: a thanksgiving what if :

I was stopped behind an ancient red truck with rust holes so spacious I could’ve stuck my head through them. Stickers and decals abounded, loudly proclaiming the joys and manliness of bow hunting. My first thought was: Ted Nugent’s in town? My second thought: ew.

Then an interesting notion sprang to mind: what if we weren’t armed to the teeth and at the top of the food chain? What if we were the easy pickings? You know, that might not be such a bad thing. The human race could use a dose of humility. We need to lose the swagger and gain a much needed sense of proportion and respect. Life, and the planet, would be very different if humans weren’t in charge of things.

Look what we’ve done to the place. Look what we do to each other. We’re out of control. This isn’t survival of the fittest, it’s arrogance and greed and it’s ruthlessly self-absorbed. We’re all guilty to some extent. If we aren’t actively wreaking havoc, we’re aiding and abetting. We, you and I, are accomplices. Why haven’t we risen up in outrage?

Mankind needs be reined in. We’ve allowed our baser instincts to run rampant and, in the process, made a mess of staggering, whopping proportions. It wouldn’t hurt us to be taken down a peg or ten. There’s a bigger picture to consider, after all, consequences and impacts have to be provided for. Long views given preference over the short-term.

Then the light turned green, which I saw as encouraging. Have a safe, peaceful holiday everyone. And, please, no arguing at the table.

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