HOW TO THINK AND BE LIKE SPOCK

I'm a diehard Star Wars and Star Trek nerd. Now, with that said and out of the way, it'd be nice if we all could think like the iconic Mr. Spock: cool, calculated, logical, unbiased and intelligently. In contrast we tend to reason completely in the other direction: impulsive, presumptuous, bereft of fact, influenced by emotion and biased. There are many points in our history that warn us of what we are capable of if we don’t think responsibly and use our better judgment. We need to understand that these dark moments in our history are not entirely behind us; we still show signs of irrational thinking that can still lead us out of control and toward catastrophic social consequences. It's our life long social responsibility to understand that we're fallible, and adhere to our better judgment toward true social progression. This principle will keep society from decadence, being hypocritical to our respective faiths, injustice and chaos.

Spock was a cool character that rarely reacted based on emotion, and drew all of his conclusions from logic and fact. With a more “Spock-like” outlook, there'd be no racism. There'd be no idealistic, divisive political parties. We'd actually respect a man's innocence until proven guilty. There'd be no deception or propaganda in our media. There'd be no over blown scandals or conspiracy theories, and we'd all be on the same page moving the mindset of society forward. Instead in our abject reality, people read or hear things on the TV, radio or from other people, and then when heard enough times, presume it to be true. Often we begin to tell other people (gossip) and spread the information that was never proven. And many times we do the reverse: We hear things and decide that it isn't true when it is, and stick to it. And often we just believe what we choose to believe regardless if it's right or wrong.

Unfortunately we're not Vulcan, we're human, fallible and this is normal. The difference between people is seen in how we behave when we discover beyond any doubt that the information was never true. Some refuse to accept fallibility and remain blissfully content in their ignorance.

History teaches us about ourselves, our flawed way of thinking, and the atrocities that come from it. Below are several examples in which we as a people stunt the growth of our society.

The Salem Witch Trials morphed into ridiculous, infamous witch hunts. Driven by the agenda of its dogmatic leaders and the naivety of the people, the town was convinced there were satanic witches and witchcraft among them. Those that didn't believe it, if there were any that is, just went with it.

The madness grew to the point where many innocent people were murdered to satiate the religious, paranoid stupidity of the people of the time. Overly paranoid, and even deceitful people with agendas began to point out other innocent people. Many of those people who were unable to prove they weren't witches, were hung or burned in the name of strict, misinterpreted Christianity gone insane. The town was mad, but unfortunately no one could see it, and the ones who did were too afraid, reprehensibly cowardly, or indifferent to go against the obstinate leaders, or the hordes of brainwashed people who followed and perpetuated the madness.

Salem immersed itself into a deep, cultish form of Christianity to the point they became dangerously and preemptively fearful of differing perspectives, practices, and ideologies, ironically never realizing that they, the Christian zealots were the true social danger---and they hung and burned people because of their suspicions.

It's easy for us to look back at times such as this and know our thought was primitive and absurd. We comfortably assume that we've grown, but we haven’t. Times and situations change, but we aren't so different. Our social stupidity simply evolves and takes on different forms.

In 1923, there was a small town in Florida called Rosewood that was completely wiped out because of one woman's lie or fabrication.

Rosewood was an unusual town for the time, mostly inhabited by quiet, hard working middle class African Americans who owned land and businesses. In a neighboring town, a white woman named Fannie Taylor, claimed she was attacked by a black man. This was during a very dark time in which many unsolved crimes were blamed on black people, or the crime was conjured up to excuse and justify causing harm to African Americans. Very quickly the alleged “attack” turned into “rape” and then “rape” quickly turned into “beaten down into a concussion and raped”. There were no questions asked, and no investigation. In an instant, angry white mobs from neighboring towns swooped in on Rosewood and wiped out the entire town in 4 days. Houses were burned, women were assaulted, and hundreds of innocent people were shot, lynched, hung and burned. Some fought back but were overcome by the hordes. The traumatized survivors fled into the woods and never came back. Mobs returned afterward to make sure every home, business and place of worship was burned to ashes.

There were several good-natured white town residents that refused to get involved in the manhunts and stain their hands with blood for evil. Some white residents, like a local store owner, John Wright and 2 train operators aided many of the black victims during the attacks. Surprisingly they were the minority. All too often the most foolish, evil and charged up ironically lead the rest, and the scrupulous choose to not get involved. It's an unfortunate paradigm that might sound very familiar to us in present day.

That type of wild insanity is an example of the power of lies, hate, mobs, and people who know better letting it spawn into something astoundingly repugnant. It was complete debauchery. This isn’t ancient history either, this is people in our same land just 87 years ago. The spirit of what we're capable of if we don't adhere to our better judgment is still with us.

In Nicaragua 2006, a young white man from Texas who started a Nicaraguan tourism magazine named Eric Volz, was accused of killing his former girlfriend. The girl was found brutally strangled and possibly raped. Due to the evidence available he was most likely innocent of the crime, but the victim's family, who were natives to the country, accused him and the media turned on him. They assumed it had to be him because of heated arguments they had in the past.

Soon the racial and national ramifications began to bleed into the equation, heightening the anger of the Nicaraguan people. Calling him "gringo", they characterized him to be another privileged American white man trying to push through the Nicaraguan justice system and get away with murder. Because of all of the negative sentiments, popular opinion turned more and more against him in Nicaragua. Despite his probable innocence, the media kept showing images of the victim's weeping mother crying out for his arrest, and the Nicaraguan media kept trying to paint Eric Volz as the diabolic "gringo" murderer and liar. Nicaraguan fiends who were arrested raped and killed her, but Eric Volz was who they wanted. He couldn't be transported without hordes of crazed mobs yelling, holding rocks and machetes. The people convicted him before any trial.

Eventually Judge Ivette Toruno Blanco gave one of the worst rulings in modern court history. So much so, it’s frightening to know there are people like that all over the world sitting with peoples’ lives in their hands. Judge Toruno Blanco threw out all of the evidence that would've clearly vindicated Eric Volz in any other reasonable court room. The important evidence included multiple people and coworkers passionately trying to testify on Volz’s behalf that it was impossible for him to be involved because they were with him the entire day the murder took place. There was also a lot of concrete evidence that put him nearly 2 hours away from the scene of the crime, and there was no forensic evidence that linked clothes, blood or hair follicles that belonged to Eric Volz. Yes, there was plenty incriminating DNA evidence found, but none belonging to Eric Volz. Whether one believed he was involved, paid to have it done, or what have you, it was clear that he himself did not commit this crime. Neither did he have any link to the fiends who were linked to the rape and murder. Regardless, and with no evidence other than popular opinion and speculation, the foolish Judge yelled at him obviously emotionally attached, calling him a murderer and rendered a guilty verdict.

The insanity quickly became international news. Eric spent agonizing time in jail until finally the case was appealed and he was released. Due to failing health and the threat of harm from other inmates, he almost died.

How often people forget that Justice is the goal, not just what the crowd wants. All of that wildness, that rage and energy was all misplaced because of how we are as people, and how we think. It's frightening to know that we live in a society in which anyone of us can be dragged off, imprisoned or even killed because of a hunch. It's not just over there, it's all of us.

We are a fundamentally flawed society and we think incorrectly. That’s why we have to constantly challenge our beliefs and opinions.

I recently read a scathing article by The New York Post's Andrea Peyser. She tore into the late Michael Jackson in a way that was absolutely abysmal. She did the same thing to Heath Ledger when he died. Hinting toward a possible twisted mental issue, Peyser chooses to publish her hateful rants about these people when they die, and when their fans are saying goodbye to ensure readership.

Andrea Peyser called MJ names like "freak", "ugly", "kook" and called him a child molester. It was horrendous and shameful. Congressman Peter King went on a similar ignorant and hateful public rant about MJ. All this against a humanitarian that one would realize was probably never guilty if one took the time to actually examine the evidence and the criminal history and track record of the accusers. Both Peyser and King are examples of people who probably esteem themselves to be the smart ones in society, but don’t realize they incessantly think stupidly, full of hate, without facts, and are often high on their own incorrect opinions. When it comes to law, time has proven that what people think is meaningless. Regardless, It's just inappropriate to spit opinionated venom as a journalist or a politician, about a deceased man (with grieving fans, relatives and very young children of his own) who has been acquitted of all charges in a US court of law.

Other than inconsistent hearsay from only one parent of each child, there was no evidence, nor have any of the children who are now adults, admitted or confirmed the allegations of their greedy parent to this day. To the contrary, more evidence keeps popping up to discredit the allegations. It’s amazing; the families have proven themselves to be lifelong lairs that have sued and extorted in the past, and there are still people cursing Michael Jackson’s name and hating his acclamation because of unproven allegations from liars.

Let’s put things in perspective for a moment. The mother of the last child, Janet Arvizo, sued JC Pennies after she and her whole family were caught shoplifting. Afterward, she filed a suit saying she was roughed up and sexually assaulted by JC Pennies security when they put her in holding. JC Pennies eventually settled for $75,000 to make her go away. This isn’t an opinion, these are recorded facts. With her sick child, Janet Arvizo was also known for exploiting and guilting celebrities for financial support. Also on record, Janet Arvizo has long history of coaching her children to lie to win law suits against chain stores including a conjured up slip and fall case. She’s also a welfare cheat. Also on record, the first people Janet Arvizo and Evan Chandler contacted regarding their son’s “molestation” was not the police, it was lawyers. The first parent took money to drop a child molestation case and forget it, as if that would happen if it was genuine. And the other parent was caught lying (inconsistent) in court and her case bombed. Oh yes there were other accusers, but they were all caught in their lies before it could go public. Some even confessed.

Incredible what a little background checking can do before you accept someone’s word as is. Still, many of us simply decided to believe the allegations against MJ as soon as we heard them. It was juicy, shocking, and we all decided it was true, even if it came from despicable, criminal minded lairs.

That’s just what we do. I watched for years how the media helped blow this up, kept certain facts out of the news, and kept the seed of doubt alive to sell papers and magazines to satiate our appetite for controversy. I even heard about groups organizing to protest at Michael’s tributes and memorials. How boorishly ambitious is that? Michael Jackson definitely was eccentric, but to those who really know the facts, to say he raped those children is audacious, let alone desecrating a memorial for his death with a band of other charged up idiots. I expect that from every day Joes who don't have professional sensibilities, but how dare people who represent us, or write for major publications be so vile, unsophisticated and oafish---inundating us with their baseless opinions as fact. We're like babies who go on angry tirades based on what we think, or want to believe. It's wrong and very un-"Spock-like" to say the least.

I spent much of the last few years stunned and disgusted at what I was seeing all around the country. I wondered are we really this dumb?

For example, I heard and saw grown men, and even news reporters and blog site hosts talk endlessly about President Obama saying he was Muslim, and not born in this country, the Anti-Christ and the list goes on. I debunked what many people based shows on in less than 5 minutes on my laptop. I have my own concerns about Obama's politics. I had quite a bit more about our previous President. Regardless, all my concerns were factual. What's been going on however is scary.

People, who have decided not to like someone, regardless why, stop reasoning and simply fabricate more reasons to support and justify their hatred. Many grown people have exhausted quite a bit of valuable time discussing ridiculous propaganda and desperately try to spread their narrow-minded stupidity.

Also, getting people to agree with you equates to being right to so many. That’s how we operate, through propaganda. However, most of society used to agree the world was flat or having your blood drained was an effective medical procedure.

I’ve seen scores of people dragged down and torn to shreds based on fact-less information. I read tales of thousands of people wrongfully incarcerated or put to death—all the time wondering how that happens. If the law is “innocent until proven guilty”, how did they “prove” that this innocent person did it? Is it because they looked like someone? Is it because they were the only one found near the crime scene? It is because everyone else on the planet has been ruled out? It’s because we trust our dumb opinions too much.

No, we are not so far from the Salem or Rosewood days. The evidence is all around us. Mentally we are very much still there. People in groups can be easily swayed to drop their better judgment and decide what their truth is. It’s up to each individual to not let that happen.

We're not supposed to have a purposeless existence, simply accepting everything around us as it is. Nor are we supposed to be so selfish, mean-spirited and opinionated.Our personal and day to day challenge of correctness is what drives our society and lifts us from darkness. It’s what changes our laws and keeps society progessive. It’s what suppresses wild, unjustified hatred and ignorance. And it’s what puts dark moments like the aforementioned behind us.

No, we can’t all be like Spock, but we have enough intelligence to see the fruits of our inequities and do something about it.

No one should be comfortable with the world as it is when there’s so much to fix and so much work to be done. No we don’t have to be Mother Theresa and attempt to save everything and everyone. However we can start very simple and know when a journalist like Andrea Peyser is foaming at the mouth again, we shouldn’t stand for such simplistic, opinionated anger disguised as news coverage. When politicians and media personalities are lying and misrepresenting people and situations with rhetoric, we shouldn’t stand for it either. Each of us should keep our head clear and uncontaminated of our ongoing forms of social retardation. We should stop throwing men like Jack Kevorkian in jail simply because we’re too stupid to understand his logic up against our spoon fed morality and religious dogma. We need to stop our allegence to political parties, church cults or anything else that molds our thought and divides people unnecessarily.

Again, forgive me for escaping into a fantasy world like Star Trek with which to find my ideals and way of thinking. It’s just that wholesome ideals we know are right, we’re able to conceive in our imagination, but is perplexingly so unattainable amongst the real living, and out of control. As Spock would say, "Fascinating".