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On ManWhere To Now?Man has made tremendous progress since he found he was superior to any animal. He discovered that striking two pieces of flint together would produce a spark and that spark could cause a thing called fire. With fire he could keep warm, cook his food, and make better hunting weapons. This was man’s second major discovery; the first was that he was superior. This early man led a simple life but not an easy one. He was not entirely self-sufficient for of necessity he needed the aid of his neighbors to kill and bring home sufficient food. Until his discovery of making fire whenever he want it, he could do very little after the sun went down, but with fire he had more time to work on his personal equipment. This additional time could be put to many uses. He could repair and perfect his hunting equipment until he thought it better than any of his neighbors. He could also use this time to talk, in his own way, to his mate about the various events of the day. He learned to make himself feel good by telling his mate and offspring how bad his neighbors were at various feats, which he had learned and perfected. If this were the end of it, it would be well, but unfortunately it wasn’t. He now fought not only for survival but also to prove to others he was the best man. Yes, this early man lived a fairly simple life but he is now history and this is the modern age. The age of science, of atomic power, and of knowledge. Modern man has come a long way since the first man in many ways but not so far in so many other ways. Man has learned how to make life easier and more comfortable for himself. He has made life easier by the invention of many time-saving conveniences; more comfortable by the discovery of medicine and drugs and new techniques in the field of surgery that have alleviated many illnesses. These are but a few of the many accomplishments of man. With all of his accomplishments it would seem that man would be satisfied but apparently he isn’t. In order to do justice, we must investigate the reasons for this dissatisfied state of existence. Modern man still has some of the basic problems which have plagued man since he realized he was the superior animal. One of these is that of survival. Survival has several sub-divisions but food is perhaps the greatest. There are so many people who are living under such adverse conditions such as overpopulation that there isn’t sufficient food to meet the needs of all. Along with food shortage there is usually the lack of proper clothing and shelter, which in turn gives rise to sickness, death, and discontent. Another division of survival is protection. Protection from any individual, any nation, race, creed, or sect. If man doesn’t feel that he is adequately protected, then he doesn’t feel secure and, therefore, expends any and all efforts to obtain this necessary protection. These are only a few of the problems facing man so, therefore, it is easily seen that his life has become slightly more complex than his ancestors. As a result of these problems, man has made progress in leaps and bounds. Man has made stupendous progress in almost every field he has attempted to conquer or understand. Yes, almost, but in one he has been a complete failure: human relations. There are volumes of books on socialites, physiology, and almost every other subject that deals with man; yet with all of this research done by these authors, man still does not understand himself. Man is particularly ignorant of himself, of his race or any race, creed, sect, or nationality. Even though their various histories are known, man finds it difficult to understand and evaluate the feelings and emotions of another person. As a result, misunderstandings occur, which cause harsh words, leading to fights, mobs, and wars. Man has a tendency to degrade another human if he isn’t of the same race or religion. Each has the ability to conceive the fictitious idea that his particular brand of humanity is the best with no other equal. This type of reasoning is often erroneously referred to as loyalty. Loyalty is a necessity if any particular thing, whether fact or theory, real or imaginary, is to exist for any period of time. But we come to a question which must be answered in order to evaluate man, "Are loyalty and discrimination the same?". Loyalty is that affection coupled with the necessary actions that one has for any particular thing or object. Discrimination is to distinguish the difference between two or more objects or to place one object above another. Loyalty is based on ones preferences while discrimination is based on ones prejudices. Loyalty can be based on facts while discrimination can only be based on beliefs. Therefore, loyalty can be evaluated because there are less variables involved while discrimination is in itself entirely a variable. If either loyalty or discrimination are given improper or partial values then distortion occurs. While it is agreed that loyalty and discrimination are inseparable when both are given proper values, they should not always be thought of as always inseparable. If one is taken out of its proper place then the two no longer can exist under the heading of "similar meanings". Every since man learned to discriminate he has fiercely demonstrated his likes and dislikes. He has shown his hatred for various races, sects, creeds, and nationalities. Man through his own efforts has continually caused trouble and as of yet he cannot stop what he has started. Man still thinks the best way to settle something is to fight about it. Man is his own worst enemy. Man causes racial strife and seemingly lives off the excitement that he causes. Man in his pride cannot see that unless he stops what he has started he will destroy himself. Man has become blind to the fact that he is the problem. He has convinced himself that he is without blame in a world waiting to be dyed with the blood of all men. Man, unlike an animal, seems to enjoy sorrow and destruction. While an animal fights for survival, man fights for joy, profit, and fame. When war comes he seems to forget those who are fighting on foreign soil so he may never see the enemy conquering his native land, but he wishes the war to go on because he is making more money than ever. Man who are of the same nationality but of different races cannot get along except to defend their nation against a common enemy. War draws them together - peace splits them apart. Man not only discriminates between the various races of other nations but also chooses to do the same between races of his own nation. In his stupidity he places his race above all others thereby causing racial prejudices within the boundaries of his own state and country. As a result he weakens his nation, making it possible for it to be defeated by a stronger and better organized nation. Not only does man weaken his nation in one way but in many ways; one of which is that often the best person for any particular position does not get it because of his race. Another is that he may not be allowed to register his complaints and suggestions simply because of his race. It would seem that I am suggesting integration as a possible solution to unity. This is not a necessity for the only things required for unity are equal rights and opportunities. Segregation has proven itself to be a main factor in racial prejudices and, therefore, incapable of handling the situation. It would seem there isn’t any possible answer but for the survival of man there must be. Man originated the problem and, therefore, he alone must find the solution. The answer cannot be found by one man nor one race, or one nation but only a group consisting of an equal number of representatives from each of the above and with the cooperation of every man. This is but one of many things threatening the survival of man but with the solving of this problem the others will soon be answered. Man must hew his destiny out of the mountain of time; he must carve himself a future in the fullness of space or else he will become a small bit of filling in a limitless void. The choice is his - may he, for he must, make the correct choice. After Word Author: Don Miller
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