Back in the day, before we used manacles and tie locks, we used rope or thick twine to bind the hands and feet, securing the person to a post or tree until we could deal with the criminal.
Then, once we discovered how to make metals chains, the metal bracelets and shackles became the bindings of choice. Poetically, chains portrayed the situation better than twine-tied hands, and chains made their way into literature and song, figuratively and literally.
As we evolved in our humanity, we found that words in the form of laws and the written penalties for breaking laws, could bind a thinking person just as securely as the manacles. Those who were not of the thinking class, and regrettably some of the thinkers, still needed the chains. This, it seems to me, is where our evolving humanity has stalled.
There may have been a time in our history when things were either right or wrong; black or white; true or false. Decisions to tie the hands was straightforward. Then, in Christian mythology, Eve took a bite of the apple of knowledge (I think it was a Red Delicious), which when you think of it, should have been a good thing. Alas, there was a garter snake in the grass who would use knowledge to its own advantage, arguing right from wrong in front of judges who relied on laws as far back as Hammurabi, Solon, Draco, Moses, Napoleon and Thurgood Marshall.
This is not to say that all lawyers are snakes or even reptiles.
One might be forgiven, I hope, for thinking, hoping, that more education would reduce the need for shackles. Alas, a little education seems to be a bad thing. And in many instances, it is the language we use that adds to the confusion over those old basic ideas of right and wrong, black and white, and so forth.
The English language, whose roots go back to Latin, Greek, French, German, Viking Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon and even Gaelic, complicated itself by spellings and pronunciation. English is not the only language to suffer the indignations of new technologies, discoveries, and creative spellings, that educated and semi-educated people use to clarify their muddied thinking.
Take that word ‘freedom’ for instance. I guess as long as you can spell it you can use it on a sign.
Sometimes we handcuff ourselves.
Lately, people have been asking why someone just doesn’t kill Putin and thus end the war in Ukraine. This is asked while looking at the CIA or MI6 or the Mossad, (wink, wink) because we all know, from action thrillers and TV movies, that this is how to end the conflict.
However, the lawyers, looking at precedents, history, and statutes, say that it might, in their opinion, be considered an act of war. This was the case when there was the consideration of killing Kaddafi and Fidel Castro – the latter by using poisoned cigars – but after arguments on both sides of the question, neither man was assassinated. Although, that might have been the reason why Fidel gave up smoking those good Cuban Arturo Fuentes.
Then there is the story of how a Predator drone circled out of sight while American lawyers argued about the legality of killing a wanted terrorist in case he was a top government official until some General just said drop the damn missile.
One wonders what the advisors are talking about now: how many atrocities in Ukraine before the hammer falls? Uncle Joe Biden’s announcement on Friday that ‘we’ would not fight World War Three in Ukraine may have further tied the hands of democracies. However, Joe is correct: WWIII will be fought everywhere with intercontinental ballistic missiles. And Joe, I hope you are keeping track of those Russian submarines off the coasts of North America. Darn, I should not have watched the rerun of the Hunt for Red October with that Scottish/Russian captain!
Then, of course, many of us tie our own hands by slipping on a small gold ring. Done with good intentions, these golden handcuffs are removable, and unfortunately about half the time, the ring comes off and the couple goes to talk to a lawyer. Much discussion will follow as words are exchanged about religion, finances, and moral obligations about children and property. And of course, legal fees.
The more I ponder on these ties that bind the more I think we may have been lucky that the serpent was watching, listening, and taking trial notes from the grasses when Eve took that first bite.
Just don’t call me as a witness!
