A little over four years ago, my mother died of cancer. During the last few months of her life, I began to read a bit on what cancer is and how it generally works. What I discovered amazed me, as I saw what was happening to my mother's body was happening in our country. Why my thoughts were drawing this correlation was beyond me, but I thought it quite interesting that the most common cause of death in America, was actually killing America.
Basically, cancer is this: weak, under-developed, and/or mutated cells of the body reproducing faster than good, healthy cells. Every human body has cancer cells; only the strong, healthy body's immune system can identify and destroy these cells before they reproduce. What surprised me more, was that every cell in the body communicates with every other cell it come in contact with. They exchange every piece of information, i.e. type and function, mineral/vitamin content, water content, even needs that other parts of the body may have. This process of communication, whether weak or effective, is the basis for how cancer spreads. In a cancer patient, when a good cell makes contact with a cancer cell, the good cell identifies it as a good cell, rather than a bad cell, and often, the cancer cell identifies the good cell as bad, and tries to destroy it. Consequently, the immune system is not made aware that a bad, weak cell needs to be eliminated, so it is allowed to reproduce.
So, how does this show that our society is in the same condition? Let's draw an analogy; society is the body, individuals are the cells; the legal system, along with law enforcement is the immune system, and violent criminals, of various kinds and degrees, are the cancer cells. Are you with me so far?
Our Criminal Justice system has taken a humanitarian approach in treating the disease by creating rehabilitation centers. This humanitarian effort has not done what it was created to do, which was to take dysfunctional people out of society, and process them into functional members. It's a nice concept, but it has completely backfired. Repeat offenders don't want to be made into anything different. They instead, they learn to use the system as a support for their lifestyle at the expense of the nation. If you have ever taken the time to learn the number of registered sexual offenders in your neighborhood, you would probably be aghast. I found that, in a neighborhood of roughly 1250 homes, there were 92 registered sexual offenders. Published in the Wall Street Journal, a California legislator confessed, "What we’re up against is the kind of criminal who, just as soon as he gets out of jail, will immediately commit this crime again at least 90 percent of the time.", and quoted later in the article, “Not only are they almost certain to continue sexually abusing children, but some eventually kill their young victims”. These are types of societal cancer cells. Why is our body (society) not willing to do what is needed to defend itself from within? How is the individual strengthening him/herself to produce a socially healthy next generation? Again, this has to do more with the integrity of the majority of cells, the individuals, than it does government, or any other organization.
Just as a side note, the same condition can exist in any organization. It can be seen when the productive, dependable employee is terminated by a corrupt and vengeful manager; i.e. the Peter Principle.
Basically, cancer is this: weak, under-developed, and/or mutated cells of the body reproducing faster than good, healthy cells. Every human body has cancer cells; only the strong, healthy body's immune system can identify and destroy these cells before they reproduce. What surprised me more, was that every cell in the body communicates with every other cell it come in contact with. They exchange every piece of information, i.e. type and function, mineral/vitamin content, water content, even needs that other parts of the body may have. This process of communication, whether weak or effective, is the basis for how cancer spreads. In a cancer patient, when a good cell makes contact with a cancer cell, the good cell identifies it as a good cell, rather than a bad cell, and often, the cancer cell identifies the good cell as bad, and tries to destroy it. Consequently, the immune system is not made aware that a bad, weak cell needs to be eliminated, so it is allowed to reproduce.
So, how does this show that our society is in the same condition? Let's draw an analogy; society is the body, individuals are the cells; the legal system, along with law enforcement is the immune system, and violent criminals, of various kinds and degrees, are the cancer cells. Are you with me so far?
Our Criminal Justice system has taken a humanitarian approach in treating the disease by creating rehabilitation centers. This humanitarian effort has not done what it was created to do, which was to take dysfunctional people out of society, and process them into functional members. It's a nice concept, but it has completely backfired. Repeat offenders don't want to be made into anything different. They instead, they learn to use the system as a support for their lifestyle at the expense of the nation. If you have ever taken the time to learn the number of registered sexual offenders in your neighborhood, you would probably be aghast. I found that, in a neighborhood of roughly 1250 homes, there were 92 registered sexual offenders. Published in the Wall Street Journal, a California legislator confessed, "What we’re up against is the kind of criminal who, just as soon as he gets out of jail, will immediately commit this crime again at least 90 percent of the time.", and quoted later in the article, “Not only are they almost certain to continue sexually abusing children, but some eventually kill their young victims”. These are types of societal cancer cells. Why is our body (society) not willing to do what is needed to defend itself from within? How is the individual strengthening him/herself to produce a socially healthy next generation? Again, this has to do more with the integrity of the majority of cells, the individuals, than it does government, or any other organization.
Just as a side note, the same condition can exist in any organization. It can be seen when the productive, dependable employee is terminated by a corrupt and vengeful manager; i.e. the Peter Principle.
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