The Hunger Games

I just finished reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins for the second time. And, I’m angry.

Wait. I’m not angry at the quality of the book, the plot, the characters, or the author. I’m angry because of the quandary posed to us by the existence of good and evil, whether it is in the fictional world of Panem or the real world of Earth. Some things are just inherently good while others are inherently bad. Knowing the difference shouldn’t be hard.

The anger comes from the uncertainty of many situations that come up in life. Some situations do not have an obvious right or wrong answer. The problem I have is with people who think they know what is right and what is not in EVERY situation, whether they are faced with the decisions or not. In The Hunger Games, the authorities have a set of principles they live by. When those principles are questioned, no matter how subtly, the authorities cannot adjust their views. The question of life or death becomes a political decision for the authorities. But, it is not for the main characters. The question becomes quality of life or death and politics play no role.

There are times when I am faced with decisions where there are no totally good choices, just choices of good or bad in degrees, far from perfect choices. Yet there are people who think they know the only possible right or good choice in these hard decisions and callously hold onto their principles without listening to possible other views. My decisions may not be life or death, but they do involve quality of life or death. Those that would dogmatically say my decisions are bad, evil, or wrong without listening to my views are no better than the government authorities in Panem who declare murder to be a spectator sport.

I could get specific in my examples, but I would rather leave room for each to determine for his- or herself where his/her views may need adjusting. Care must be given to think outside the box of whatever earthly authority one claims to fall under. Is murder your spectator sport? I hope you can adjust your views if necessary.