What's wrong with fighting back over injustice?

By Karyl Cicanese
Fremont News-Messenger

Why is our country divided? Apart from political divides there is also a division in our thought process. We live in a time where the conventional way of thinking is to avoid conflict at all cost. If we are attacked by another country, the popular thing to do is to ask, what did WE do to provoke the attack?

We train our employee's to surrender if they are being robbed. The penalty for taking action? Termination of employment.

This is an actual case, where a convenience store clerk witnessed a fellow employee being assaulted during a robbery. The witness to the assault intervened, saving his fellow employee from the assault.

A heroic act? Yes.

His reward? Termination of employment -- he violated the rules of his training. He was trained to cower in the stock room while his fellow employee was beaten and the store was being robbed. Never under any circumstances should one put themselves in harm's way, not even to save the life of your fellow man.

Here lies the problem; half of us have no tolerance for such foolishness. Half of us will serve our country and our fellow man no matter the personal cost. That half is the backbone of this county and I contend that it is the other half that is what is wrong with this country and yes, there is plenty wrong.

The meek shall inherit the earth, but the cowards will lose this country. Any man that could stand by and watch as a woman is being beaten is no man at all.

People who stand on the side line and watch injustice unfolding and do nothing make me sick, and companies who promote this type of pandering to criminals, they deserve what they get, even if that is being robbed three times a month.

I understand not encouraging your employees to risk their lives for the 50 bucks in the cash register, but terminating employment for an act of heroism? Seems to me we are encouraging a defeatist attitude.

Would Hoss and Little Joe be hiding in a stock room while one of their neighbors was being taken to task by a villain? Would anyone have watched? No!

Now half of the people reading this are rolling their eyes and screaming, "We are progressive! We are civilized, we don't settle our disputes with bare knuckles and bullets."

Alright, let's negotiate with the meth head holding the gun; let's compromise with the terrorist. Let's show them how civilized we are. Then we can let them show us how civility has no place in their world.

I have no problem with diplomacy where it can be effective. What I have a problem with is giving up our pride and self-respect to appease.

This country was not founded by cowards, but if we continue to instill generation after generation with the wisdom of appeasement, we will lose this country to those who are not afraid to offend.

Karyl Cicanese, Gibsonburg, is a columnist for The News-Messenger and the Port Clinton News Herald. Contact her at [email protected]. Article republished with permission.