Those in our society who are builders or innovators must take some responsibility for the things they make. Earle Birney (1), in a poem titled, "El Greco: Espolio," describes the carpenter who built the cross on which Christ was crucified, stating "his skill is vital to the scene / and the safety of the state" which clearly suggests that those who create something of significance function in a vital way that serves the interests of society. While it might be extreme to use the example of the Roman carpenter who built Christ's cross, the reality of the situation is that those who build and create do not do so in a vacuum, but are part and parcel of some system or some process that puts forces into motion for good or for ill.
In our own lifetime, many of us have seen the massive destruction which occurs because of the weapons that scientists and engineers create. We have seen the devastation that is caused in the environment by those who mine the earth for minerals and gems or who destroy forests to make way for fields and houses. We are certainly aware of the many valuable contributions to the quality of life we enjoy made by such a simple thing as plastic, but we are equally aware that plastic products fill our garbage dumps and do not disintegrate over time. Thus, with things that are good come things that are bad and innovators must assume responsibility for some of the things they do or create.
Birney's (2) carpenter not only builds the cross but also dies on the cross. There are two carpenters in this poem and one of them changed the world forever and in the process gave up his own life. The other carpenter merely built the cross on which Christ died, but by doing so he participated in the momentous change that then occurred. We must therefore recognize that anyone who builds or innovates sets into motion a chain of events whose consequences are not necessarily predictable or controllable.
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