Give the Little Guy a Break

 

While serving in the U.S. Army, I was fortunate to be stationed in Germany for two and a half years.  My unit was deployed in the countryside, away from large cities, and the people were usually friendly there.  Where I lived, the local Gasthaus (or inn) was a gathering place where people socialized, drank beer, and talked things over.  At a Gasthaus, you can enjoy a great meal, have a few beers, and get acquainted with your neighbors. 

As was sometimes the case, one night the talk around the table turned to politics and current events.  The Germans can get boisterous, and discussions can get a bit “animated.”  That night, one guy at the table decided it was time to tone things down a bit, and he said something like, “Was können wir tun? Wir sind nur die kleinen Leute.” (What can we do? We are just the little people.)  There was a lot of wisdom in that. 

It doesn’t matter how people are labeled: Japanese, Italians, Americans, Brazilians, Chinese, Nigerians, or Pakistanis.  The vast majority of us are, “nur die kleinen Leute.” 

I wish the political, military, and business leaders of the world could get it through their heads that most people are just plain folks.  All everyman wants is a chance to do meaningful work for fair and just compensation.  We want to raise our kids, worship as we choose, love our spouses, and maybe watch a little TV.  The last thing we want is to send our kids off to war or have somebody drop a bomb on our house.  That isn’t much to ask, is it? 

We the people do not know everything, but we do know that we would all be better off if the human race could learn to resolve our differences peacefully.  We know that we are all diminished when we resort to violence - regardless of what the constant stream of revenge, fighting, and killing that is fed to us by the entertainment media seems to try to teach us. 

I am not a pacifist.  If I must use force to prevent myself, or others, from being injured or killed by an aggressor, I will.  The world is a dangerous place.  If we are not willing to defend what is rightfully ours, bad people will take it away. 

Although we have the right to defend ourselves, I only hope that one day humankind will learn that we would all be better off if we live in peace. 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

(Matthew 5:9 NASB)