I Once Thought There Was Some Good In Everyone

Posted on by under Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Good people doing good things, guns, History, Personal, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Until quite recently, I believed that all humans were some combination of good and bad.  None of us are perfect … I sometimes have thoughts that I’m not proud of and in my 71 years on this earth, I’ve done things I now regret.  Some people have more good than bad, and vice versa, but I always believed that at the core, people were good.  I sit before you today to tell you that I no longer believe that.  I have finally been convinced that some people are just evil beings.  This realization is not a pleasant one, not one that encourages me to want to remain a part of the human species.

When there is at least a shred of decency in a person, that part of them can be coaxed, nourished, and encouraged until that person finds their conscience and realizes the error of their ways.  At least, that’s what I thought.  But, where there is not so much as a shred of kindness, of compassion within a person’s psyche, there is no foundation upon which to build.  Where the conscience should reside, there is only a dark hole.

Last Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 82-year-old husband was brutally beaten by a thug seeking to kidnap Ms. Pelosi.  Paul Pelosi sustained a skull fracture and serious damage to his arm and hands.  Most of us felt a great deal of empathy and asked ourselves … WHY???  How have we come to this point?  But, shortly after news of the attack, some people thought it was appropriate to mock, to denigrate, and to make up cruel, nasty stories about Mr. Pelosi and the attack.  ANYBODY, in my book, who cannot even have a bit of compassion for the victim of such an attack, has zero conscience, not a grain of humanity.  Yes, that means you, Kari Lake, and you, Governor Youngkin, and all those fools on Twitter who are posting memes and such that mock the seriousness of this situation.  Those people are irredeemable, for they have no core upon which to build.

Last night, we learned that a former co-worker of my daughter had been arrested for beating her 4-month-old baby daughter to death.  My daughter was devastated, remembering the years she and this woman had worked side-by-side as nurses, people whose entire focus in life was to preserve life.  A 4-month-old baby!  What the hell can a 4-month-old baby do to make its own mother so angry that she would beat it to death???  Cry?  Spit up on the sofa?  This woman is another example of someone without a conscience, someone who cannot ever be mistaken for a human again!

Until the past week, I retained some hope for humanity to win out over cruelty.  My ‘good people’ posts on Wednesdays have always been an attempt to balance out the darkness of the daily news stories by shining a light on those people making a positive difference in people’s lives.  Tonight, I must honestly say that I don’t know if I can do a ‘good people’ post this week … or ever again.  Make no mistake … yes, I believe there ARE many good people out there, quietly going about the business of trying to make this world a better place for us all, but … they are overshadowed by those who would mock, denigrate, and do violence against others.

The world has many problems, and there are many good, intelligent people trying to resolve those problems such as climate change, poverty and hunger, racism, guns, violence, wealth inequality and more, but there seem to be equally as many foolish, uncaring, conscience-less people trying to keep them from repairing the damage caused by humans for the past few centuries.  Can good overcome evil?  Until the last few days, I thought it could and likely would.  Today, I am not so sure, and that is depressing.

61 thoughts on “I Once Thought There Was Some Good In Everyone”

  1. Thank you for sharing!!.. in history’s past, with technology being what it was, a good deal of what one sees today one would not have been aware of unless it directly affected one personally.. with today’s technology one is more aware of the issues and reality… “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom” (Isaac Asimov).. 🙂

    There are those who are not aware of the issues and there are those who do not wish to know, shutting out reality… “There is none so blind as he who would not see” (Jimmy Buffet).. 🙂

    But there are many who do not get the publicity who are using that same technology to make this a better world, some YOU have mentioned here from time to time.. it will take some time as one shouldn’t over react, there will be some bumps along the way, but it will be done… “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ( Mother Teresa) .. 🙂

    Until we meet again..
    May love and laughter light your days,
    and warm your heart and home.
    May good and faithful friends be yours,
    wherever you may roam.
    May peace and plenty bless your world
    with joy that long endures.
    May all life’s passing seasons
    bring the best to you and yours!
    (Irish Saying)

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  3. When I read about the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s 82-year-old husband, I felt sick in my stomach, scared, and disgusted. I’m very thankful that he survived and will recover. Some people never recover from evil. Sometimes the good in a person has been squelched so far down it becomes smaller than any human eyes can see. But I still believe there is more goodness in the world than bad. There are more people who are mostly good than those who have succumbed to evil. I firmly believe the mainstream media’s heavy focus on evil, conflict, and ugliness feeds the toxic infection of evil. Do not let the darkness overcome you, Jill. Do not let it crush your beautiful spirit. As individuals, we cannot change the world, but we can make ripples of hope that join with the goodness of others. We can feed the goodness.

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    • Like you, I felt physically ill when I first heard of it, and more so when I started seeing the mockery, the jokes, the crassness and disrespect. WHAT has this nation become??? I am glad you still have hope, still believe that the good outweighs the evil. I have lost mine … temporarily, I hope. I’ve tried to remind myself that these horrible people are in the minority, but … the minority seems to be growing and … nobody is stopping them. Nobody is looking them in the eye and saying, “That is NOT funny and you are a cruel person”. Sigh. Thank you, my friend … I think/hope that I will bounce back soon … but at the moment I am feeling rather like an alien in a world I once thought I knew. Thank you for believing that I have a “beautiful spirit” … I don’t think anybody has ever said that to me before, and you’ve certainly brought a smile to my face with your words. Hugs

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      • If the cruel minority is growing, I believe the media focus is a factor. You are right about telling people “That is not funny, it’s cruel.” I will strive to be consistent with that. Or in some cases, I might say, “I didn’t think of you as such a cruel person, but that makes me wonder what’s happened to you.” I’m very glad I brought a smile to your face. I really mean that about your beautiful spirit. Looking at your posts over time show me that. Sometimes our hope gets knocked around a bit or buried under trash, but it’s still alive. I hope your hope grows strong for a good balance.

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        • I am 100% in agreement regarding the media focus … and with a constant stream available at the touch of a button 24/7, people can pick and choose which viewpoint they want to be true, and for them, that is then the truth. Facts become irrelevant and kindness/compassion fade into the background. Discord and chaos are so much more ‘exciting’ to them. I am currently trying to scale back a bit, to find some balance so as to pull myself out of this dark rabbit hole I seem to have fallen into, but obviously it would be impossible for me to just ignore the news, the politics, unless I were in a coma! Still, I’m trying … gotta get back in shape to keep on fighting the good fight, right? Hugs, my friend!

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  4. I remember when I was like you. It was many years ago. You’re a very lucky woman to have lived as long as you have & still held on to these beliefs. I learned the hard way, through personal experience, that there are people out there who are evil & trying to help them be a better person only makes them happy to con you into thinking they can change … as they F with you all the more. These people live to screw up other people. They’re not just characters in a movie; they really exist.

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  6. My dearest, I’m 1 year older than you, I understand and feel exactly like you. I thought good always triumphs over evil. That belief I held as steadfast is so very weakened!!
    I’m deflated, dejected, depressed … I’m so disappointed! Yep just want to crawl and stay in my bubble!! 😢

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    • Oh yes, dear Horty! You understand exactly how I feel, for you have stated just how I feel. I am thankful for my daughter and granddaughter, for I live for them and if I didn’t have them, I would have ended this life by now. Love you so much, dear Horty! ❤

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        • I do hope you get to go back … was your PR house damaged in the last hurricane? But, I do understand the obstacle of family ties … I can only imagine how hard it would be for me to pull up stakes and leave Chris and Natasha. Sigh. ❤

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          • Indeed — I really don’t have that kind of ties myself – they are MJ’s daughter and 4 grandkids. They are part of me but not like her.
            Thankfully the condo wasn’t damaged at all and it was alsmot on the path Fiona took. The people living there were, once again, w/o power for a while.
            We are thnking about traveling this month … however, I’m hesitant about being away from this ‘home’ ion view of the midterms. I really am concerned!
            Did I tell you that MJ’s only son passed away on 8/22? I can’t keep track of who I’ve told … so if I already did, please excuse me.

            That’s playing a part in all of these ,ixed feelings … adjustment isn’t easy!! ❤ …

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            • I’m really glad there was no damage to your condo! Someday, my friend, you and MJ will go back there.

              I, too, would be leery of traveling this month. Heck, I’ve told the girls not to plan on going to the bookstore or anywhere else in the days after the election, for I have a bad feeling … you can feel the tension in the air. Whatever you do, just be careful, and if you travel, send pictures!

              Yes, you did tell me about MJ’s son … that’s something that she’ll never quite get over. But, she has you and I’m so glad you have each other!

              Love and lots of hugs to both you and MJ!!!

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  8. Ah, my friend, you are not alone in this conclusion. I am there, and many of your readers too. But maybe that is exactly why it is so important to do good people posts. Because it reminds us of all the good out there. If we stop, they win even more and that just can’t happen! So, I am starting from today the “Good News Tuesday” posts again. Sending you a gentle hug and a big glass of wine 😇😁💕🤗

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    • Sweet Bee … you are a gem! A diamond! I do know that the ‘good people’ posts are important, they provide balance and give people hope … I just can’t … can’t get motivated right now. I am so happy, though, about your ‘Good News Tuesday’ posts and perhaps they will help me find my motivation! Thank you so much for the hug and the wine! I’ve enjoyed sharing both with you! Love ‘n hugs … 🤗 💖

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      • Don’t worry 🤗. Just give yourself a break🍀. You obviously need it 💕. Send your readers along to Joanna or me for the time being and when the time is right you pick it up again 🎉. And no, I am not a gem. Just a ginger with a caring heart 😇🤣

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  9. Jill, the world and America are in a very dark place, and getting darker by the day. Like you, until recently I held out hope that “good can overcome evil.” but now I see no light at the end of the tunnel if Trump-supported candidates aren’t largely repudiated in the elections next week. It’s all over but the shouting if the GOP takes control of Congress, the Senate, and positions of power in enough states.

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    • Don’t be fooled. The GOP is at war to the death on behalf of their paymasters, corporations and the super-rich.

      They will happily burn America to the ground to retain old white supremacy.

      They are happy to stoke hatred in the gullible and the mentally ill, murder by proxy.

      “An evil GOP enemy will burn his own nation to the ground .. just to rule over the ashes.”
      – Sun Tzu

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    • Yes, I think this election will be the tipping point in our democratic values. The only pinpoint of light at the end of that long tunnel is IF the Republicans gain a majority in both the House and Senate, and then bungle it so badly that even the thickest mind can see they do not know how to govern, then possibly there would be hope for a reset in 2024. With people like Herschel Walker, Kari Lake, J.D. Vance and Mehmet Oz, that seems a very real possibility, for they are about as qualified to govern as a turtle is. But, barring that, I think this nation must be renamed, for it is no longer United in the least and sadly the bullies are taking over.

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  11. Jill, I am so sorry about what your daughter was exposed to. That is beyond shameful as it is sinister. On the Pelosi front, I first thought you were going to condemn Junior’s flippant remark about Paul Pelosi for which he has received criticism. That was the gist of my post this morning. This stuff is not right regardless of party, whether the victim is named Scalise, Giffords, Pelosi, et al. Keith

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    • I fully agree … it’s something I just cannot fathom. Sadje says the mother was probably having mental health problems, and she’s likely right, but still …

      I’ve tried to tune out Junior and his disrespect for anyone, but his response shows that there do need to be some limits on ‘free speech’. It has gone entirely too far in recent years and has gotten people killed.

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  12. Your post leaves me sad – not because I don’t understand how you have reached your conclusion but because of the events which have taken you there. Are they mad or bad? Who knows? What gets to me is that in the name of ‘free speech’ they are allowed to get away with it. The freedom and lack of editorial control of the internet is a mixed blessing.

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    • It leaves me sad, too. More than a few times in the past day I have felt tears rolling down my cheeks. The state of this country is something I never imagined could happen, but nearly half the people seem to have no humanity. Free speech — there MUST be limits on it! Free speech without accompanying responsibility is destructive, or at least has the potential to be. The insurrection that was an attempted coup, an attempt to overturn election results on January 6th 2021 was called by Republicans “Acceptable Political Discourse” and they even passed a motion to make it so. Police officers were killed … how is that ACCEPTABLE??? Freedom of speech needs to be curtailed if this is what it leads to, but I fear it may be too late, that we may have passed the tipping point.

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  13. I think that you’re right about some people being only evil. As for that mother beating up her own child to death, she is definitely suffering from severe mental illness. It’s not sane behavior, evil or not.

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    • I just don’t know anymore … the bad seem to be increasing in number and the good … well, they’re still out there, but … sigh. I just … my heart isn’t into the ‘good people’ posts right now. I’m not sure where it is.

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      • That’s always the problem, isn’t it. Too many people think doing nothing is the best course of action, and with MAGAt assholes running around seemingly threatening voters why take a risk?
        I am hoping there are enough people concerned about any number of issues that may not be directly on the ballot but that will affect the whole future of the USA. We will find out sometime after Nov. 8 what their decision was. If they don’t vote, in big numbers, open up the coffin and start digging the grave…
        THIS ELECTION IS THAT SERIOUS, whether they want it to be or not!

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