Peace

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In the course of my writing, I had meant to discuss the Rights of Man at some length. I still mean to, but recent events have humbled me, making me see the cost and purpose of some of them rather more directly.

Amanda Twellman has arranged with Medarex to get the drug she hopes will cure her cancer, and I pray God that this is a true hope. But looking at her case from an idealist POV, I see something about how the way these ideals and rights work.

Today, I want to share thoughts about Peace. To many people, peace is fairly simple, a freedom from trouble or violence, perhaps a serenity in spirit. But years ago, I had a thought which still strikes me as the most valid definition: Peace is the sense of things being as they should be.

In the matter of Amanda Twellman, the woman faces a threat against her life. Medarex faced a threat which could potentially destroy the company and undo years of research. And thousands or blog readers were upset that a decision of this importance had to be handled in an atmosphere of conflict and bureaucracy. There could not be said to be peace in this matter for anyone.

Then an agreement was struck, privately, between the Twellman family and Medarex. The details were not released, but the effect appears to be one which is acceptable to all the concerned parties. Even though it’s far too early to know whether the drug will destroy the cancer as hoped, and even though there is a lot of hard work ahead for both the Twellmans and Medarex, one clear result is that a new condition has been created. One with peace and honor.