Those of us old enough to remember the late iconic radio broadcaster Paul Harvey recall his wisdom and deeper insights into the foibles of the human animal.
Perhaps his most famous broadcast was one delivered more than 50 years ago titled "If I Were the Devil." I doubt many younger Americans are familiar with these words, which today, with our nation and the world embroiled in turmoil, seem more relevant than ever.
It's with that in mind that I republish his essay below in hopes of inspiring deeper thoughts among each of us and that readers will share them with the coming generation of Americans so they might see just how remarkably prescient the late Mr. Harvey was about the nation he loved.
"If I were the Prince of Darkness, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness.
"I'd have a third of its real estate, and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree--thee.
"So I would set about however necessary to take over the United States.
"I'd subvert the churches first, and I would begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: 'Do as you please.'
"To the young, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince the children that man created God instead of the other way around. I'd confide that what's bad is good, and what's good is square.
"And the old I would teach to pray after me, 'Our Father, which art in Washington ...'
"Then, I'd get organized. I'd educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting.
"I'd peddle narcotics to whom I could. I'd sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I'd tranquilize the rest with pills.
"If I were the devil, I'd soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves until each, in its turn, was consumed.
"And with promises of higher ratings, I'd have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.
"If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellect, but neglect to discipline emotions. I'd tell teachers to let those students run wild. And before you knew it, you'd have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.
"Within a decade I'd have prisons overflowing and judges promoting pornography. Soon I could evict God from the courthouse and the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress.
"In his own churches, I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science. I'd lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.
"If I were the devil, I'd take from those who have and give to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.
"What'll you bet I couldn't get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich?
"I'd convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, and that what you see on television is the way to be.
"And thus, I could undress you in public and lure you into bed with diseases for which there are no cures.
"In other words, if I were the devil, I'd just keep right on doing what he's doing."
What truly matters
Many of us who've lived long enough have learned to resist the urge to be impressed by money, titles, followers and degrees, all of which only serve an individual's shallow ego.
It's far better to be impressed by one's integrity, kindness, humility and generosity, all of which memorialize a person's limited lifetime.
Think I'm joshing, valued readers? Reflect on your own life and those things you recall about the ones now gone who made positive and lingering impacts on your life.
Value of credibility
I've written previously that during a friendly game of golf 15 years ago, a friend asked if I knew what wasn't of value at the time, yet would become valuable monetarily within a relatively short period.
I gave up after a few mistaken guesses. That's when he smiled and said, "credibility, my friend; simple credibility in the information we receive will be worth considerable amounts of money, and probably within the next two decades."
It's worth reminding myself and others that I didn't appreciate his prescience until arriving at today's much different America, where flagrant lies, hypocrisy, chronic deception, self-aggrandizement, party politics over our country's welfare and other forms of evil have become prevalent.
Now go out into the world and treat everyone you meet exactly like you want them to treat you.
Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master's journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.