Which path will we choose?
Two televised events on Tuesday contrasted the best and worse of human behavior — an inquiry into the origins of the universe versus a catalog of thuggish demagoguery
Two visions of human potential played out across our screens on Tuesday. One was a celebration of higher aspirations and accomplishments, the other the grim shadow of ancient sins. One was painted across a galactic canvas, the other crudely rendered across a landscape of prejudice and hate.
In the morning, NASA’s portrait of global cooperation and achievement showcased humans at their best, extending the frontiers of knowledge and focusing the light of inquiry on scenes no human eyes had ever seen. By afternoon, attention shifted to an inventory of demagoguery cataloged by a Congressional hearing exposing hatred and bigotry sadly familiar to any history student.
The day that began in a glow of human imagination and potential devolved into a mundane portrait of medieval tribalism and fear. The contrast could hardly have been more stark: an inquisitive, intelligent species reaching in wonder toward knowledge, contrasted with simple bigotry and naked ambition.
The earlier revelations were sublime. The narrative that unfolded later was dishonest, crude and violent. Yet each, in its way, contained glimmers of hope.
Is anything more endearingly human than curiosity, the urge to explore around the bend of the river or voyage to a distant shore? Who leaves a more lasting legacy for the species than those who chart our place in the galaxy or record our existence on a chapel ceiling?
And what’s more disillusioning than another commonplace thug asserting his will on the compliant and simple-minded? How many times must history take note of communities that turn into crowds that turn into mobs? Must discrimination always triumph over participation?
History suggests two answers: “usually,” and “not always.” Ours has emerged as a time when history must answer once again, and it is our obligation to fight for the right result.