Reality Duels - Fighting for Your Ideals

Yesterday's Realities

Hamilton-Burr Duel - July 18, 1804The idea has crossed many voters' minds this election year that one has to be a little insane to run for high public office in the first place. So, during the debates when the spurious allegations lead to defecation (defamation) of character by the mud (poop) slinging, hopefully no political contestants will follow the Burr–Hamilton duel of 1804 - 208 years ago.

The Burr–Hamilton duel was a duel between two prominent American politicians, the former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and sitting Vice President Aaron Burr, on July 11, 1804. At Weehawken in New Jersey, Burr shot and fatally wounded Hamilton. Hamilton was carried to the home of William Bayard on the Manhattan shore, where he died at 2:00 p.m. the next day.

"Some cried out, "Murderer!", but there is, however, much evidence in Burr's defense. Had Hamilton apologized for his "more despicable opinion of Mr. Burr", all would have been forgotten. However, neither principal could avoid the confrontation honorably and thus each was forced into a duel: Burr to regain his honor and Hamilton to sustain his."

Today's Realities

Although Simon Cowell is known as a very cruel judge with debasing remarks, poor manners and boorish attitude, he certainly is predictable too.  So therefore, anyone going on his show should expect Simon's horrendous put-downs solely as pure theatrics for their way over-the-top showmanship value. It's why viewers watch the show and why advertisers pay big bucks for ad spots.

The "Britain's Got Talent" show contestant got it all wrong.  In his mind reality TV became a real world, so he was dishonored by Simon Cowell's comments. He had to avenge the despicable opinion of Simon Cowell, so he formed a firing squad into a circle with himself in the middle and fired.  And so, he proved that he had no talent or a lick of common sense either!  No wonder he lost.

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 A Correlation - Yesterday & Today Realities

As in 1804 and 2012, perceptions of events create a reality in minds of what actually was happening at the time. Towards the end of his life, in retrospect, Burr even remarked: "Had I read Sterne more and read Voltaire less, I should have known the world was wide enough for Hamilton and me." His tragic, true, belated remorse could not change the course of that eventful day.  Hamlet said it best, "There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so." 

It is power to the people verses power over the people,

which is power for all the people.

FYI: Sterne (1713–1768) was a powerful English Anglican clergyman, but a mean-tempered man and a rabid politician involved in parliamentary government. Voltaire (1694–1778) was an argumentative French liberal philosopher, reform-minded monarchist for top down rule over the uneducated, unruly masses, incapable of self-control and a skeptic of allowing republican constitutional governing rules and democratic principles supporting social equality.