I can't say that my thoughts were all that clear and centered that day, or at any time in my Army time.  About all that comes to me now is that I thought that life should be fair and was offended by the idea it would not be; or that unfairness would be so easily tolerated by people who could change it. It would also seem that as unnecessary as it might be, I am determined to hold my breath until I turn blue to inflict punishment on the whole world for the injustices.  What I need to do is recast that experience and put it - - and all other unfairnesses into a different context.

There certainly is much injustice in the world and that weekend pass is lost in it.  Perhaps it is a commentary on the state of humanity that we so readily accept injustices collectively and individually while we seemingly are blind to love and abundance.  Consider Hitler and the Nazi movement; the scope of the injustice presented to and accepted by humanity through their actions.  In the span of little more than a decade millions of lives were summarily ended at the hands of this evil.  There are other cases recorded before and after of great destruction of life equally appalling.

Now consider the "senseless acts of kindness" which have swept across the canvas of humanity  .  .  .  .  .  .  The only one which comes to my mind is the Christian movement - - but I hasten to acknowledge the limitation of my knowledge.   Allowing that other writers are more knowledgeable of other movements such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism, allow me to use Christianity as an example.  My point is our collective willingness to accept misfortune and our apparent unwillingness to accept love, kindness and compassion which, I submit, is in greater supply.

The basic teachings of Christianity - - common to all its variations of church structure and denomination - - are to love your neighbor as yourself and to accept the "kingdom of God", a place of peace and love.  These are not such dreadful requirements.  I venture to say that in the two thousand years of Christianity its real effects on humanity barely surpass that of Nazism's decades.

What strikes me, again, is our willingness to embrace injustice and refusal to accept love and peace.  We even distort love and peace as is evidenced by the wars brought on in the name of religion.  And what does this say to me?  Rather than being offended by the denial of a weekend pass, perhaps I should have been grateful for the shelter and food and free time I did have.  Perhaps I should have even reveled in knowing that I was less prepared to kill another human being.  But, that opens yet another door.