In our splendid age of information, we are still plagued by the unintended consequences of so much misinformation. This human flaw -- misunderstanding the Other -- has been central to our stories from "Oedipus the King" to "She Stoops to Conquer" to the famous ending in "Gone With the Wind" when Rhett misunderstands Scarlett's late-discovered love for him. As he snarls the classic line, 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!' every woman in every audience has for 72 years wanted to yell out: No, no, you don't understand...!
In plays and movies, the angst of watching such moments is brief. However, in life there is more than temporary angst. There is unforgiving tragedy. As in the case of how our flawed humanity has misunderstood so many for so long. The psychotic...the mentally-challenged...the deformed...the mystic ...and of course those of a different sexual orientation.
This human penchant for disdaining the Other has plagued our progress for tens of thousands of years. Just this week Illinois finally became one of the states at long bitter last to make civil unions legal. And one expects eventually marriages. And those who continually claim the moral high ground on matters from marriage to vaccination continue to find themselves tripping off their own pedestals.
Of all places to get a lesson in the madness of stubborn misunderstanding, the US Navy would seem an unlikely source. But let us together review this actual radio conversation released by the Chief of Naval Operations from an exchange >>
# 1: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid collision
# 2: Recommend your divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South
# 1: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course
# 2: No, I say again, you divert YOUR course
# 1: This is the aircraft carrier Enterprise, we are a large warship of the US Navy. Divert now!
# 2: This is a lighthouse. Your call...!
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