http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/ Sat, 25 May 2013 16:27:27 +0000 Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:16:07 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 10.15 360 Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=354248 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com//forum_images/BHM_Logo_v5_Forum.jpg http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/ http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10172292.html#10172292 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 27 2013 at 6:16pm

Part 10 40:03

"Needless to say, I knew that we, too, on occasion, passed sentencesof death. But I was told that these few deaths were inevitable for thebuilding up of a new world in which murder would cease to be. That alsowas true up to a point - and maybe I'm not capable of standing fast wherethat order of truths is concerned. Whatever the explanation, I hesitated.But then I remembered that miserable owl in the dock and it enabled me tokeep on. Until the day when I was present at an execution - it was inHungary - and exactly the same dazed horror that I'd experienced as ayoungster made everything reel before my eyes.
"Have you ever seen a man shot by a firing-squad? No, of coursenot; the spectators are hand-picked and it's like a private party, you needan invitation. The result is that you've gleaned your ideas about it frombooks and pictures. A post, a blindfolded man, some soldiers in theoffing. But the real thing isn't a bit like that. Do you know that thefiring-squad stands only a yard and a half from the condemned man? Do youknow that if the victim took two steps forward his chest would touch therifles? Do you know that, at this short range, the soldiers concentratetheir fire on the region of the heart and their bullets make a hole intowhich you could thrust your fist? No, you didn't know all that; those arethings that are never spoken of. For the plague-stricken their peace ofmind is more important than a human life. Decent folks must be allowed tosleep easy o' nights, mustn't they? Really it would be in shockingly badtaste to linger on such details, that's common knowledge. But personallyI've never been able to sleep well since then. The bad taste remained inmy mouth and I've kept lingering on the details, brooding over them.
"And thus I came to understand that I, anyhow, had had plaguethrough all those long years in which, paradoxically enough, I'd believedwith all my soul that I was fighting it. I learned that I had had anindirect hand in the deaths of thousands of people; that I'd even broughtabout their deaths by approving of acts and principles which could only endthat way. Others did not seem embarrassed by such thoughts, or anyhownever voiced them of their own accord. But I was different; what I'd cometo know stuck in my gorge. I was with them and yet I was alone. When Ispoke of these matters they told me not to be so squeamish; they advancedarguments, often quite impressive ones, to make me swallow what nonethelessI couldn't bring myself to stomach. I replied that the most eminent of theplague-stricken, the men who wear red robes, also have excellent argumentsto justify what they do, and once I had admitted the arguments of necessityand force majeure put forward by the less eminent, I couldn't reject thoseof the eminent. To which they retorted that the surest way of playing thegame of the red robes was to leave to them the monopoly of the deathpenalty. My reply to this was that if you gave in once, there was noreason for not continuing to give in. It seems to me that history hasborne me out; today there's a sort of competition who will kill the most.They're all mad over murder and they couldn't stop killing men even if theywanted to.
"In any case, my concern was not with arguments. It was with thepoor owl; with that foul procedure whereby dirty mouths stinking of plaguetold a fettered man that he was going to die, and scientifically arrangedthings so that he should die, after nights and nights of mental torturewhile he waited to be murdered in cold blood. My concern was with thathole in a man's chest. And I told myself that meanwhile, so far anyhow asI was concerned, nothing in the world would induce me to accept anyargument that justified such butcheries. Yes, I chose to be blindlyobstinate, pending the day when I could see my way more clearly.
"I'm still of the same mind. For many years I've been ashamed,mortally ashamed, of having been, even with the best intentions, even atmany removes, a murderer in my turn. As time went on I merely learned thateven those who were better than the rest could not keep themselves nowadaysfrom killing or letting others kill, because such is the logic by whichthey live; and that we can't stir a finger in this world without the riskof bringing death to somebody. Yes, I've been ashamed ever since; I haverealized that we all have plague, and I have lost my peace. And today Iam still trying to find it; still trying to understand all those othersand not to be the mortal enemy of anyone. I only know that one must dowhat one can to cease being plague-stricken, and that's the only way inwhich we can hope for some peace or, failing that, a decent death. This,and only this, can bring relief to men and, if not save them, at least dothem the least harm possible and even, sometimes, a little good. So thatis why I resolved to have no truck with anything which, directly orindirectly, for good reasons or for bad, brings death to anyone orjustifies others' putting him to death.
"That, too, is why this epidemic has taught me nothing new, exceptthat I must fight it at your side. I know positively - yes, Rieux, I cansay I know the world inside out, as you may see - that each of us has theplague within him; no one, no one on earth is free from it. And I know,too, that we must keep endless watch on ourselves lest in a careless momentwe breathe in somebody's face and fasten the infection on him. What'snatural is the microbe. All the rest - health, integrity, purity (if youlike) - is a product of the human will, of a vigilance that must neverfalter. The good man, the man who infects hardly anyone, is the man whohas the fewest lapses of attention. And it needs tremendous will-power, anever ending tension of the mind, to avoid such lapses. Yes, Rieux, it's awearying business, being plague-stricken. But it's still more wearying torefuse to be it. That's why everybody in the world today looks so tired;everyone is more or less sick of plague. But that is always why some ofus, those who want to get the plague out of their systems, feel suchdesperate weariness, a weariness from which nothing remains to set us freeexcept death.
"Pending that release, I know I have no place in the world oftoday; once I'd definitely refused to kill, I doomed myself to an exilethat can never end. I leave it to others to make history. I know, too,that I'm not qualified to pass judgment on those others. There's somethinglacking in my mental make-up, and its lack prevents me form being arational murderer. So it's a deficiency, not a superiority. But as thingsare, I'm willing to be as I am; I've learned modesty. All I maintain isthat on this earth there are pestilences and there are victims, and it's upto us, so far as possible, not to join forces with the pestilences. Thatmay sound simple to the point of childishness; I can't judge if it'ssimple, but I know it's true. You see, I'd heard such quantities ofarguments, which very nearly turned my head, and turned other people'sheads enough to make them approve of murder; and I'd come to realize thatall our troubles spring from our failure to use plain, clean-cut language.So I resolved always to speak - and to act - quite clearly, as this was theonly way of setting myself on the right track. That's why I say there arepestilences and there are victims; no more than that. If, by making thatstatement, I, too, become a carrier of the plague-germ, at least I don't doit willfully. I try, in short, to be an innocent murderer. You see, I'veno great ambitions.
"I grant we should add a third category: that of the true healers.But it's a fact one doesn't come across many of them, and anyhow it must bea hard vocation. That's why I decided to take, in every predicament, thevictims's side, so as to reduce the damage done. Among them I can at leasttry to discover how one attains to the third category; in other words, topeace."
Tarrou was swinging his leg, tapping the terrace lightly with hisheel, as he concluded. After a short silence the doctor raised himself alittle in his chair and asked if Tarrou had an idea of the path to followfor attaining peace.
"Yes," he replied. "The path of sympathy."
Two ambulances were clanging in the distance. The dispersed shoutsthey had been hearing off and on drew together on the outskirts of thetown, near the stony hill, and presently there was a sound like a gunshot.Then silence fell again. Rieux counted two flashes of the revolving light.The breeze freshened and a gust coming from the sea filled the air for amoment with the smell of brine. And at the same time they clearly heardthe low sound of waves lapping the foot of the cliffs.
"It comes to this," Tarrou said almost casually; "what interests meis learning how to become a saint."
"But you don't believe in God."
"Exactly! Can one be a saint without God? - that's the problem, infact the only problem, I'm up against today."
A sudden blaze sprang up above the place the shouts had come fromand, stemming the wind-stream, a rumor of many voices came to their ears.The blaze died down almost at once, leaving behind it only a dull red glow.Then in a break of the wind they distinctly heard some strident yells andthe discharge of a gun, followed by the roar of an angry crowd. Tarroustood up and listened, but nothing more could be heard.
"Another skirmish at the gates, I suppose."
"Well, it's over now," Rieux said.
Tarrou said in a low voice that it was never over, and there wouldbe more victims, because that was in the order of things.
"Perhaps," the doctor answered. "But, you know, I feel morefellowship with the defeated than with saints. Heroism and sanctity don'treally appeal to me, I imagine. What interests me is being a man."
"Yes, we're both after the same thing, but I'm less ambitious."
Rieux supposed Tarrou was jesting and turned to him with a smile.But, faintly lit by the dim radiance falling from the sky, the face he sawwas sad and earnest...]]> Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:16:07 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10172292.html#10172292 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10168337.html#10168337 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 26 2013 at 8:42am

Final


]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:42:18 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10168337.html#10168337 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10166168.html#10166168 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 25 2013 at 10:28am

Part 11


]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:28:37 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10166168.html#10166168 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10165939.html#10165939 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 25 2013 at 8:20am

Part 10


]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:20:20 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10165939.html#10165939 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10161921.html#10161921 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 23 2013 at 8:57am

Part 9


]]> Sat, 23 Feb 2013 08:57:40 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10161921.html#10161921 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10161900.html#10161900 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 23 2013 at 8:28am

Part 8


]]> Sat, 23 Feb 2013 08:28:01 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10161900.html#10161900 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10160514.html#10160514 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 22 2013 at 1:11pm

Part 7


]]> Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:11:45 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10160514.html#10160514 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10155423.html#10155423 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 20 2013 at 12:05pm

Part 6


]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:05:58 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10155423.html#10155423 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10149708.html#10149708 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 4:28pm

Part 5


]]> Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:28:05 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10149708.html#10149708 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10142527.html#10142527 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 15 2013 at 8:03am

Part 4


]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:03:22 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10142527.html#10142527 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10126103.html#10126103 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 07 2013 at 1:28pm

Part 3


]]> Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:28:11 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10126103.html#10126103 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10119067.html#10119067 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 2:35pm

Part 2


]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:35:13 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10119067.html#10119067 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10118531.html#10118531 Author: tatee
Subject: 354248
Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 10:20am

The Plague by Albert Camus

Part 1


]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:20:16 +0000 http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/the-plague_topic354248_post10118531.html#10118531