The role of Science in the state of things

I grew up caressed by both art and science, but science has always appealed to me more. Art brings joy to my soul, but science satisfies my mind -- which is, as a matter of fact the more voracious of the two. I tend to analyse life from a scientific point of view with heavy emphasis on mathematics and physics. I believe, and I will die believing that this world can be modelled using only a system of complex equations. Nothing is random. Everything is based on a set of parameters and interacting systems. It is only because we cannot observe, in real time, all the interactions of the systems and measure as well as identify the parameters involved, we become confused and our minds wander off into all sorts of irrelevant regions of space and time.
There is a buffer between ignorance and enlightenment -- many of us call this buffer God. There are also hundreds of great words that fill the space as well. Words like fate, destiny, purpose, love, luck, serendipity, karma, evil, satan... these words remove us from the concept that the world is more of a machine than we would like to think. The absence of a God figure in Buddhism may offend some people but really, at the core of Buddhism is that process of becoming a scientist and investigating the world and the teachings of Buddha by direct experience. Buddhists are the scientists who attempt to quantify nothing (hey I made that up on the spot). Without the buffer, we go directly to the source to find the truth, the true meaning of life.
These things said, it is very hard for me to be hysterical or in a state of despair of what is happening in the world and in my country. I feel the effects of what is going on around me but deep down inside I know that there is a bigger picture and every event is as a result of other events and are meant to arouse later events. I am a scientist, a physicist and a mathematician. I may not have degrees in such but...

You see, I believe in THE BELL CURVE.
The two youths that murdered Sean Luke did not grow up in a void. They were influenced by the world. They most likely saw more tolerated acts around them take place. Some of these acts were punished, some were not. Some of these acts were frowned on, some were not. The main reason that I am writing this post right now is: yesterday I found out that my friend's brother of 14 years raped their 6 year old sister. I was shocked to know it wasn't the first time. I was more shocked to know that the sister confessed to having a boyfriend, and that the sister said that the boyfriend's mom said having sex is a good thing. I don't even want to think that the child is telling the truth about her mom -- I am more alarmed that a six year old knows what sex is and is engaged in it. I don't see those two youths as two mile high pillars in a bar chart of of inch high ticks and specs. No. I see them as adjacent points in a whole world of crime, madness and mahem. Stuff of that magnitude happens, perhaps every day, but not in that manner. We have grown acceptant of certain things that in paradise would definitely be considered grotesque. A murder a day is ok -- it doesn't warrant a state of emergency. Allegations of sexual misconduct are made and then in a matter of time they are forgotten. Rapes take place on a campus but the security remains lapse. Domestic violence is widespread and in some places *accepted*. I like to believe wrong is wrong -- from the white lie told by a young child, to the pastimes of a mass murderer, wrong is wrong and wrong cannot be condoned. It is our poor attidude to simple things that should not be tolerated at all leads to the escalation of the problems. It is when they are out of control then we sound the alarms. I wonder how it would be interpreted if we heard of three separate six year old boys: one buggered, one murdered and one beaten? Why isn't Akiel Chambers a major buzzword?

You see, I believe in RESONANCE.
I am not saying that society is promoting or condoning violent or unlawful behaviour, but what is getting to me is society's reaction to this thing and that and more importantly THIS thing over THAT. Children are growing up now seeing that certain things may be wrong but some things are more wrong than others. The resonance of the events happening around these boys may have led to their actions. Over a period of time the value of another human life may have eroded by what they saw on the television, video games, movies and in real life. As a kid, seeing a two ton anvil drop onto Tom's head was quite a blast. Seeing Jerry squashed behind a door was great as well. The cartoons nowadays are less goofy and more gory now with actual blood and death. The sight of an ambulance no longer inspires a sad feeling in me. Murder reports on the news are taken the same as a century or duck by B.C. Lara. Why the outrage only now? The resonance of events may not be far from the truth. Some of us remember stealing a taste of condensed milk from the tin. What happened when we dared to steal the whole tin? That analogy, coincidentally (but unintentionally) brings me to the role of parents and guardians in this. When it was known that tastes were being stolen, many said nothing, but when the entire tin goes missing then a punishment is dealt. I may be ranting about this and that right now, but by now you should get what I am trying to say. Imagine if Sharial Law were in effect here... imagine if the simple act of larceny was an outrage...

I suspect all over the country, rapes and incests are happening but hushed up by the families. I suspect Sean Luke was killed because he threatened to speak out. A Martyr? It crawls my blood to think that he may have spoken and then hushed up... oh my...

peace and love
Kwesi.