Hit Lists

There have been many times in my life when I heard about hit lists (kill lists so to speak). Sometimes these death threats against others even make it onto international news. I’m reminded of the prize-winning author , a certain Sir Salmon Rushdie in the late 80’s who received a death sentence from the Ayatollah. His book was considered blasphemous and was banned by fanatics. Some of the author’s supporters were even murdered. Even today, this man lives in hiding, fearing for his life. Girls in the middle east are other obvious examples of innocent victims of hit lists simply for their standing up for the rights of females in a male-dominated society. Whether it be for religious, humanitarian, political, or philosophical differences of opinion, humans everywhere can become possible targets of evil people. Can you imagine living in fear for yourself or your family just for voicing your personal beliefs? Even in our so-called “civilized” world, hit lists exist. These lists have existed throughout history as secret organizations have come and gone, sending out their assassins to eliminate their foes. In modern civilization, hit lists were common as socialism, communism and Nazism took root in Europe. In the Americas, we have had drug cartels and in the USA, the infamous Ku Klux Klan. I have even watched videos made by whistle blowers who later faced death under “suspicious circumstances.” Sadly, these deaths often go unnoticed by the media. However, movies have been made about whistle blowers who were targeted for death. It’s a very real thing. Modern technology is making it easy to “find” people. In China, for example, a person cannot even jaywalk, and the cameras on any street will find him. I watched documentaries about the Chinese being able to find anyone they want within minutes on any street due to advancements in facial recognition. In the fight against crime this can seem like a very useful tool; however, what if this technology falls into the wrong hands? The world today is filled with corruption, and the internet is able to be manipulated to declare as false any information that does not match up to mainstream media. With AF and other advancements in technology, what will become of whistle blowers of the future when the world is taken over by evil-doers? Do you believe everything you hear on the news? God help us all if most of the world believes every single thing that the world’s governments are telling them. I believe the time is coming when I myself and others who share my views on things like the New World Order could be put on a vile hit list just for writing our opinions. I pray this will never happen, and I pray to God that he will protect all the brave individuals who this very day are putting themselves in harm’s way for the betterment of mankind. Feb. 2, 2023 For Joe Maverick's Hit List 2023 Poetry Contest