Solomon's Private File #154
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 21 in this story, in the Spring of 2047.
Solomon's Private File #154 "Real Men Don't Murder"
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Iron Lady asked to see me. She said, "One of our Senior Martial
Artists was murdered." She gave me the info, and I looked, and time
dived for more. I said, "Ambushed by gunmen, for being what he was.
They thought he wasn't a Christian, and they were. They're going to
have a meeting tonight. Want to come along?" She said, "I do!" I said,
"And belted." She said, "Inform the others?" I said, "Sure, and if they
want to join us, also belted. Going to be recorded and broadcast,
after." We all met before the action. I said, "We have to do this
legally. They're meeting in a church, so, while we won't be invited, we
won't be trespassing. Preacher there doesn't know they committed
murder. He wasn't going to be there. Should we ask him?" They all
agreed. I called him and said, "Good evening. This is Solomon. I
realize you might not believe me, but you will as this communication
progresses. I have some questions for you that might seem insulting,
but I really do need the answers, and this involves a very serious
matter. Do you support the murder of another person who has not harmed
anybody?" He said, "I don't know what you're getting at, fully, but I
suspect that somebody I know has done that. I do NOT support the
killing of anybody except in absolute immediate self defense." I said,
"The murder in question was a conspired planned ambush. While it might
not match the federal guidelines for a hate crime, it was so in truth.
The victim was killed for who he was, and his accomplishments."
He said, "You are telling me this because I know those people who did
it?" I said, "I don't know if you know them, or if you do, how well,
and I don't know if what you may have said to them played a part in
their motivation, but your present concern is that they are now meeting
in your church, and I will be visiting them there. I will not allow
them to be warned. The reason for this call before the fact is to offer
you the opportunity to be present and a witness to this action. You
will be protected. All will be recorded." He said, "You will not harm
them?" I said, "I will not, physically, but I may seriously intend them
to believe I will." He chuckled and said, "I see. You want a
confession." I said, "In a church, apropos, don't you think?" He said,
"I do." I said, "I will be bringing some others with me, friends of the
victim. One is an accomplished lawyer. The time is now. Will you join
us?" He said, "May I have a few minutes to dress appropriately?" I
said, "To avoid our recording being relegated to late night cable TV,
absolutely!" He said with a laugh, "Now I know it's really you." I
growled and he laughed. He said, "I'll step outside for you to port
me."
Our group ported to outside of the church, and I ported the preacher
to join us. He looked us over and said, "I suspect something. The
murdered man was a martial artist?" I said, "Yes. And they killed him
for that. There is more, but they should tell us." He nodded and said,
"You have my full support." I said, "Thank you." We walked into the
church, and to where they were meeting. One look at us, and they all
jumped to their feet. I said to them, "Good reflexes you have. Martial
artists?" They were confused. One, the obvious leader said, "Who are
you?" I said, "I think you know. I'm Solomon. With me are some Senior
Martial Artists, and he who is in charge of this Church, Pastor
Williams. My friends here are very angry with you. They have some
desire to express that anger. How do you feel about that?" He yelled,
"They can't do that! It's against the law!" I said, "Why should that
matter to you, who don't respect the law yourselves?"
He said, "We DO respect the law!" I said in a thunderous voice, "Do
not LIE in the House of your Lord!" Made them jump, including the
Pastor, but not my group. I said, "Oh. Sorry. That happens sometimes.
Annoying, actually, but He's amused by that." The preacher said to me
get to choose. Anyway, back to the murder." I said to the perps, "You
know of the murder of the martial artist. Why do you think it happened?
Come now, you can tell us. I'm not asking you to say you did it, I have
a full video recording of the entire thing. How else would I know and
be here for that? So, what do you think were the reasons?" One said
before they could stop him, "He wasn't Christian!" I said, "Oh. So you
believe that all those who you THINK aren't Christians, should be
murdered?" He looked surprised and said, "Well, not exactly." I said,
"Good, and for you, because YOU aren't a Christian. REAL Christians,
Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists, don't commit murder, a most serious sin."
The preacher said, "That's true." One said, "But Muslims do it!" I
said, "No matter what they say they are, who murder, they are NOT of
those religions, which strongly prohibit it. I have been in all of
those religions in past lives, so I know this more than most. But I
don't think that is why he was murdered. Tell us the real reason." One
said, "He thought he was better than us!" The leader said, "Shut UP,
you stupid mother fucker!" He moved to hit him, and I blocked it with
the 4th. I said, "You will not harm any person here. Don't bother to
try it."
I said to the man who spoke up, "Tell me, can you read thoughts?" He
said, "No. What kind of question is that?" I said, "A logical kind. You
told us what he thought. How can you know that unless you can read
minds?" He said, "Oh." I said, "Did you hear him SAY that?" He said,
"No. But I know he did think that." I said, "So how did you know?" He
said, "I just did." I said, "If you keep saying that, I think you're
going to make your friends afraid of you, thinking you go around
reading people's minds without their permission, including theirs. They
might even want to kill you for that, who have demonstrated that they
don't have any problems doing that for much less." His friends actually
looked nervously at him, and he was really in a quandary. I said, "How
about we do this a little differently. Suppose I say what I think is
the real reason for his murder, and you tell me if it's true." He
nodded in vast relief and said, "Please!" I said, "Because you believed
he was better, and wanted to think he thought that, to justify killing
him out of jealousy and revenge." They were stunned. Another one said
in surprise, "Yes! I see it now, you're right! That's why we killed
him. We didn't want to believe he was better than us. And we proved it,
too!" The leader was really swearing then. I said to him, "Silence!"
His mouth moved, and no sound came out. He was afraid. I said, "If you
will maintain a clean mouth, I will restore the sound of your voice. Do
you agree to that?" He nodded very energetically. Then he said, "Ug!" I
said, "Well, that wasn't what I was expecting." Some chuckles. I said,
"Yes, I know. Now you know it's really me." More chuckles.
I said, "More questions come from that. Do you think that all people
who you think are better than you, should be murdered?" They thought
for a while, but didn't know how to answer. I said, "Now how about we
reverse that. Are YOU better at some things than some other people?"
They nodded. I said, "So according your reason for murdering people,
they should be allowed to kill you?" Silence. I said, "Come on, you can
answer. Don't play stupid with us." One said, "You're right. We didn't
think that way. We should have." I said, "Why didn't you? I see you
don't think you know. I'll tell you, but you have to admit it then.
Agree?" Some nodded. I said, "He was a martial artist, able to fight
very well, if he needed to. You felt your manhood, or what you thought
you should be as a man, was threatened. You felt something less than
the man you thought you should be, and wanted to be, because of that.
You were afraid your women and fellow men would sense and think that.
So you discussed killing him, with your friends, to make yourself look
more manly to them, and they did the same. Soon that evolved into
oneupmanship, talking big, each trying to be more manly than the other,
until you all plotted to do it. Then you shamed each other into
actually doing it. He was a good man, who helped children to become
better people. You knew that, but you wouldn't let it stop you. You
fooled yourselves into believing you couldn't be real men until you
killed him. Tell me the truth before God in His own House; am I right?
Is this the reason for you murdering him?" My Ki was flowing then, with
the urge to confess. One burst out crying, and said, "Yes! I have to
admit it. That's why we killed him! It was wrong. I don't feel more of
a man now, but less!" Others said much the same.
I said, "But there is more. You KNEW you, each of you, weren't man
enough to do it, to face him alone. You KNEW he really WAS better than
you, in all the things you admired and wanted to be. That's why you
needed ALL of you to do it together. An ambush at night. Hunting him
like an animal, and you LIKED that. You ENJOYED that. Tell me! DIDN'T
YOU?" One yelled, "Yes! Yes, it's true! I did feel that way! I'm very
sorry!" He sobbed his heart out. Others said similar things, including
the leader. I motioned to my belted people. They knew the plan, even if
they hadn't believed it. They moved toward the perps. I said, "No,
don't be afraid. This is what REAL men and women do. They put their
personal feelings aside for the common good." They hugged. More crying.
My people returned to me. I said to the perps, "Would you like me to
tell you how you can regain your manhood in the eyes of the world?"
They looked at me in wonder. I said, "I see that you do. Confess to the
police. Take your just punishment as REAL men should. You might not
believe me, but you know I don't lie. It will actually make you feel
better. Yes, strange, but true. You know it's true, because just my
saying what you can do, has made you feel a little better." They knew
it, and nodded.
I said, "Would you like me to tell you about one more thing you can
do to make it even better?" The leader said, "Yes." I said, "All this
has been recorded. To help prevent something like this from happening
again, would you allow this to be broadcast on TV, as an important
public service?" One said, "I want that, yes." After a while, the
others nodded. I said, "Ready for the police now?" Some nodded. I
allowed the police to come in. I said to them, "You saw and heard
everything. They confessed. Here's a recording. I think they will
cooperate. Please treat them well." The Sergeant nodded. The perps were
handcuffed and led outside to the waiting transport.
The preacher turned to me in awe, and said, "That was amazing!" Iron
Lady said, "I have to agree. You, the most powerful living being in the
universe, didn't use any of your special powers to convince them to
want to tell the truth." I said, "It's not as amazing as you think.
They wanted to. They were feeling very badly for what they had done.
They didn't know it consciously, but they felt a need to be punished
for what they did. They weren't actually bad people, despite their very
bad deed. Just foolish and selfish. All I did was to make it easier for
them to do what they, in their hearts, really wanted to do. They were
hurting inside. I'm a teacher. I helped them to learn. I'm a
psychologist. I helped them to heal, and the family of the victim to
feel a closure, that justice was served. Why, is because that's who and
what I'm for, as a human being, as a Rabbi, and a directed but very
willing servant of God. Simple as that. No special powers are needed to
help people to know what is right, and understand their duty to their
fellow beings. We all can and should do this." All were in awe. The
Preacher said, "You will include this in what you give to the media?" I
said, "If you request it, yes." They all did.
I said, "Recording is ended." I said to the preacher, "I told them
they were needed to hug the murderers. They didn't believe me. Think
they'll doubt me again?" He looked even more amazed and said, "I think
not!" I said, "No, I think they will. Even my own group, who really
should know better, sometimes doubts me." Mom said in the air, "He's
right, darn it!" Chuckles. I said, "My mother." More chuckles. I said
to them all, "You each have advanced beyond what most would consider
ordinary human beings. You, with your closeness to God, and you, with
your hard earned physical and mental abilities. With that condition
comes responsibilities toward your fellow less advanced human beings,
to lead them to improve themselves with justice and love. Because you
can, you must. You lead first and best with who you are. I know you do.
I see it. The reward may be mostly in the doing of it, instead of
seeing results, but you DO help people, and you WILL continue to do it,
with love and dedication. I have no doubt of that. Now to return. Port
to points of origin?" They all nodded. I said, "I think, hugs, first?"
We did that with love, one at a time, and porting. I was alone, and
then ported home.
There were a lot of us there. Mom spoke for all, saying, "Wow!" I
said, "I hear that a lot." Then I was mobbed with hugs and kisses. I
said, "Stop! I'm tired of this. I do this because I'm in the open, so I
can and should, but what I do isn't special or unique to ME. ALL of
you, each one of you, can do all of this just as well, and maybe even
better at times. Just because you haven't had the opportunity to
practice this, doesn't mean you can't. We aren't that different in the
necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities. Don't tell me we are. We
are more equal than I think you want to think, and I love you all the
more because of it. Don't make me feel alone in this. PLEASE don't! I
am OF you, not above you!" I cried. I was hugged. I said, "I'm sorry I
made you feel bad." Galya said, "Don't be." I said, "Okay, I'm not."
And a rude noise. Laughter, and more hugs and kisses, but without extra
praise.
After the extras left, Mom said to me, "Well managed. This here, more
than there." I said, "Oh, you caught that?" She said, "No, but you just
confirmed my suspicion." I gave her a BIG rude noise, and she laughed.
She sent the recording to CNN, with a list of the people in it, and who
they were. I got a call right way. I said, "Think I can guess what this
is about?" He chuckled and said, "Yes. Would you comment on air?" I
said, "You had to ask, but you knew I wouldn't. There isn't any need."
He said, "Not your need, but we always need more." I said, "Tough!" He
laughed.
That recording was played a lot, and caused a lot of comments, mostly
good. What I said at the end, drew praise from a lot of religious
authorities. Then the BIG surprise. The Ayatollah came out and gave me
praise for all of it, saying he could see parallels in what I did and
said, the whole situation, to a lot of what was bad in the world. That
drew a LOT of surprised comments from the media, and more agreement
from a lot of different people. We had a group meeting. Mom said to me,
accusingly, "You did that, and that way, for more than we assumed!" I
said, "When do I not?" That set them aback. Hawk said, "Right. Our
fault. Ayatollah being wiser than us; REALLY our fault." My big grin
made him laugh. Daren said, "Tell him? Deserves to feel good about
that?" I looked at Mom. She said, "Thank you. Yes, I agree."
I asked to meet with the Ayatollah, privately. I ported in, and we
hugged. I said, "There is something you will like to know, that you do
not expect. Before that, I should thank you for your comments on my
latest news release. I send them to the media specifically for that.
I'm only one man, only one voice. Just me saying those things, is like
shouting alone in the wilderness. It's the comments that what I express
cause, that make it live for people, that might actually help to make a
positive difference in the world. And for your information, negative
comments are just as good as positive, for what I intend." He grinned,
and said, "I didn't think about all that, but I agree with your
reasoning. I am grateful that you have come to talk to me about it." I
said, "Does it surprise you that you were the first to see and
understand why I did what I did that way, and for the media?" He said,
"A little, yes. And disappointed for that, which was why I had to
comment." I said, "Now for what I started in the beginning. My own
group, who are only a little less intelligent than I am, didn't notice
what you saw, and yes, I have their permission to tell you that." He
was too dumbfounded to say the usual wow.
I said, "I absolutely LOVE giving well deserved surprise
compliments." He matched my grin. I said, "And I really enjoyed the
reaction of the people who did NOT at all expect anything like that
from you. You know what I mean." He grinned even wider. I said, "I
think you've just discovered you can't talk well that way." He laughed.
I said, "Seriously, you have been discovered by the world to be a very
intelligent and perceptive person, who did not know that before, and
would have not wanted to believe you could be. How could I not love
that?" He pushed his humility at me. I said, "May I have your
permission to say something like that to the media?" More surprise. I
said, "If you have a heart attack in surprise, I will be VERY annoyed."
He had to laugh. He gave that permission, and we hugged with love.
I sent this statement to CNN. "I wish to thank all who expressed
comments about my recent er, action involving a murder. I found them
all to be interesting, and some to be very wise and thoughtful, but one
in particular has caught my attention, and even more, my admiration.
What the Grand Ayatollah has said about this was very perceptive,
thoughtful, and wise. He saw what was in what I did, that whole
situation, that I saw, before most others did, and I have to appreciate
that, and that he chose to express it. I look forward to what he might
say in the future, in expressing his wisdom for the world learn from.
Oh, and if this surprises a lot of people, I like that very much, too,
and if the Ayatollah is surprised, I would enjoy that all the more."
Despite my kind of warning, he was, and so were a lot of people. I sure
wish Chad could have lived to see all that.
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Grant
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