Are we upgrading or downgrading?

Many people will have heard about “Les Misérables”. A very successful musical. This musical is based on a book with the same title written by the frenchman Victor Hugo in 1862.

It is an extraordinary book: the paperback version has 1463 pages. And what Victor Hugo has written on all those pages is more than extraordinary. Basically the whole book is about morality. As Victor Hugo calls it: the reasons of conscience. A good example is that in the last chapters, two of the several protagonists in the book, Marius and Cosette, marry and although Victor Hugo describes everything in detail and at length, he will not go as far as explain what happened during their wedding-night. He writes:

“The bride and groom disappeared. Here we stop. On the threshold of wedding nights stands an angle smiling, a finger to his lips.”

Recently, many people worldwide were reading a contemporary book titled “Fifty shades of grey” written by E.L. James. It is the best-selling book of all times in the U.K. with over 5,3 million copies sold. It is a most silly story of appalling writing and the reason why it is a success is the openness about which E.L. James writes about sexual activities by the two protagonists, often involving light forms of sadomasochism.

These two books compared: “Les Misérables” and “Fifty shades of grey”, one written in 1862 and the other written in 2010, explain a lot how intimacy has changed in the awareness and perception of many people. Victor Hugo saw a smiling angle on the threshold of wedding nights and stays outside not telling us anything. Some things of us should not be talked about, he implies. While for E.L. James there are no more thresholds and she describes endlessly scenes like how a weirdo guy roughs up a naked girl. James believes everything of us can be talked about.

What does this all tell us? One thing for sure: morality has changed. The reasons of our conscience have been replaced.

The question is: are we better off now?

He killed his mother

It happened 10 years ago.
The man was 36 years old at the time.
He killed his mother.

Soon after this horrific crime he was arrested and brought to justice.
Because of the peculiarity of the killing, he was diagnosed as mentally deeply confused and locked up in a special psychiatric hospital.

There, he was not free.
It was like a prison and he was undergoing all kinds of therapies as he was considered a sick man.

After a few years in this special psychiatric clinic and after intensive therapy, the psychological specialists came to the conclusion there was no danger this man would kill again.
He was set free.

Four years ago, as a free person, this man went to a meeting place for homosexuals.
He met there a 77 year old man and he killed him.

Soon after he was arrested and brought to justice once more.
Yesterday he was condemned to 15 years in prison after which he needs to return to the special psychiatric clinic.

The psychological experts now say that the danger this man may kill again is extremely high.
A diagnosis 180º opposite from what they said not too long ago.

Alfredo Gonzales of Rancho Punta Boca del Salado has a dog called Guante.
This dog is nice and friendly but he has a habit of running after goat or young cows to attack them, bite them in the neck and suck their blood till they are death.
Losing a goat or a young cow means for Alfredo Gonzales losing money.
He could kill Guante the dog as he is no use for the rancho and only creating havoc.
There is no way to change Guante: somehow he is just like that.
Because Alfredo Gonzales is a nice man he didn’t shoot Guante but keeps him tied to a long chain.
The dog can run up and down for 20 meters and that is the best he can get in life.
To keep the goats and young cows safe.

The mother of the man, he killed her.
To be a psychological expert and to conclude within a few years of this horrific crime the man is OK again and will not kill anymore is a daring decision.
And in a way an easy decision because when it is the wrong one, there are no consequences for the psychological expert.
Some new person may be killed, but never the psychological expert.
Nor will he get punished in any way for doing a lousy job.

Alfredo Gonzales is never thinking after Guante the dog has been chained for two years it may be time to have him roam the property again.
Because if he is wrong in his assessment of the dog, it is gonna cost him a goat or a young cow.

Hence, in the name of the 77 year old man that was murdered by the guy who was supposed to be mentally stable again, we should stop giving unlimited credit to the psychological experts responsible for a completely wrong diagnosis.
Stop giving them the opportunity to get away with their failure.
Because in a way they are murderers too.
A sanction must come for these psychological experts in case they are so badly wrong.
That somehow they must pay a price as well.
To make them more prudent.

Because it is better a murderer, who once killed his own mother, remains locked up although he may not kill again, then to take the risk and see the life of an innocent person ended.



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