Suicide In The Lottery

The idea that lemmings will commit mass suicide every few years by jumping off cliffs and drowning in the seas below were once attributed to drops in the lemming population. In theory, once a few lemmings died, other lemmings rapidly followed. While the lemming suicide hypothesis is a mere myth, it parallels a vulnerable aspect of human society--- following the crowd can have dangerous consequences.
For example, look at the fictional world of a short story: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. In its small town, the locals hold a lottery every year. A slip of paper for every person in town is stored inside an ancient black box; the official of the lottery, Mr. Summers, summons everyone to pull out a slip of paper. The lottery may seem quaint,