Listening to Stephanie Miller this morning, I don't know whether to scream or weep.

[cilla4progress]

11. So here's my theory / take on it

I am a pagan atheist Unitarian, and but, I believe the Judeo-Christian bible, as well as Shakespeare, Twain, the Koran, Abe Lincoln, etc. all have it right: the better angels of human nature reside alongside our devils. Tribalism is inherent in human beings. It accounts for xenophobia. It is a relic of our reptilian brain, that served to help keep us alive in completely different times. There is always a tug to act in our own self-interest, including cheating and other cardinal sins, that lies within our prehistoric natures and remains within evolved homo sapien.

It is our responsibility to seek out and act according to our higher principles. This is something we have to do intentionally, rather than acting on instinct. I experience this personally at times, in human interactions.

I think this is what we are seeing demonstrated today. There is no question in my mind that some people are awakened to these essential values, while others continue to operate out of instinct and reactions that date back to a time when physical survival was all.

Those people can only change themselves, we can't change them with logic or reason, for they don't respond to that. We can only figure out how to keep humanity (and our physical world, environment) moving forward with the least amount of damage from the backward-looking people, no matter what culture they are in. I fear though they will bring us down.