 |
(Illustrative Only)
When the unwritten rules
are a little different
then the written rules.
This illustrative book
might be pulled out
by partisans, bigots,
foreign loyalists,
and good old boy networks.
For Philosophy buffs
Niccolo Machiavelli |
The story of the clan is a way to explore how hate and corruption can slip into systems thorugh a philosophical learning story. It doesn’t happen everywhere, and it isn’t common—but it happens often enough that people have raised concerns before. The problem is that complaints get ignored, scattered, or never connected into a bigger pattern. Sometimes that’s accidental; sometimes it’s intentional. People have different agendas, beliefs, and ways of projecting those beliefs onto others.
Because of that, in this learning story we rarely have an honest discussion about these issues. When people fear retaliation—especially from those who think they serve a "higher ideological purpose"—free expression becomes fragile. The foundations begin to dissipate as leaders and decision makers are caught in a cognitive loop. i.e. not being able to see the impact of choices or take in new information because they filtered out important criticims that could be used for improvement.
The clan story is a thought experiment. It’s meant to ask “What if…?” and explore what happens when justice fails. Interpretation will always vary based on someone’s political, racial, or religious background. Some people will see small differences; others will see something completely different.
In this version of the story, the clan targets minorities. They undermine constitutional values. They do it quietly for years, and complaints about them are never put together. The judge doesn’t defend the victims. In the end, the perpetrators are rewarded. The point isn’t punishment—it’s correcting wrongdoing.
Some members of the clan spread lies and hate. They kept lists, issued threats, hinted at violence, and tried to destroy reputations. They targeted intellectuals. They didn’t care if the victims were veterans, children, or women already struggling with abuse. They ignored crimes committed by their own allies. Their worldview was simple: people like them were always right, and people unlike them were always wrong. That’s not reality, but people in authority sometimes operate that way, and when they do, the damage runs deep. Equal application of the law breaks down, replaced by ideology.
Ironically, in the story, the victims believed in the Constitution more than the perpetrators, the judges, or the decision-makers. They tried to live according to those principles while others simply looked out for themselves. Hate narratives don’t survive long when confronted by essential truths of root universal principles victims sacrificed to defend. If such principles are lost, all else soon follows. But truth has a cost—it forces people to face parts of themselves they’d rather avoid. The mirror can sometimes reflect back the worst parts of a soul and the manifestation of such darkness within systems.
Rights don’t depend on race, religion, politics, or majority status. Most people accept that. Some don’t. Either way, we need solutions. We can’t allow people to be targeted, harmed, and silenced while everyone else looks away. Once a society crosses that line—once people are dehumanized—you can’t undo the damage. No appology will feel genuine. And it has nothing to do with merit; if merit mattered, the roles in the story might have been reversed.
Moving forward means electing leaders who honor their oaths, strengthening checks and balances, educating the public, and appealing to moral conscience instead of ideology. No religion was created to justify hate, yet people have twisted religion for centuries. Pretending it can’t happen today, in new ways, to new victims, is irresponsible.
We have to stay alert to anyone undermining constitutional principles. Without that foundation, everything else becomes a façade. What makes a country strong is its ability to confront challenges and uphold shared values. Our history is imperfect, but it has always involved striving. Some people choose not to strive with us—they reject those values and work against them.
That’s why the clan story exists: not to condemn a specific group of which most are just regular folks like you and me, but to show how corruption and hate can grow when no one is paying attention. Take the lesson in whatever form fits you. Rearrange it, rethink it, draw your own conclusions. If it made you think—without telling you what to think—that’s the purpose. Freedom of thought and speech comes with freedom of life and pursuit of happiness. Keep the striving alive and the torch of liberty bright for the next generation. Be free!
*This is a thought experiment so take with a grain of salt and come to your own conclusion. It is meant for debate and discussion.
