sure one of those rules is to Not Rob Families' Homes At Gunpoint.

However,

On the night of Tuesday, October 11th, near midnight, sometime while I was writing up my blog post for the Nine Inch Nails show, three masked men decided to break the rules, and robbed my neighbor's home at gunpoint. My next-door neighbor. If I didn't have the fan on in this very room at that very time, I probably would have heard them kick down the door.

I'm sure those three criminals live by a different rule - a rule in which Peace is not the overreaching goal. A rule which you might know better as "Might Makes Right". A rule in which tying up a ten-year-old daughter, and kicking her father in the head repeatedly until he was bleeding and unconsious is OK. Then, forcing her mother to show them where all the valuables in the house are, loading up their car, and stealing that as well? That's OK too. Why? Because they had the guns, That's why. Because Might Makes Right.

In some seven minute period of Tuesday night, while I sat reflecting and blissfully blogging my experiences at the Nine Inch Nails concert, my neighbors went through a hell I cannot imagine, less than fifty feet away. Three people who broke the Real Rules have deeply changed not only the lives of that family, but everyone on this block. Everyone is re-evaluating their home security, inventory, insurance, and most likely, their Last Will and Testament. Everyone is contemplating what they might do in that situation, and none of us knows the answer unless it actually happens.

To those three criminals who choose to break the Rules of Peace: be warned. The Agreement works both ways, and now Society is no longer bound by those Rules when dealing with you. Society is now free to step down to your level. As a matter of fact, at this very moment, Society is gathering money and pooling it into an organization specifically designed to hunt you down and punish you. And they are good at it, they do it for a living.

Just remember, we gave you the chance to live in Peace, and you chose "Might Makes Right". But you forgot; we are bigger than you, and we have more guns. We have professionals working round the clock to find you, prowling the streets in cars with the word 'Police' on the side. Might Makes Right. Are you scared? You should be.

Rule on,
-C

Labels: A Day In The Life