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HomeFeaturesTerry from Derry:

Terry from Derry:

Give Me Liberty with Justice

The slightest chink of reality.

It’s hard to believe, or maybe not, but people who put their faith into one person are loath to let go, no matter what the facts are. I see this with Bozo’s fans.

In some ways, you can understand it. If they allow the truth in, it would be like admitting light into a dark room. Suddenly, things are not what you thought they were, and the lies are fully exposed.

There was this Greek fella, sometime back, who spoke of this experience. I think his name was Plato. He wrote a wee story called The Cave.

In this cave were a bunch of fellas all chained to a wall. They’d never seen the light of day. Darkness was all they knew.

Then, one day, one of the guys manages to get free. And, like the good man he was, he gave in to his human curiosity.

Slowly, he made his way out of the cave. The sun shone so brightly that he couldn’t look at it. His eyes gradually adjusted to the light and began to see new things.

What he saw, he could never have imagined. All he had known was darkness, and imprisonment. Outside, he was free to explore, and discover new things.

This allegory by Plato was a parable. You know the type, stories like those by Jesus to his followers. The cave with its darkness, and imprisonment represents ignorance.

Interestingly, we often quote the saying’ ignorance is bliss,’ but why is it considered bliss? What is it about the truth that we fear it so much.

Well, for one thing, once we admit the truth into our lives, it lessens the power of the lie in our lives. It’s a painful experience.

When the unchained man returned to the cave, he desperately tried to tell the others about his experience. None of them believed him. They thought him off his head, a crazy man with crazy ideas.

Plato’s point is a simple one: if you venture out into the light, you can enjoy the light, but it will cost you. When you start to experience the truth, it’s painful.

You may have deluded yourself because it was more comfortable being ignorant. Stepping towards the light, you lose the sense of community you’ve shared with others.

Jesus said, ‘The truth will set you free.’ Someone once added to that: but first it will make you miserable.

Bozo’s fans are chained to his lies. They fear leaving the security of the big tent. He has them believing all sorts of things, he claims are the truth.

None of his followers ever fact-checks him. If they did, a chink of light might break in and rob them of their ignorance. This circus is all they have. He’s convinced them that they are going to be great again.

It’s hard to admit that it’s all a lie. It means giving up false hope. And, the big question is, what have you got if you do give it up? 

Plato’s answer is enlightenment. You’re free to make up your own mind. You’re free to use your human curiosity to examine everything that comes your way without fear of what other people will think of you.

Losing community is a painful, and difficult thing to experience, but if it’s based on a lie, it’s worth the pain. Bozo’s fans do somersaults when attacked by the truth.

Like true illusionists, they can make the truth go away. They pedal disinformation without ever questioning its validity. It’s the darkness they’ve been used to, and they can’t let it go. Whenever the truth comes to the surface, they follow his lead in creating a distraction.

The acrobats do amazing tricks, the tightrope walker braves the heights, and the trapeze artists fly. Which, if you didn’t know, is simply a show. They use their skills to avoid the truth.

If all this is true, is there any hope for us? I believe there is.

Recently, it’s come to light that Bozo was frequenting a notorious establishment that did horrible things to young girls. It’s no surprise that he was also good friends with the owner of this den of inequity.

His management team have been busy pretending there’s nothing to see here, but they can’t quite shut the door on this one. Pretending it exists when it suits, and then saying it doesn’t exist, means even a blind man can see it doesn’t add up.

The more you try to suppress the truth, the more it bubbles up to the surface. One of these days, a brave woman or man shine a light the truth by opening a door that can’t be shut, and Bozo will be exposed.

People will be disillusioned; they will see the sham they’ve come to believe in as nothing but a con man eager to avoid prosecution. I feel sorry for his followers; it’s never easy to give up on a false hope when you’ve invested your life in defending it.

Others, who you thought were your friends, will start to call you crazy. You will be ostracised by those you thought were family. In the cold light of day, you begin to realise the truth isn’t always easy to live with, but it’s better than the lie.

Rejection by those you thought of as family or friends exposes the truth that they value the falsehood more than familial or friendship ties. When it’s discovered that Bozo cares only about self-preservation, and his followers are merely used to keep the truth at bay, there will be a rude awakening. The light will fill up every dark corner, and the big tent, you’d come to believe in, will come crumbling down. 

Terry from Derry: Angels & Empty Pages
John O'Brien, Jr.
John O'Brien, Jr.https://www.iirish.us
*John is a Founder and the Publisher and Editor of iIrish; a Founder and Deputy Director of Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival for more than 35 years; an archivist, spokesman, emcee, Spoken Word presenter and author of five books, so far.
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