Gore Hits #1

     Knowledge is virtue, so the saying goes.  I believe that
virtue can create difficulty but it still remains the best
choice that people can make.
     Some would believe in blissful ignorance, preferring it
to the struggle to acquire knowledge in service of society and
oneself.  But conscientious people wish to make things better,
and that really requires knowledge.  It's also true that
blissful ignorance is likely a temporary and fleeting
condition, that has wound up tragically for the ill-informed.
     The good thing about Al Gore's book is it brings into the
debate one of many important truths, or what we think is a
likely truth, that can assist the virtuous in understanding
our world to avoid trouble and make things better for all of
us.
     It's encouraging for those who work hard for a decent
world to live in to see an important topic have a book on the
bestseller list.  Many people work hard and sacrifice so that
life can improve and be sustained for as long as possible. 
Many who struggle in life do not get the credit for bringing
into light the ideas that improve the lot of men and women and
the world.  It serves as reminder that life is not always fair
in rewarding those who contribute to society, but that doing
the virtuous tasks is necessary for conscientious people to be
content and happy.
     People that would like to live in a good world for
themselves and others cannot expect that everything works the
way they want it to.  There are no guarantees that doing
something good will get you something in return.  Things do
not always work in this way.  But if you believe in doing good
things, and can be happy for progress in general, you increase
the likelihood that the society's health and happiness will
affect you positively, and hopefully, I say hopefully, reward
you with something good.
     It's important to realize that knowledge of our world is
the key to creating a better world.  Time and effort spent
learning the many important truths that exist will allow you
to contribute to making that better world possible.