The Natural Mystic

There's a natural mystic blowing through the air. It's telling me that there's going to be more oppression, more restriction, more isolation. It's informing me of a law in Maine where it is illegal for adults to "look at children" in public places, and saying that there is no way one could misinterpret language that precise. For sure, adults will just have to avert their eyes, including parents, when children are out in public, or risk a felony charge. Don't ask me how I can discern the sign of the times--the natural mystic is floating somewhere in the reddening sky.

Enforcement of such a law is questionable, but its existence paves a way for a society that is founded on distrust, for there is no practical application of this law (no rational person would seek charges against someone simply "looking" at children). It exists so that it may feed into irrational people's anxieties, so only irrational and anxious people will make use of it, and otherwise good people will suffer because of it.

It may be intended to save children from "visual aggression," but it will be cited only by those who are blinded by fear. They'll see a strange man "leering" where a father is merely supervising his kids. They'll fear for the kids and want to call down justice on the man even just for putting such disturbing thoughts in their heads. The real crime is simply infringing on the comfortable sanctity of a weak mind when you commit the act of normal behavior. When we empower the irrational, we should expect them to utilize their newfound power to condemn all that is good and neighborly in the world.

Unfortunately, nothing could be more harmful to our children than inheriting a paranoid world where nobody so much as talks, or in this case "looks," at one another for fear of a weak mind's accusations. Naturally, that is the last thing the paranoid are concerned with. Where there is a wedge drawn between children and adults and all people are isolated, the paranoid are satisfied. Where there is unity, and kindness, and understanding, they are terrified. Where people gather and enjoy themselves in the park with their children, the paranoid are terrified. Where people are locked away and held up in their private homes for fear of shadows, the paranoid are comforted.

So the natural mystic is telling me we will see a day when the punishments we reserve for sex offenders are given out to all members of society equally, the young and old alike. It's telling me that we will do nothing to stop its approach, for we will be demanding it with the continuous outcry of "protect the children." With that demand, we'll see atrocity, we'll see the erosion of human rights. We'll mistake the demon of fear spreading its wings for an angel of mercy.

The mark of an antichrist is emblazoned with the words "visual aggression of children." Don't ask me how I know, a little bird told me not to worry because everything is going to be alright (in the end).