The Gravity of The Throne

Everything matters so much, and if we can make a difference we must. We can make a difference, right?  We take the bait. We sit in judgement on others. Maybe we’re better at double checking our baby’s car-seat or putting our baby to bed on her back.  We read the study because we care. If the science says it we do it. We don’t leave our kids in the car while we pay for our gas when the pump is broken. We wake them up and march them in with us. We can’t risk anything. We buy the video monitor so we can watch our children sleep because someone might steal them through the window. When someone else chooses the weak road we call CPS on them. And if a child is injured because their incompetent parent forgot to do something we put them in jail. Losing their child isn’t punishment enough. Living with the guilt of tragedy under a forever darkening sky isn’t enough. We must make them pay. There must be justice. What kind of a parent doesn’t dot every i and cross every t? People should only be allowed to be parents if they are ready to take responsibility for everything because we do. If we really try, we can protect all children. The world needs to be better, and we can make it better. When our sons can’t make it out the door to school because they’re too anxious we bring them in for medication. When they can’t focus we bring them in for medication. When they lose their temper and lash out at school the powers that be bring them to the emergency department for medication. When they lose control because they’re freaking out, and they’re stuck in a sweaty stinky little emergency room with other crazy people yelling down the hall, and they’re forced to wear psych scrubs, and all they have are video games and a coloring book—they become violent at the closest person, and they get strapped down to their bed for medication. But it’s not our fault. We did our job. We read the studies and they say it isn’t our fault. But there will be another study—just in time for us to end our lives wringing our hands—trying to find someone else to blame. We must find someone to blame. It’s all preventable. Everything bad can be prevented. It’s just a matter of finding who’s at fault. The gravity of the throne consumes us; it crushes our bones. When we are God there is nowhere to turn. Welcome to hell. 

—reh