Guilt (Brian Hickey IX)

For the past 1 1/2 weeks, many friends of Brian Hickey have lived under the assumption that the person who ran someone down with a car must be filled with guilt.

But I wonder.

It’s cliche to say humans are inherently good. But I wonder. I think about that man who was trampled to death in the Wall•Mart on Black Friday; about the greedy corporate SOBs who gave hundreds of thousands of mortgages to people who can’t afford them; to the leaders who fudged the intelligence to lead us into a war that has killed thousands; to the gas and oil executives who raise prices when demand is at its highest; to the CEOs who use the poor economy as an excuse to lay people off, even when profits are stable.

I truly try and see the good in people. But right now, in many ways, I’m struggling. Somewhere out there, a man or woman who ran down Brian Hickey is sitting in a house or apartment, kicking back and watching TV … sleeping in a comfortable bed … getting up and making breakfast. Maybe he/she feels guilty. But maybe he/she doesn’t. Maybe, instead of being inherently good, we actually have to fight and scratch and claw not to be bad. Maybe goodness has to be taught, not expected.

For the record, I’m not saying I’m any different. We all have greedy moments; selfish moments; crappy moments. But, well, I try and fight them off.

I try.