emotions, its feelings, with your own. And what about the billions of other animals, birds and insects that are facing death right at this very moment? Do you want to round up all sick and injured animals and take them somewhere where they can be cared for? Would we not be inundated with sick and injured animals? And where do you stop? Do you want maternity units for pregnant deer, incubators and intensive care units for premature fawns? Where do you draw the line with your constant desire to keep things alive because you, yourself, fear pain and suffering?"
"But we never draw a line with humans."
"And what is the outcome to that misplaced and self defeating desire to put an end to all human suffering? Remind yourself. Why have you come to see me today?"
The boy paused, thinking. "I wanted to know more about you and to understand why you are here. Because I do not understand all of the reasons why you are in this prison."
"Why else are you here? I still do not believe that that is the only reason for your visit. I repeat. I do not think you are here because you think I may be lonely or you are worried about my health or whether I eat enough or have enough things to do. Despite their desire to care for others, humans are the most devious and selfish of all animals and you are exhibiting classic signs of that dismal characteristic. I can see from your eyes that you have another reason for being here. Tell me."
His grandson paused once again, uncertain. "It is because I was angry and upset, grandfather. And my friends want me to join them to fight the newcomers."
"Ah, the newcomers," the old man pondered.
"I thought there was something else on your mind. But let me first ask you. Are you yourself not a newcomer, a newcomer being what we once used to call an immigrant? Did your devious and selfish ancestors emerge from a hole in the ground where you now stand or did they once migrate here to find a better life? Are you, yourself, not a descendent of immigrants?"
"Yes, I suppose I am a newcomer to this country, but I am not as new a newcomer as some. And our ancestors only arrived in small groups not in waves of hundreds of thousands."
"So why do you feel anger? And what is this silly word 'upset'? Why are you 'upset'?
"Everyone is angry. We feel we are a minority in what was once our own country...."
His grandfather interrupted him.
"A minority? What is a minority? You are a human being, Homo sapiens, are you not? The newcomers are of the same species are they not? And you have already admitted you are the offspring of past immigrants so are you merely saying you now feel an insignificant part of a mixed community?"
"Yes, I suppose that is it."
"Insignificance is a sign of comparative weakness. If you feel insignificant then you must either fight to raise your status within your herd or learn to accept your unimportance. But beware. Those who have fought for dominance may, one day, ignore you altogether because they are the most selfish of all. And what is this word 'upset'?"
"It is a common word amongst the young. Many of my friends are upset and unhappy."
"So 'upset' means that all is not quite right, that life is not as perfect as you would like, that you are unhappy, distressed, discontented, perhaps depressed. It sounds to me as if you and your friends are suffering. Why do you not admit it by saying that you are all, despite past attempts to eliminate it, still suffering?"
The younger man frowned.
"It is not physical suffering, grandfather. It is more in the mind. Perhaps it is both. But my friends sit and they do not talk anymore. They have exhausted themselves with talking and still they do not know what to do. Some are hungry. They ask me for food, especially the ones with younger brothers and sisters.
"Did you know, grandfather, that suicide amongst teenagers is at an all time high? It is because they feel useless, that life is pointless. They see no future, there are no jobs and there is no reason to be here. Many no longer go to school because they say it is too crowded, too frustrating and that they learn nothing of value. They gather in the bus park by the health clinic. There were two hundred there yesterday. They sometimes ride in the buses using their free bus passes just for somewhere to go. But the buses are crowded and only drive around the city in circles. The teachers do not always come to teach because they cannot teach so many students in one room and many newcomers speak different languages. And the teachers do not know how or what to teach because, we all agree, why learn anything when there are no jobs. So my friends are going to fight because they see no other solution and they want me to join them."
"And who do they intend to fight?"
"There are gangs of newcomers, grandfather. They join together. They do not recognise we are all the same - Homo sapiens as you call us. They are the ones who have come from Africa and parts of Asia. They came here for the better life, the homes, jobs, food and opportunity. They came here to escape the problems in their own countries - the poverty, conflicts, lack of jobs and opportunities. And now they find it is no better here because we have exactly the same problems."
"Problems caused by overpopulation?" the old man asked.
"All the problems, each and every one of them, can be explained by too many people."
"And you expect civil unrest."
"Yes, grandfather, and you were right. That is why I am here. Is anger and a desire to fight and to chase others away a sign of suffering?"
"Of course. Fighting is a clear sign of very deep suffering. And fighting only causes more suffering. It is a downward spiral into total desperation. To fight, to go to war, to invade another's territory, to fight amongst yourselves, is a sign of anger, envy and discontent with what you have or do not have. Envy and a sense of injustice is a prime cause of urban and international terrorism. But fighting is also a natural instinct. Your friends and the newcomers are behaving like the wild animals we all are. Animals and birds fight over territory and feeding grounds and it is the same for humans. Human nature is to always believe that the grass must be greener on the other side of the fence. That is why the newcomers came. But humans, because of their ability to think and plan ahead, will add more sinister dimensions to their desires to fight over territory. Unlike animals, humans will experience envy, jealousy and outrage at unfairness. Animal fights can last for a few seconds to, at most, a few hours, but human battles can last for many years. They leave lasting scars on human memories. Because of the huge numbers of people that become involved, the numbers killed, maimed or displaced can be beyond imagination.
"But, remember, fighting to the death over food, water or territory has one big advantage for animals and for humans. It reduces the numbers of the species so leaving enough for the survivors. If they do not fight to the death of some or many, they may all die. War, alongside disease and famine, is a good way to bring populations down, but it only lasts a short time. They will recover. Effective, long-term and properly planned population control on a scale that would benefit future generations was one of the things I advocated - but it was far too politically sensitive for our leaders to take seriously and, as usual, I was labelled a dangerous half wit.
"So whether you should join in fighting is a serious decision. You could die. Whether to fight is a decision you must make for yourself. But remember, to fight may be the only way to stay alive."
The younger man looked away, uncertain, afraid. His grandfather saw it. "And what is this childish expression about chasing them away? Away to where? They have nowhere to go. Is this not now their home? They, too, will surely stand and fight and they will probably not wait to consider the various options as you are doing in your over-civilised, doubtful way."
"That is why I am afraid, grandfather. I need your advice."
"I will not give any advice on this matter except to say that if there is now very little green grass on your side and if you think the future looks bleak and if you do not want to commit suicide like so many other young people, what is there left for you to do but to fight to stay alive.
"What else is there but to go and fig
ht those you believe have invaded your space and are now consuming all that you have tried to keep for yourselves. Go and do the jobs of past politicians and religious leaders who failed to face up to these questions. If it becomes a massive conflict, a widespread, uncontrolled uprising by ordinary people with no-one knowing precisely which side to fight for, then we will be witnessing the ultimate cost of past political failure.
"The objective of stopping wars across national borders is the best example there is of the desire of recent world leaders to avoid suffering and widespread loss of human life but while they were desperately trying to go down in history as Nobel prize winners, as white doves of glorious peace, they were simultaneously planting seeds of conflict with countless deaths and widespread suffering within their own borders. And all because of their unwillingness to sit down, agree and then act to ensure the world's population of human beings was maintained at sustainable levels."
'The Professor' knew he had a life-long habit of breaking into long diatribes on this subject. It was something he had long tried to control. Now, he was unsure whether his grandson was still listening. He seemed distracted, distracted by the need to make a decision. He waited.
"I do not want to kill anyone, grandfather, not even those who have invaded our space. They came here to