A Symptom Of A Huge Problem

Today I listened to a man I've known for 27 years tell a gripping story, that sadly captures our less evolved human nature.

Last weekend, this divorced man took his teenage son with him to Las Vegas to see a Cirque show and to have some father-son time. While the son was in the hotel room, this man went downstairs to play craps and bet $10 on a role of the dice.

As he told the story, he won and took his $10 winnings. The man next to him claimed that was his $10 and insisted upon having it. The man I know said no, it was his. The other man stormed away in anger and then returned a short time later this time threatening the first man. They nearly got into a fist fight until the first man, looking at how big the second man was, grudgingly gave him the $10.

The man I know was furious at the casino for not intervening to protect him. As a result, all week long he has been telling his many clients this story and condemning the casino. In his telling of the story he claims he was ready to grab a beer bottle and break it on the other man's head.

When I asked this successful businessman why he didn't cordially let the other man have the $10 in the first place as financially, the $10 would mean nothing to him, he replied, "that's not the point." He explained the $10 was his and the other man was not entitled to it (that is he was not entitled to it until there was nearly a fist fight).

When I asked if all this anger was worth the $10, he explained that the other guy and the casino are at fault and that he is going to do everything he can to punish this casino by telling his clients about it, some of whom are gambling "high rollers."

I then asked him the impact his anger had had on his impressionable son, and he at first implied he had shielded much of it from him. But as he spoke, it became apparent he had not shielded his anger from anyone.

Whether it is an incident like this over $10 or road rage and all of its threats and violence or stadium rage against those who cheer for the "other" team, or the U.S. attacking two nations supposedly over 9/11, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, this is where anger, fear and ego can easily take us, as we lose all sense of humanity and perspective.

We as mankind are intelligent beings and it is my hope that we are capable of rising to a higher level and resolving our many problems together amicably. It is my hope against long odds for threats and violence are often our first response as they frequently have been throughout our history.

Dick