Category: Pivotal

A Moral Dilemma

Life is simple. Only people make it complicated. The laws of nature and those laws devised by mankind are often in conflict.

I was only 15 – she was 19 – I didn’t care that she was older!
I had a teenage crush on a young lady named Christine Keeler.

Ms Keeler and her friend, Mandy Rice-Davies, were at the centre of a scandal that shocked a nation (Great Britain). The scandal eventually brought the then reigning Government to its knees.  

But this isn’t about rehashing history. The details of this notorious event are well documented and are readily available online. See – The Profumo Affair.

British newspapers being what they are, were all over this story, covering it from every angle possible – and in the midst of all this was me, trying to make some sort of sense of everything I was reading in those papers.

I recall talking to my dad about it while we were working in the garden. We were digging up some potatoes if memory serves me correctly. As we talked, my dad saw that I was having trouble understanding the various aspects of the situation. This was when he said something that changed my life forever.

He said, “Son (he always called me son when he felt he needed to be profound), Son, there is often a big difference between what is morally right and what is legally right.”

This came as a mind-blowing shock because up until then, I thought there was only right and wrong! But suddenly, there were now two variations of what was right!

At that moment, my understanding of the world suddenly got turned upside down. Any thoughts of Christine were temporarily shelved as I focused on the implications introduced by this revelation.

After some deliberations, I asked my dad what I should do if I ever found myself in a position where I had to choose between the two.  My dad said to always do what is morally right. He explained that laws are man-made and can change over time. He added that laws can also vary from place to place. But the same basic morality is inherent in every one of us – it’s who we are – it’s what we are. 

I only wish he had explained this to me much earlier in life. It would have saved me a lot of bother even in those earlier years, especially while navigating my days at school. However, from that day forth, I have always leaned towards doing what is morally right.

In recent years, I have watched with deepening trepidation the widening gap between what is morally right and what we deem as being legally right. Not only that, but it seems that the further these two states drift apart, the more divided we all become.  The Greek philosopher Aristotle is credited with proclaiming that nature abhors a vacuum. In the same sentiment, the vacuum created between these two states is quickly filled with the less savoury members of society who are ready, willing and eager to exploit the confusion.

Foot Notes:

Here is an iconic B&W photo of Ms Keeler sitting in an Arne Jacobsen chair, taken by photographer Lewis Morley.

Shortly after this picture was published in every British Newspaper – I signed up for a photography course at college and I’ve had a love of B&W photography ever since.

© Copyright 2023 – MAC

The Wise Monkeys

When we start looking for things that are not there, we tend to find what we think we are looking for. As a result, we give credence to something that never existed.

During some research, I came upon a news article regarding the University of York (UK). It dated back to 2021 when according to various news agencies, the depiction of the 3 Wise Monkeys was taken off the University’s website for reasons that are still somewhat bewildering.

Evidently, this perplexing circumstance began even earlier, when in 2007, a group of so-called activists claimed that the monkeys were derogatory – a slight towards people whose skin colour is darker that the average Anglo-Saxon. I fail to see the connection – especially in light of the fact, the origins of these monkeys was in India – a country renown for its cast system.

It has also been suggested that the monkey with its hand over its eyes was turning a blind eye to evil. So what is it? Are monkeys derogatory or do they symbolise apathy?

This whole affair seems to be somewhat ironic in as much as, on one hand, this took place at a respected University, a place of education and higher learning. On the other hand, we have people inflicting their ignorance upon their educators, who in turn – took the path of least resistance instead of explaining to the protestors what the symbolic three monkeys represent.

It’s not my place to suggest that these educators are ill-qualified to teach at a university, or if they simply wanted to avoid any bad publicity that might be thrown in their direction. Regardless, this isn’t a simple case of the tail wagging the dog, but more about the flea wagging the tail that’s waging the dog.

The University of York, one would assume by its very nature, has an ample supply of intelligent academics. But apparently not.

So, Unlike the University of York, we decided to symbolically display the 3 Wise Monkeys and the teachings they bring to us all.

Further reading – Brass Monkeys

© Copyright 2023 – MAC