Loyalty, Honor, Vows and Friendship

I think my faith in mankind is exhausted by circumstances recently brought to my attention. I’m no stranger to misplacing trust and to betrayal I could not foresee, but these circumstances leave a stain in my heart that reaches an area of my soul I’d not felt since I lost my child to abortion. I won’t go into the past when I lost the struggle of defending my child’s right to live, nor will I spell out the facts that have brought this latest bout of discomfort, but I will address the evil of betrayal and question the meaning of commitment and friendship.

We all know the story of Roger’s departure from Pink Floyd and Gilmour’s refusal to go on as a solo artist as Roger did. Instead, Gilmour used the Pink Floyd name built by, more than any other, Roger Waters. The circumstances concerning me now involve marriage and extramarital romantic liaisons versus trust among band mates, but the questions remain the same. What is it that causes people to forget their alliances and honor and to act in a manner that brings whatever they desire at the moment? Are there left any rules of moral conduct, of being true to those who trust you, of being honest? I am, not surprisingly, brought to Roger’s lyrics as a companion in this analysis. Consider these words from the master:

“For the first time today
I feel it's really over
You were my everyday excuse
For playing deaf, dumb and blind
And who'd have ever thought
That this was how it would end for you and me?”

Does one have to play dumb and hinder their senses to believe that they are in a good relationship? Can there be a trust that what is unseen and unknown does not involve betrayal? Is there another waiting in the shadows who offers something new, something intriguing for its novelty, something where the realities of living together daily do not exist? Consider these words from Roger:

“With his neat feet
And his clean fingernails
With his wise but twinkling eyes
He's a rock standing out in an ocean of doubt
And compromise”

The grass is always greener on the other side, so they say. It’s easy to fall into infatuation with someone new while loathing the realities of compromise that come with long term relationships. But what of loyalty and sacrifice? What of vows and friendship? In some societies, violations of these things can mean a public stoning or public condemnation. These punishments are safeguards that strive to preserve the principles of decency, honor and commitment. Do these principles mean anything to most Americans anymore?