Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Getting Rid of Pesky Laws
Once upon a time a creative thinker had the opportunity to address some very influential people at a ground-breaking summit. He delivered a stirring speech in which he described a glorious life; a world in which people could be gravity-free. This innovative and brilliant speaker went on to explain how a flubber-like material could be made into a belt which could be strapped around one’s waist allowing them to easily push off the ground and sail for thousands of feet without touching the ground. He postulated that with such a device one could walk off 4th-floor balconies and gently drift to the ground. The concept was fascinating. Just imagine being free of gravity’s pesky rule. The orator waxed eloquent declaring that, with his discovery mankind would forever be unshackled.
When the speech was finished, one slightly-built man rose to challenge the speaker’s theory. The speaker, shocked at the man’s audacity, said he would prove his claim. He then reached in his bag, withdrew his very own anti-gravity belt prototype, strapped it on, and began jumping around the room. Although no one could be sure, some people thought he was jumping higher that they had seen anyone jump before. He assured them that the results would improve with coming models. After the demonstration, an open-minded and eager crowd swarmed his display table and anti-gravity belts sold like pancakes.
As you can imagine, soon every newscast was predicting the coming of a new gravity-free age as a result of this ingenious invention. Magazines ran cover stories, celebrities became spokespersons and politicians took note. A myriad of new manufacturing companies appeared, making belts in all shapes, colors and sizes.
Grant it, a few skeptics were saying, “Wait a minute, everyone is saying the law of gravity no longer applies but the belts don’t really seem to be working. Children are jumping off balconies and falling to their death. There should be laws against this device.” But politicians and activist judges so loved the concept that they made laws declaring that schools disperse these devices and teach school children how to use them. Major universities began offering degrees in anti-gravity studies. Not to be left out, the President of the United States declared gravity a thing of the past; no longer would any laws having to do with weight or gravity-related issues be in effect.
Unfortunately the death toll of anti-gravity belt users began to rise. “We’ve got to do something!” cried the victims’ families. In response to such an outcry, several leading nations formed an anti-gravity alliance declaring that gravity would no longer be tolerated. It was decided that every country in the world should be required to issue anti-gravity belts to its citizens. A few concerned citizens rose up in protest pointing out that people wearing the belts continued to plunge to their deaths, and that there was no empirical evidence that the belts worked. Politically-correct proponents were aghast that anyone would be so hateful, so they arranged for a world summit where the inventor was given the Nobel peace prize. Every ruler of every nation signed a statement declaring that the law of gravity would no longer be tolerated. It was a grand affair: attendees arrived in limousines and sported high-priced outfits. There were cameras and important people everywhere. Bands played at extravagant balls. Everyone agreed that the world was now a better place. There was world unity like never before – finally something that everyone could agree on.
People learned to deal with the continued tragedies of their loved ones who died from falls. It had become obvious that gravity was an outdated, ultra-conservative idea and that it certainly couldn’t still be killing people. The world was now enlightened and set free from such bondage.
Moral: It doesn’t matter how many people agree that something is right or wrong, there are some immutable Sovereign laws that will go on working anyway – no matter how tight we shut our eyes.
When the speech was finished, one slightly-built man rose to challenge the speaker’s theory. The speaker, shocked at the man’s audacity, said he would prove his claim. He then reached in his bag, withdrew his very own anti-gravity belt prototype, strapped it on, and began jumping around the room. Although no one could be sure, some people thought he was jumping higher that they had seen anyone jump before. He assured them that the results would improve with coming models. After the demonstration, an open-minded and eager crowd swarmed his display table and anti-gravity belts sold like pancakes.
As you can imagine, soon every newscast was predicting the coming of a new gravity-free age as a result of this ingenious invention. Magazines ran cover stories, celebrities became spokespersons and politicians took note. A myriad of new manufacturing companies appeared, making belts in all shapes, colors and sizes.
Grant it, a few skeptics were saying, “Wait a minute, everyone is saying the law of gravity no longer applies but the belts don’t really seem to be working. Children are jumping off balconies and falling to their death. There should be laws against this device.” But politicians and activist judges so loved the concept that they made laws declaring that schools disperse these devices and teach school children how to use them. Major universities began offering degrees in anti-gravity studies. Not to be left out, the President of the United States declared gravity a thing of the past; no longer would any laws having to do with weight or gravity-related issues be in effect.
Unfortunately the death toll of anti-gravity belt users began to rise. “We’ve got to do something!” cried the victims’ families. In response to such an outcry, several leading nations formed an anti-gravity alliance declaring that gravity would no longer be tolerated. It was decided that every country in the world should be required to issue anti-gravity belts to its citizens. A few concerned citizens rose up in protest pointing out that people wearing the belts continued to plunge to their deaths, and that there was no empirical evidence that the belts worked. Politically-correct proponents were aghast that anyone would be so hateful, so they arranged for a world summit where the inventor was given the Nobel peace prize. Every ruler of every nation signed a statement declaring that the law of gravity would no longer be tolerated. It was a grand affair: attendees arrived in limousines and sported high-priced outfits. There were cameras and important people everywhere. Bands played at extravagant balls. Everyone agreed that the world was now a better place. There was world unity like never before – finally something that everyone could agree on.
People learned to deal with the continued tragedies of their loved ones who died from falls. It had become obvious that gravity was an outdated, ultra-conservative idea and that it certainly couldn’t still be killing people. The world was now enlightened and set free from such bondage.
Moral: It doesn’t matter how many people agree that something is right or wrong, there are some immutable Sovereign laws that will go on working anyway – no matter how tight we shut our eyes.
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