Good vs. Evil
If
you compare Mother Theresa and Hitler, it’s difficult to believe that they are
the same species. But which of them is an example of the human race in its
purest form? Are humans essentially good or evil? The nature of humans has been
explored relentlessly, with no absolute answers. What people believe the nature
of humans to be is a personal belief that is shaped by the religions we believe
in, the culture we grow up in, and by our life experiences. With so many
different circumstances to take into consideration, the question “Are humans
essentially good or evil” is quite a perplexing one. For me, I believe that the
human race, as a whole, is essentially good. Most of the time we only hear
about the evil that happens in the world; therefore I’m going to tell you some
of the good that we over look.
The
shooting in Aurora, Colorado took 12 lives, one of those lives was a young
soldier named Jon Blunk. Jon and his girlfriend Jansen Young went out for a fun
night at their local movie theatre to see the premier of the new movie “Dark
Knight Rises”. Unfortunately, only one of them would be able to come home at
the end of the night. When the assumed
gunman, James Eagan Holmes, began his attack on the crowd, Jon knew what was
going on, Jansen said. “He knew and threw me on the ground, and was like, 'We
have to get down and stay down,'". Jansen heard the constant "boom,
boom, boom" of the guns and smelled the gunpowder. “There was kind of a
break in between each gunshot,” she said. "Every gunshot, I was like, 'this
is it … I'm done for.’ “The one constant for her during the attack was Jon's
arms pushing her under the seat to keep her out of the line of fire. At one
point, she felt herself get struck by what she believes may have been from
shrapnel. Jon pushed her once more against the concrete and then Jansen
couldn’t feel his arms pushing her anymore. She didn’t believe that he was dead
until she tried shaking him and calling his name and he wouldn’t respond. When
she finally wiggled her way out from under Jon she realized he had passed. Jon
took a bullet and sacrificed his own life to protect someone he loved. Jon
Blunk is a hero, and a remarkable example of how humans are essentially good. "Sacrificing your life for the life of
the one you love is by far, the truest type of love."
Another
heroic man was Specialist Weichel who was killed while rescuing an Afghan
child. The initial details of the episode in northeast Lagham Province did not
come from military officials but from Afghan civilians and fellow soldiers and
friends in the United States. On March 22, Specialist Weichel, an Army
National Guardsman from Rhode Island, was riding in a convoy, when he jumped from his vehicle to help clear a group of children out of the way. The children were trying to collect the brass shell casings to sell for scrap metal. Afghan witnesses said that when a 10 –year –old Afghan boy darted under a vehicle, Specialist Weichel climbed under and pushed him to safety. Then the huge vehicle ran over Specialist Weichel, killing him. Matiullah Khan, a vegetable seller, and the uncle of the boy, said, “As you know, all five fingers on one hand are not equal, and it’s the same for American soldiers.” “This soldier, he looked at my nephew as a human being and endangered his life to save my nephews life.” Specialist Weichel gave up his own life to save a young boy, making him another outstandingly good human.
National Guardsman from Rhode Island, was riding in a convoy, when he jumped from his vehicle to help clear a group of children out of the way. The children were trying to collect the brass shell casings to sell for scrap metal. Afghan witnesses said that when a 10 –year –old Afghan boy darted under a vehicle, Specialist Weichel climbed under and pushed him to safety. Then the huge vehicle ran over Specialist Weichel, killing him. Matiullah Khan, a vegetable seller, and the uncle of the boy, said, “As you know, all five fingers on one hand are not equal, and it’s the same for American soldiers.” “This soldier, he looked at my nephew as a human being and endangered his life to save my nephews life.” Specialist Weichel gave up his own life to save a young boy, making him another outstandingly good human.
Both
of these stories were big examples of good humans sacrificing themselves for
others, but that isn’t the only thing that makes you a good human. The next two
examples are regular everyday people doing simple good deeds that with affect
people’s lives in a big way.
A
woman named Amy Scharman remembers the Christmas after her parents divorced.
Her mother was raising 13 kids with no child support. The holiday was looking
grim. Amy said “It was dusk on Christmas Eve and we heard a knock on the back
door.” When they opened the door, no one was there. But someone had left 10 big
bags filled with presents for the children, including clothes and toys. “It was
such an overwhelming feeling to see such generosity from I don’t know who,” she
says. Ten years later, Amy and her family still don’t know who did that good
deed. Amy said it was the most memorable Christmas of all.
Sometimes
simply witnessing a good deed can have a lasting impact. Donna Delfino
remembers a day when she was 11 years old, and her parents took their six
children for a special day at the beach. Donna’s mother had brought a picnic
lunch-fried chicken and her homemade potato salad-and prepared a plate for all
of them. Donna looked up from her plate and noticed her mother making an extra
plate. She turned away from them and walked over to a man picking his way
through the trashcan. Years later Donna asked her mother is she remembered it
and she laughed and replied “Not at all.” Donna remembers it very well because
it was a touchstone for what good deeds became in her life.
In
essence I believe that the human race, as a whole, is essentially good. Jon Blunk, knowing that there was a
possibility he might die shielded his girlfriend to make sure she wouldn’t.
Specialist Weichel threw himself under a vehicle to push a young boy to safety.
An unknown person or group of people spent there Christmas money to give
presents to a more deserving family, and a caring mother gave some of her own
food to another person in need. Even though some of these cases are much
smaller than others they are all illustrated that humans are essentially good.
