On a whim…

Every human being has a duty to humanity.
That’s not a slogan. It’s a fact.

We like to imagine duty belongs to the ones in uniform — soldiers, officers, firefighters — the ones who put themselves between us and danger. And we tell them, “Thank you for your service.”

But if I’m honest, I hear something else under those words:
“Thank God you did it, so I didn’t have to.”

That’s not gratitude. That’s relief wearing the mask of virtue.

Their duty does not excuse ours.
Their courage does not cancel our obligation.

Every parent, every citizen, every neighbor — every human — carries a duty that can’t be delegated:
the duty to act humanely toward other humans.

Once upon a time we knew the rule:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Now, too often, the rule is this:
Do unto them what you imagine they’ve done unto you.

That’s not righteousness. That’s rot.
And if we keep walking that road — nursing our injuries, feeding on resentment, and calling it justice — we’ll damn ourselves.

And when we finally reach hell’s gate, even hell itself may whisper,
You’re too far gone to live here.

⸻