[4454] in Depressing_Thoughts
disappointment and confusion
bcb@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (bcb@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Tue Mar 29 12:58:15 1994
[details changed at will to protect the guilty until and unless I decide to
do otherwise.]
Yesterday a friend of mine asked me where he could find a certain type of
tool. I gave a couple of suggestions, and asked why he needed one. What he
told me was essentially that he intended (or at least was seriously
thinking about) committing vandalism and theft of public property.
This is not what I expect of my friends.
This is not what I expect of anyone, to be honest, but I'm realistic
(cynical?) enough to accept that it happens and even that there probably
isn't anything I can do about it in general. But damn it, this is somebody
I *like*! More than that, someone I trust.
Why does he want to do this? Does he not realize the act he intends to
perform is vandalism and theft? Does he know and not care? Is his opinion
of the rest of the population of Cambridge so low that he doesn't give a
shit if we have to pay for replacement, or worse, if that facility just
stops being available?
And what do I do about this? What I did was to say "Oh," and walk away.
I could go up to him and tell him what I think of his intentions. I could.
Instead I ignore it, and I'm deliberately over-vague about the situation
when I tell you all about it. Why? I don't know.
It is not my business to enforce the law. It is not my business to try to
enforce my personal morality on anyone but myself.
On the other hand, if this person does go ahead and do what he intends, it
will make life in Cambridge just that tiny bit less nice. Is it my business
to try to prevent that? Do I really care enough to do that, at the risk
of... what? Making someone like me less? Hell, I already like him less just
for wanting to do this.
Sometimes I think I know myself. I wish this was one of those times.
