Harry Bosch is a detective for the LAPD who is obsessed with
solving murder cases. He is driven by
his creed that, “Everybody counts or nobody counts”.
That means that every murder victim, whether they are a homeless
drug addict or a leading well known citizen of Los Angeles, is treated with the
same respect and energy as he relentlessly seeks to find their killer. Harry Bosch is a factious creation by author
of detective novels and other crime fiction, Michael Connelly. Harry Bosch may be a work of fiction but I
find real truth and value in his creed. Everybody
counts or nobody counts is a great way to view and treat everyone. While I only recently came across the quote
from Detective Bosch, I have long tried to live by my own ‘creed’ that I should
treat everyone the same. That may not
sound very profound but we live in a world that has historically made
exceptions in giving the VIP treatment for the rich, powerful and famous while
ignoring those without power, wealth influence or a strong voice to speak for
themselves. I, and Harry Bosch, believe
that the waiter should be treated with the same courtesy and respect as the
person who may be a celebrity owner of a chain of successful restaurants.
This type of approach did not come easy considering the
place and time of my youth. I grew up in
the 60’s in Mississippi. Discrimination
and segregation had been the culture for generations. Everybody counts or nobody counts was
not a popular philosophy growing up in the South of the early 60’s. In fact, it was an unknown concept as privilege
was commonly shown to some while mistreatment (to put it mildly) and unequal
rights for others was socially accepted.
Racial decimation and segregation was actually proclaimed from some
pulpits.
The violence of the Civil
Rights movement came to a boil three days before I celebrated my 12th
birthday in Columbus, MS. Just eighty one miles from my home in
Philadelphia, MS; James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were
murdered. The murder was planned and organized
by Edgar Ray Killen along with 17 co-conspirators; many who were some of
Philadelphia’s leading citizens and law enforcement officers. Killen was a KKK "kleagle," (recruiter
and organizer) and also an ordained Baptist preacher. Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner’s only crime
was seeking equal treatment for black citizens of Mississippi.
Although I was not yet a teenager I am grateful that the
Holy Spirit opened my eyes to such injustice and evil. One does not need to spend much time in
church to learn ‘The Golden Rule’; “So in everything, do to others what you
would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew
7:12) I guess Edgar Killen missed
that summary statement from Jesus concluding ‘The Sermon on the Mount’. I also assume Edgar Killen didn’t get much of
the rest of that sermon…or anything else Jesus taught or the Bible said about loving
your fellowman. Although many years have
passed since those evil times and I am glad to say that my beloved home state
has moved away from those horrible days, we still often need to be reminded of
the way we should treat our fellowman. Mistreating
and devaluing the life of others seems to be a constant struggle in human
history.
Mahatma Ghandi said “A
nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” Jesus went a step further in Matthew
25:40 when He said, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
In other words the way we treat ‘the least’ is in reality the way we treat Him. If we are going to sing “Oh, How I Love Jesus” then we also have to sing, “Oh, How I love that guy who just cut me off
in traffic!” How about that as a
drastic way to get to the point? It may
not be easy, especially when they cut you off in traffic, but we must
constantly choose to see everyone else as a person of value. We must value and look at everyone as a
unique and special creation of God…especially those who have little or no power
to speak for themselves.
Everybody counts or nobody counts does not mean that everybody
is always kind or without fault but if we start discounting the value of anyone
it leads to a dangerous slippery slope that was eloquently described by Martin
Niemöller in his poem, First They
Came, as he spoke of the importance of speaking up for others and
counting everybody as the same;
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.
“Everybody counts or nobody counts”
