Lemmings

These rodents live near the Arctic. I grew up with the popular misconception that hordes of the little
creatures would run into water or over cliffs in an act of mass suicide. Reasons ranged from population control to misguided migration to group hysteria. This belief was so commonplace that similes such as, "follow mindlessly like lemmings", "like lemmings going to slaughter" are ingrained in common parlance.

This belief is false. Lemmings do migrate caused by either an increase of predators, or overpopulation. They can swim, but often the body of water is too large or turbulent for their endurance and many die. They are not suicidal stooges.

{Digression Warning} In 1973, National Lampoon did a show entitled Lemmings which ran in Greenwich Village for about a year. I was lucky enough to see it. It was disrespectful, irreverent and hilarious. The second half of the show was a satire of rock concerts called Woodshuck. I went into conniptions laughing at the then-unknown-to-me Belushi imitating Joe Cocker. A couple years later when Saturday Night Live began, I recognized John Belushi and Chevy Chase from the Lemmings cast.

 Yesterday another mass murder befell our nation. Ten people killed and others injured on a formerly peaceful college campus. That makes 16 incidents in the past eight years. I try not to make my blog a pulpit for political views. We need a serious dialogue to address this problem. That will never happen. Why? Human/lemmings will follow their particular demagogue over a chauvinistic cliff rather than succumb to rational thought.

Opponents will beat their chests; shout their platitudes; fill their ears with beeswax to block the sirens'
call of the other side. Each will profess its belief as sacrosanct, and the others as blasphemous. Examination of mental health issues, the possibility of compromise on gun control, the analysis of the situations to find a common cause and possible solutions will be chaff driven away by the wind of jingoist diatribes. The outcome will be same as it ever was - more senseless killings accompanied by pulling of hair and bemoaning the problems created by the "other" side.

Comparing the mass hysteria of our race to the misconception of the lemmings is an insult to the rodents. Our technology has evolved, our weapons are more lethal, our communication devices are more powerful, but our actions are still those of primitive cave dwellers. We desire to destroy anything that we view as antagonistic and make up beliefs to erroneously explain what we don't understand. As ever - BB

Jack Nicholson as George Hanson in Easy Rider: They're not scared of you. They're scared of what you represent to 'em.
Dennis Hopper as Billy: Hey, man. All we represent to them, man, is somebody who needs a haircut.
Nicholson: Oh, no. What you represent to them is freedom.
Hopper: What the hell is wrong with freedom? That's what it's all about.
Nicholson: Oh, yeah, that's right. That's what's it's all about, all right. But talkin' about it and bein' it, that's two different things. I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are.