The Ones Who Call Bullshit on Omelas

Which way do they go, the ones who walk away from Omelas? To the North, the West, and the Northwest, as they head through the towns and fields, where do they go? Omelas's land ends somewhere, of course, and beyond it lies Omelai. Though its motto is Omelais sumus melior Omelam malus, more accurate would be Omeles nisi bonum.

Would you believe in Omelai? That those who walked away from Omelas came to create Omelas again, yet not dependent on the suffering of one child? Would you believe that the positivity of the land grants a better defense than any army? That whenever an invasion is sent, that the troops of the army are immediately overtaken by how nice it is, and the welcoming spirit of Omelai and the joy of the town causes the soldiers to decide to move in? Would you believe that?

I guess not. Especially if you can't believe in Omelas. If I told you Omelai had nothing to do with Omelas would you believe it then? Would you believe that they have the summer festival, and competitions for fun? Would you believe that? No? But you did believe in Omelas before they told you about the fucked up shit, did you not? Yes? But.. But that's Omelai.

Or is that a no? Are you cynical? You believe them naïve? Well, no, they are no more naïve than Omelas. I bet the last pages made that more believable to you. Omalai does not rest on the suffering of one man. How could it? How could societal collapse be triggered by the last miserable schmuck finding joy? That is what separates Omelas and Omelai, for those who walked away had many reasons. Maybe they didn't want the dark common knowledge on their conscience, maybe they want somewhere else, or maybe they don't walk away alone, once in a blue moon, a group may set out, to the north, the west, or the northwest, and make the trip across the snow-crusted mountains to the other city of happiness, where there are races on horses in the nude on the first day of summer, where central heating, the neither necessary or destructive is also present, where the joys celebrated are those of life. Where they head towards to Omelas, towards Omelai.

These are those that when it was explained to them, that the sufferer cannot hear a kind word or Omelas would collapse, went forward to say a kind word because they were skeptical, or those who when it was explained refused to believe it, saying it was nonsensical for society to depend on something so random, those who call bullshit on Omelas. Often, they remain in Omelas. Sometimes they come to believe it eventually, sometimes not, but when rumors of Omelai reach them, or when another talked of leaving Omelas, and refers to the other city, they leave in groups. Those who call bullshit on Omelas, they see the fireworks over the mountains, maybe, and decide to see what lies beyond.

These do not travel alone, they are not truely walking away from Omelas, and they know most of all where they are going.

Do you believe now? Is Omelai less believable than Omelas? Is it not more believable, I ask you? Removing the scapegoat makes it more believable, innit?

Omelai and Omelas, twins they are, for, Omelai has a dark secret, someone who they can feal superior to. Like Omelas's open secret, Omelai has a secret of its own. The reason the people are so jolly, and the lack of other difference, if you truely want to know, if it may make it seem more believable, is that those of Omelai know themselves to not have Omelas's problem, that they don't do that.

Do you believe now? Still no? Is the problem the existence of two cities of pleasure? That I can remedy. People have called bullshit for centuries. A couple, one time, interpreted the calls of bullshit as a challenge. Do you believe it now? That some of the first to walk away did so with hope still in their hearts? With souls still quite light, crossing the mountains, and making a city named "to Omelas"? Would you believe that they took a challenge like that and proved, as many who walked away found themselves in Omelai, that Omelas's cruelty was unnecessary? That it was possible to create a society just like it, with nudes in the streets, and flutists playing melodies on the first day of summer?

Do you still not believe it? Will you go and write a ranting comment about those who walk away from Omelai?

I doubt many do walk away, even then they are visitors, such as yourself, who don't believe it possible. If you still do not believe, could you tell me why? And tell me also, why do you think Harappa a hoax? Is it not just a step beyond our ancient past, a little bit beyond what we know to have happened? Is it not, at least possible, the Omelai is real? That every year of a full moon on the winter solstice they dance in the streets? That the times of the Fall of the Berlin Wall could be encapsulated in a city named Omelai?