Recently, I came across a difficult question: what would you do if you could live a day without consequences?
When you hear a question like that, there a bunch of stereotypical things that come to mind. One of those "day without consequence" questions ended up creating the movie "The Purge," and many of us know how that turns out. Most people automatically think of committing crimes - what else would you do when there are no consequences to your actions? I am not trying to claim that my thoughts are any different, but once I really thought about it there were a few things that I would want to do.
First, I would rob a money-sucking corporation....
and use the money for good. I would pay off all of my debt, all of my friends' debt, and my family's debt. That would take a huge weight off of our shoulders, and that would remove any guilt that I might have after this day with no consequences. Not only would I pay off debt, but I would donate to charities like crazy. I would donate to Planned Parenthood, Operation Smile, Feed My Starving Children, and others. I would send all the money I could to research facilities that are working so hard to find cures for different diseases. I would give everything I could to those in need during this day.
Secondly, I would steal everyone's guns, and....
get rid of them. If no one has guns, no one can get shot. I know this is unrealistic, and I know some people use their guns for hunting. But guns kill people. Don't try to talk to me about "people kill people" because yes, they do, but guns make it unbelievably easier for people to accidentally kill another human. Toddlers kill their baby siblings all the time because their parents leave the guns in a place that is easily accessible. In one day of no consequences, trying to do this by myself... it would be nearly impossible. But if I got others to feel as strongly as me, we could do a good in this world.
Lastly, and possibly most importantly, I would....
have conversations with others. This seems odd, right? I can have conversations every single day. I do have conversations every single day. But in what world are there no consequences to talking about worldview with other people? Everyone who talks with others - particularly others with opposite views - has to deal with the consequences in one way or another. Sometimes this means that someone you thought was your friend is no longer your friend. It might mean awkward family dinners or even moving out of the house because you have opened up about yourself when you, apparently, shouldn't have. Every single conversation has the possibility of ruining a relationship. If I had a full day where this wasn't the case - where I could just converse with others and it would not affect me in any way - I would take the opportunity to converse with others. I would go to prisons and hear the inmates' stories. I would talk to the most conservative person I know and try to see their reasoning without fighting about it. They would have to listen to me as well, and maybe they would see where I am coming from. Conversation is one of the most important things we do as humans, and so many are afraid to do it nowadays. We need to realize that we need to respect each other as a species so that these consequences are no longer frightening.
Of course, a day without consequences is pretty much impossible. If it happened, there would be a lot more negative change in the world than positive. If each person had their own separate day of no consequences, it may be a different story. However, we have to learn to connect and try to realize that sometimes the consequences of actions are necessary, but other times they really aren't. All I can ask of this world is that we respect each other more than ever before in these changing times, and try to remember that we're all human.
