The Wisdom of Borimir
This is going to be short. I’m sorry I have been writing so little recently. I haven’t gotten my vitamin B12 shot for a long time—more than a week overdue. Along with physical exhaustion and grouchiness this deficiency causes brain fog.
Near the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, one of Frodo’s traveling companions comes up with a plan. Instead of destroying the Ring of Power in the crack of Mt Doom as planned, Borimir reasons, why not use its powers to defend Minas Tirith and defeat Sauron? It is a source of great power after all. The city with all its people which he loves are in peril.
Frodo reminds him the Ring will always bend to Sauron’s will and warp any poor mortal who tries to wield it. Even for good. He has seen how his own foster father Bilbo barely escaped with his soul intact. The Ring warped Smeagol (another little person) into the troglodyte monster Gollum. The Nine Ring Wraiths had rings given them which Sauron used to turn them into demonic shadows of men.
No, says Borimir. He will be the exception to the rule. With him running the show, the Ring of Power will only be wielded by the good guys. The super powerful spirit who forged it and gives it all its powers while controlling it from behind can be defeated by that same Ring. (The Ring Sauron’s invisibly controlling all the time.)
That’s kind of the situation I see us in now. Many of the people who claim they want freedom don’t. Not really.
They want “their” man on top ruling over everything. They aren’t worried about how power corrupts. They don’t care about his moral character as long as he “belongs” to them. If he lies to get ahead so what? The other side does it.
Rather than freedom for everybody—including their enemies and those with different political views—they want a Big Man running everything. Showing the “other side” who’s boss.
Someone told me a few months back, “I don’t care if he lies. I don’t care if he has no moral character or conscience. As long as he’s on our side why does it matter?”
If you know he’s a liar what makes you sure he’s on your side? If he has no morals or scruples what prevents a powerful politician from turning on those who put him in when it serves his purpose?
A flock of sheep were beside a road grazing. One looked at a billboard with a grinning wolf. Vote for Big Bad.
The sheep beside her said, “Yes. He’s a predator. But Bad is our predator.”
Baaaaaah.