Can one really understand the meaning, and the consequence of runaway emotions? I suggest that if we study mankind and look at all his flaws, we will find that most of man’s cruelty toward himself is related to his inability to create emotional boundaries, and intellectualizing his wrong doings. In my opinion, the wanting to please or totally rebel against our social structured existence is normal. Still and all, by resenting society’s rules creates a label of "malcontent."

For most of us right and wrong is an understandable concept. Good and evil can easily be recognized. I submit that it is our runaway emotions that blur these differences. Consequently, we are beginning to raise a generation taught to suppress these God given gifts. As I grow older I sense that emotions are slowly being put aside and intellect is becoming increasingly dominant. As individuals, we are having less and less emotional contact with one another. A computer is becoming our voice, and the Internet our body language as an acceptable way to communicate. Instead of trying to emotionally please, or rebel, as a society we seem to be intellectually tuning out, by developing more sophisticated ways of communications. I find irony in this method inasmuch as the more sophisticated we become the less personal we are. With intellect, we are able to rationalize any act; accepting deception as long as it advances our personal agendas.

Let me I ask you, during the fighting of World War I and II was it the intellect of the common American Soldier, or the emotional understanding between right and wrong that help win those wars? I understand that it was a different time. It was a time when our society, as a whole, emotionally understood the difference between right and wrong and supported the consequence for a man’s actions. Moreover, thank God they did not intellectualize why a small, evil, maniacal ex-paper hanger did what he did. They looked at the atrocities and reacted with their emotions. I feel it is paramount for a free constitutional government to have consequence for an action. And, in order to arrive at that action there are times when one must emotionally react, within boundaries.

However, in this dawning of this new millennium I fear emotions are being suppressed and with only superior intellect being rewarded. My feeling is they should work in unison, within all of us. My anxieties are enhanced with the obsession of development of even newer technology, preventing personal contact, along with the dispensing of anti-depressants to anyone that might be upset with a "gut feeling." I sense if we as a nation continue in the direction of placing negative connotations on emotions I feel we are destined to lose sight of right and wrong.

If the majority of people in this country do not wake up they will become witnesses to the destruction of a society they once felt was invincible. We are seeing it time after time: Actions are beginning not to have consequences.

Is anyone listening out there? Day after day, we are bombarded with spin-doctors intellectualizing their candidate’s, or our elected officials’, point of view. As a mass, we idly sit back and suppress our emotional outcry, we think about our comfort zone, our own little world. I feel some of us are afraid emotionally to express ourselves—afraid we will overreact, be politically incorrect, and jeopardize our peaceful little world.

However, I suggest to you the alternative is becoming clearer by the day. My God! Have you watched these people, both Democrats and Republicans, as well as your high-profile Independents? These people are uncompromising in their beliefs simply because their candidate represents their party. These people are unwilling, or refuse to look at the fact their party may have changed over the years. Because a candidate is a member of their party, they wholeheartedly support them. This phenomenal of such radicals is not without precedence. If one does not study history, we are doomed to repeat it.

As yet still a country of free people I suggest we allow our emotions, within boundaries, to be heard in regards to man’s basic understanding of right and wrong. If we continue to intellectualize everything it won’t be long and we will not have the right to choose. And, yes, I do feel that is something to become emotional about.

Perfection Is The Mastering Of Simplicity by Morris Heldt 10/20/2000 
America: Rich, Free, and Stupid by Morris Heldt 7/21/2000 
The Reality of a Sunset by Morris Heldt 10/25/99
WTO in Seattle by Morris Heldt 12/3/99
Heritage Lost by Emil Beck 12/30/99
To Kvell is Swell by E.M. Nolbay 6/4/2000