To All Readers Of The Courier,
Greetings to all readers, it's Joe here. Well, I guess it's actually "Mr. Summers" to you, but don't you see? That's the thing! You don't even know the real me! Or my town, for that matter! Things have gotten so ridiculous; as the leader of Summers Coal Co., I should be one of the most respected and wealthiest men in the country! And I was! Until a couple of weeks ago, at least...
But let me back up a bit. Basically, around 10 years ago, when my coal company had still only barely gotten off the ground, I was stuck in my hometown, a tiny village from the South. And, for those wondering, I was an exceptional citizen! I performed my civic duties 110% of the time! People respected me so much, I was even appointed as the master of the Lottery! Which, of course, is where this mess started...
By now, I'm sure most of you know what a Lottery is. You've read all the stories and seen all the headlines: "MR. SUMMERS, HEAD OF SUMMERS COAL COMPANY, CANCELLED" and "COAL BILLIONAIRE FACING LAWSUIT FOR COMPLICITY IN COUNTLESS MURDERS," and I know it sounds bad. But let me explain myself. Is the Lottery an evil concept, and am I evil for playing a part in it?
My answer, if you couldn't tell, is no! I'm a spiritual man first, and a good citizen second (I would be a family man too, if not for my wife being an enormous BI- uhh, never mind). Do we not believe in the divine justice of God any longer? Do we not trust "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon" any longer? Are we so arrogant as individuals to break out from not just the group, but from generations of wisdom, of tradition, of ritual? Was I expected to be a lone, unique, and likely WRONG voice in the face of hundreds of kind and gentle townspeople?
People love to simplify things into black and white without knowing anything. In reality, anyone informed will see the immense complexities of every situation, the countless shades of grey hidden within each decision. Nothing is as clear and simple as it initially appears, and there are two sides to every story. If not being a part of the lottery was such a rational decision, then why did literally no one else in the entire village make that choice either? I mean, how are we as humans meant to be held accountable for our actions, when millions of humans make millions of wrong choices every day? And of these wrong choices, is the Lottery even one of them? God first, then this new-fangled, politically-correct and social justice-based society second, is what I say! There's nothing at all wrong with my hand in getting "innocent" citizens stoned. Harumph.
Thanks for any support.
-Joseph Summers
JoeSummers
Greetings to all readers, it's Joe here. Well, I guess it's actually "Mr. Summers" to you, but don't you see? That's the thing! You don't even know the real me! Or my town, for that matter! Things have gotten so ridiculous; as the leader of Summers Coal Co., I should be one of the most respected and wealthiest men in the country! And I was! Until a couple of weeks ago, at least...
But let me back up a bit. Basically, around 10 years ago, when my coal company had still only barely gotten off the ground, I was stuck in my hometown, a tiny village from the South. And, for those wondering, I was an exceptional citizen! I performed my civic duties 110% of the time! People respected me so much, I was even appointed as the master of the Lottery! Which, of course, is where this mess started...
By now, I'm sure most of you know what a Lottery is. You've read all the stories and seen all the headlines: "MR. SUMMERS, HEAD OF SUMMERS COAL COMPANY, CANCELLED" and "COAL BILLIONAIRE FACING LAWSUIT FOR COMPLICITY IN COUNTLESS MURDERS," and I know it sounds bad. But let me explain myself. Is the Lottery an evil concept, and am I evil for playing a part in it?
My answer, if you couldn't tell, is no! I'm a spiritual man first, and a good citizen second (I would be a family man too, if not for my wife being an enormous BI- uhh, never mind). Do we not believe in the divine justice of God any longer? Do we not trust "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon" any longer? Are we so arrogant as individuals to break out from not just the group, but from generations of wisdom, of tradition, of ritual? Was I expected to be a lone, unique, and likely WRONG voice in the face of hundreds of kind and gentle townspeople?
People love to simplify things into black and white without knowing anything. In reality, anyone informed will see the immense complexities of every situation, the countless shades of grey hidden within each decision. Nothing is as clear and simple as it initially appears, and there are two sides to every story. If not being a part of the lottery was such a rational decision, then why did literally no one else in the entire village make that choice either? I mean, how are we as humans meant to be held accountable for our actions, when millions of humans make millions of wrong choices every day? And of these wrong choices, is the Lottery even one of them? God first, then this new-fangled, politically-correct and social justice-based society second, is what I say! There's nothing at all wrong with my hand in getting "innocent" citizens stoned. Harumph.
Thanks for any support.
-Joseph Summers
I really like your interpretation of Mr. Summers. Representing him filled with rage and stubbornness fits his character well. I imagined him giving his perspective to the lottery as a speech to the town. Really good job!
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