Forbidden fruit.

I’ve become near-numb to certain criticisms. Seems that for some a reference to ancient Rome means I’m a Western patriarchal imperialist, an awful lot of work, if you ask me. I think the reason for accusation is simple, but unflattering.

Believing the use of Rome signals bad things is lazy and shallow. F’r instance, decades past use of the Confederate flag was synonymous with rebels and rebellion. No Ranger I ever saw sporting the battle flag wanted to reinstitute slavery. They were young pro-union miners rebelling against authority in support of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. Not slavery.

Making slavery THE meaning and intent was-is simply lazy along with being wrong.

The same can be considered about Rome. Rolling it into a lump meaning Western Imperialism is, again, lazy and wrong. There’s more to Rome than that, which of course is difficult to know or see when a blanket judgment replaces knowing more of a subject.

I’ll give an example. Ancient Roman (and other) beliefs held a person’s first challenge was to achieve some mastery over themselves and their emotions. Lacking self-control made the individual a slave (it’s back) to the vagary of emotion, whim, the mob, etc.

Things, events and ideas are not as simple as lazy minds and easy thinking would, for convenience, have them.

Sometimes it can be embarrassingly obvious. Recently speaking, when did you decide ballrooms were a critical current topic? And where’d it go? How did Jeffrey E. clear the dance floor? Was it your idea or doing?

I doubt it.

Topics and concerns are given us, by way, I will suggest, of being sold by the sellers of such stuff. Your Reader, I’m happy and pleased to say, does not represent the low side of influencer news. Current emphasis and talk-points are driven so convincingly and often we’re to be excused for being so masterfully misled.

What, our trusted and esteemed news mislead us?

Well, yes. I don’t claim-call conspiracy. It’s more a case of persuasive and skillful steering successfully highlighting what it wants seen while blurring the background (diverse and nonconforming) unimportant invisibility.

Take (we Northlanders should know this) important issues such as racial slavery and the crucial date of 1619. Where was the Northland then? A few place names may give a clue. Du Luth, Cloquet, Brule, Petit Marais, Marquette and Saint Claude aren’t names from the original 13, are they?

Where are those names from and who applied them? If, as seems so, a U.S. President sited as infamously racist, bought Louisiana (named after who, I wonder) to expand the scope of exploitation. Is that what happened?

What went wrong with the plan to raise MN and WI cotton with slave labor? Climate, to be sure, but maybe other factors as well, such as dealing with many new-nation concerns and issues.

If we wanted to address slavery or reparations for the Northland we’d have to look at Paris, where slavery was legal, then banned, legal again, until a final ban.

It could be, having once been French controlled we owe a great deal to the descendants of Caribbean agricultural slaves. Haiti comes to mind.

We know France had multiple new-world colonies (and does to this day), but that does not get mentioned in the other story, does it? As I’ve suggested, I think our story and history is complex and interesting and not a simple Disney-like or fairy narrative. Nope.

And, I wonder how many readers recall the importance and legacy of once having been part of a French colony.

But let’s go back to the Romans, not of this continent and far enough away in time to be less immediately worrying to our mythos. As with today, saying a person must first be a master of their own impulses will go only so far as those wanting to listen. But, if most of us ignore or waste the lesson does that make it, therefore, a bad teaching? You know the answer.

The case is, known by me because I’m no more above lethargy than the next, an easier, softer road holds more appeal than a morally or intellectually difficult one. Ease is (I’m about to toss in a bit of elder Greek with the creaky Roman) an Achilles heel, area of fatal weakness.

You see, and sorry am I to break it to you, things that sound good and we think are good might hold some surprises.

Imagine you like your right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness so much and think it so grand you’d add to it, just some basics; food, shelter, medical. Good, isn’t it? Wonderful additions.

But like Eden’s apple, there’s a price. If I am entitled to, am owed food, shelter and care isn’t that the same as effectively owning those things? If they’re mine don’t I own them?

But wait, if I didn’t contribute toward those things doesn’t that put me in a category similar to the slave owner owning the labor and results of others’ effort? If everyone owns these same things how does that work? Unless I’m a slave owner-master I should not be entitled to the benefit os the work-life of others.

Unforeseen issues or consequences are typical and standard. Thinking and acting otherwise does not solve anything. Only makes things worse. If most of us would suddenly to be made rich or come into a windfall would that cure anything? Make any of us smarter, wiser, more talented or able in any way? Probably not.

The lives of lottery winners have something to tell us. Not to mention (at risk of sounding too preachy) promoting dependency of pharmacological aids is, in its way, a step-stone promotion of dependency. It is not for no reason addicts are known as slaves to their addictions.

And there we are right back to those fussy and problematic ancients preaching mastery of self. But, tis true, isn’t it, that if a person can’t reign in their own impulses, passions and desires there’s nothing any of us can do. No one can make me successful, productive or happy if I’m inviting turmoil into my life.