Lever of Aggression

"A king may move a man. A father may claim a son. But remember that, even when those who move you be kings or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God you cannot say, 'but I was told by others to do thus,' or that 'virtue was not convenient at the time.' This will not suffice. Remember that."
--King Baldwin IV (Kingdom of Heaven)

It has been said that the State does not hang a man, the hangman does. The State is merely a construct for a group of people exerting force on others. Through their actions, people decide whether they will be part of that aggression.

The hangman who pulls the lever on the gallows has decided in the affirmative. The hangman can not lay off blame for his violent actions on his job description, on the orders of his superiors, or on the expectations of the public. The hangman acts on his own volition, and he alone must answer for his aggression.

In a democracy, voters are like hangmen. They stand in the gallows of the voting booth and decide whether they will pull the lever that initiates violent aggression on fellow men. If they vote in the affirmative, then they become part of the State--that group of people exerting force on others.

These voters might rationalize that they are acting in the name of others--for the public good. They do not view themselves as thieves, slave masters, or murderers.

But this is delusional. By contracting with strong armed government agents, voters are principals of violence.

Each of us decides whether we will pull the lever of aggression.