Hi everyone! I finally feel like I have something to say. That is, I've been thinking of something I need to come here and write out. So, we all know a congresswoman was shot at in Arizona. Let me first say that I'm appalled at how the media mentioned shots fired at a congress person and left out the data that other people had been killed, including a child. That was just the first bit I saw of the story, when they weren't sure the congresswoman survived. I detest the media. If you've ever seen the movie "Natural Born Killers", Robert Downy Jr. plays a media personality in that film and there's a tiny shot where he's shown as a devil dripping blood. Ok, it's gory but that little picture really exemplifies the media for me. And it's not their blood they're covered in, it's our own. It belongs to every citizen who is influenced by biased media, and every person whose life unfolds in the light of their skewed truth. But I digress (as I so often do)...
What I find interesting is the question that keeps coming up about whether or not the hateful speech of the right has anything to do with this tragedy. Let's look at that. So, people are actually trying to decipher whether or not one political party's rampant politicking on subjects that really get straight under peoples skin could have, potentially, been enough of a trigger to send a mentally unbalanced and probably improperly medicated person over the edge to the point that he would try to kill a congresswoman for (I suppose) being a democrat.
Wow. That's heavy stuff. I mean, think about that. If we're asking the question, the answer is irrelevant. If we're asking the question, it means that we know there is a problem. I was talking to a friend recently about how polarized we seem to have become and how it scares me. This is one of the many possible outcomes of a country feeling like we're on different sides. It makes me so sick because it's to the benefit, (until days like these), of each party to argue. It helps their cause to have something to oppose.
I just have to say now, to anyone who is pro-life or against gay rights, if you vote based on those issues, you're wasting your time. The republicans don't give a rat's ass about abortion or gay rights. They use these issues because they know they can get to you with them. And I, being rampantly pro-choice and a huge supporter of gay rights, am in no better shape because I know if I had to vote republican to keep my body free, or to see friends gain the right to marry, I would. And what does that say?
To me, it says that the words mean nothing. Ds and Rs, they're all the same. The biggest problem, I think, when it comes to voting or any political thought, is that we're so hemmed in by these two parties. They know it and so they can use whatever tactics they want to point our attention away from what they're really doing and to whatever they can use as distraction. In a country where mental illness is rampant, where stress is probably at a planet-wide high, where we're fooling ourselves that we're still #1 and that everything is fine because our favorite show is about to start, where so many of us are so ignorant about the real issues, does anyone else think it might be a bit unprofessional and dangerous to start manipulating the public in order to gain a vote?
We have to become a bit more independent. We look to these people as leaders. If they were really leaders, someone would be working to make our country work. Driving a wedge between people based on issues that, really, shouldn't even be political is not responsible leadership. The anger I feel at people who oppose my beliefs scares me. I have to keep reminding myself that they're not "others". I don't want my beliefs imposed on anyone's life, but I really think the government is digging too close to the lines of what should not be their business. And, oh look, we struck a vein of crazy and let it loose on an unsuspecting public. Woops.
I wish, again, that I could be giant and get everyone to go along with my plan. Like, let's mind our own business and let people do what they will, knowing that if no harm comes to anyone, there's no need to worry. Let's demand that our public servants serve us, instead of us serving their agenda by feeding in to their manipulation. Let's hold our politicians up to the standards of - well, any standards would be good. Let's start expecting something from them and stop simply accepting what they do. There's some sort of unspoken understanding that politicians are somehow above reproach. I say that's crap. Let's speak up! I can't be the only one who feels like this! And I'm not giant yet so all I can do today is write this. And do my best to go away feeling less angry and more compassionate, which is what we all need, I think.
Showing posts with label ranting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ranting. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Will You Burn with Hate or Love?
I feel like I have the same rant building again. This is a different incident but based on the same old ignorance and hate. "Christians" in Florida are planning to burn copies of the Quaran on September 11th?
Because my faith is one that is little-understood by main-stream society, often feared, and almost always misrepresented, I hesitate to criticize any other faith. I have to admit that there is a strain in the general relationship between Pagans and Christians. If you are into religious history, you might guess why. Also many Pagans come from Christian roots so there are sometimes personal feelings involved. That said, if I'm going to criticize, I'm going to be deliberate about where I direct that criticism. There are many Christians in this world who are loving and feel as angry as I do about this. None of this is directed at them in any way.
The people who have organized this "burning" and all those support it are a disgrace to Christianity and to humanity. I grew up Catholic and although they did, I learned we are not supposed to judge. I feel like there is a constant stream of judgment coming from the Christian perspective. In a country where we are supposed to have separation of church and state, why is it we hear the term "Religious Right"? They criticize everyone, if you're not Christian or you're gay or you're a woman who wants rights over her body or even just a liberal (haha), I think they think you're evil and must be stopped. They really and truly believe that their values are right for everyone and we should all just adhere to their way of doing things. There is no appreciation of differences, no ability to see beauty in diversity, no ability to even see humanity beneath faith. It's such a closed-minded and intolerant perspective. I don't really like the term tolerance because it implies putting up with something you don't like and I'd like to think we can do better than that but I'd be happy with a little bit of tolerance right now.
It seems to me that some Christians think that this country was founded on "their" religion, and that "theirs" is the only right way. Even in the skewed history we get, we learned that this country was founded because of the need for religious freedom, and as one of my favorite bumper stickers says, Freedom of religion means ALL religions! That means that we're free here to pray five times a day, or to go to church on Sunday, or to sit out with the trees, or to believe in only science and what's seen. We can express our belief in Spirit in any way we want and we're not obligated to hold any belief at all. That's a beautiful thing! I do not, however, believe that right translates to the freedom to commit blatantly hateful acts.
There is no other explanation for this, it's simply hateful. Again, it implies that these self-righteous Christians believe that "Muslims were responsible for that terrorist act". So every person who practices a particular religion will act in the same way? Considering the behavior of some priests over the past few years, I really don't think we should go there. If someone were to organize a bible-burning, what would the general reaction be? People are acting as if there are sides to be taken on this, just like the masque. Have any of the torch-carrying bigots even read any of it? Of course not! They just know it's evil because it's different. There's supposed to be some symbolism in burning them on that date, as if that holy book is a symbol of the hate that perpetrated those actions. Their anger is the symbol of that hate.
The thing is, that's a sacred text. Just because it's not sacred to everyone, it doesn't lose that quality. To set fire to it in this hateful way (I keep using that word) is a powerfully negative thing to do. The Witch comes out in me again when I think of the consequences that might bring about. I've learned in my faith that what you put out you get back in return. Judging others does nothing but harm. When you are loving towards the world, you get loving energy back. I wonder what energy those people will get back?
The best thing I can do is to turn a blind eye to it. I came, I wrote, I got it out of my system. (well, mostly) I'm still reeling over the wrongness of this. I'm sickened, yet again, by the media and the fact that this should never have been a story as it only instigated more hate and division. (Just doing their jobs.) I'm disheartened by the rampant ignorance and fear that causes division in this country. I'm grateful for my path and my ability to see all the beauty in every path to Divinity or calm. I'm grateful for my ability to step back, forgive, and love it all. I'm praying for peace again and still.
Because my faith is one that is little-understood by main-stream society, often feared, and almost always misrepresented, I hesitate to criticize any other faith. I have to admit that there is a strain in the general relationship between Pagans and Christians. If you are into religious history, you might guess why. Also many Pagans come from Christian roots so there are sometimes personal feelings involved. That said, if I'm going to criticize, I'm going to be deliberate about where I direct that criticism. There are many Christians in this world who are loving and feel as angry as I do about this. None of this is directed at them in any way.
The people who have organized this "burning" and all those support it are a disgrace to Christianity and to humanity. I grew up Catholic and although they did, I learned we are not supposed to judge. I feel like there is a constant stream of judgment coming from the Christian perspective. In a country where we are supposed to have separation of church and state, why is it we hear the term "Religious Right"? They criticize everyone, if you're not Christian or you're gay or you're a woman who wants rights over her body or even just a liberal (haha), I think they think you're evil and must be stopped. They really and truly believe that their values are right for everyone and we should all just adhere to their way of doing things. There is no appreciation of differences, no ability to see beauty in diversity, no ability to even see humanity beneath faith. It's such a closed-minded and intolerant perspective. I don't really like the term tolerance because it implies putting up with something you don't like and I'd like to think we can do better than that but I'd be happy with a little bit of tolerance right now.
It seems to me that some Christians think that this country was founded on "their" religion, and that "theirs" is the only right way. Even in the skewed history we get, we learned that this country was founded because of the need for religious freedom, and as one of my favorite bumper stickers says, Freedom of religion means ALL religions! That means that we're free here to pray five times a day, or to go to church on Sunday, or to sit out with the trees, or to believe in only science and what's seen. We can express our belief in Spirit in any way we want and we're not obligated to hold any belief at all. That's a beautiful thing! I do not, however, believe that right translates to the freedom to commit blatantly hateful acts.
There is no other explanation for this, it's simply hateful. Again, it implies that these self-righteous Christians believe that "Muslims were responsible for that terrorist act". So every person who practices a particular religion will act in the same way? Considering the behavior of some priests over the past few years, I really don't think we should go there. If someone were to organize a bible-burning, what would the general reaction be? People are acting as if there are sides to be taken on this, just like the masque. Have any of the torch-carrying bigots even read any of it? Of course not! They just know it's evil because it's different. There's supposed to be some symbolism in burning them on that date, as if that holy book is a symbol of the hate that perpetrated those actions. Their anger is the symbol of that hate.
The thing is, that's a sacred text. Just because it's not sacred to everyone, it doesn't lose that quality. To set fire to it in this hateful way (I keep using that word) is a powerfully negative thing to do. The Witch comes out in me again when I think of the consequences that might bring about. I've learned in my faith that what you put out you get back in return. Judging others does nothing but harm. When you are loving towards the world, you get loving energy back. I wonder what energy those people will get back?
The best thing I can do is to turn a blind eye to it. I came, I wrote, I got it out of my system. (well, mostly) I'm still reeling over the wrongness of this. I'm sickened, yet again, by the media and the fact that this should never have been a story as it only instigated more hate and division. (Just doing their jobs.) I'm disheartened by the rampant ignorance and fear that causes division in this country. I'm grateful for my path and my ability to see all the beauty in every path to Divinity or calm. I'm grateful for my ability to step back, forgive, and love it all. I'm praying for peace again and still.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
American Ignorance Un-Mosqued
I have a rant today and I have to warn that I have a lot of emotions about this and I do not intend to hold back. That said, if you are angry about the mosque being built in New York, please stop reading this blog and go straight to Hell.
I really thought that as a country we had gotten over the misconception that the tragedy of 9/11 was perpetrated by Muslims. I thought people had gotten over the conclusions they had jumped to and realized how little sense they made.
I have to admit that I have heard of this story through friends and I don't watch the news. This isn't a complicated issue so I feel comfortable writing about it. What I'm hearing: A mosque is being built near the site where the twin towers fell. People are outrageously angry about this. Who are these people? A co-worker told me yesterday that she almost had to walk out of church because during the sermon the preacher was going off about this and basically saying that this was an evil action and surely implying that all Muslim people are evil as well. What a kind and compassionate Christian perspective. I'm sure if Jesus had been there, he would have agreed completely. (You can't hear the sarcasm but it's thick!)
I have a few Muslim friends and they are among the kindest, most compassionate, gentle people I have ever met. I have studied (admittedly not thoroughly) the Islamic faith and it is a very gentle path. The only thing that has ever bothered me about it is that it is a very patriarchal faith. This is NOT unique to Islam. Have you ever met a female priest? How long has it been that women could sit with men in Temple? At it's core, Islam teaches the same loving message as any other positive faith. Blaming all Muslim people for a tragic act committed by people who were clearly not following the tenants of that faith is ridiculous!
Muslim people died in those buildings. Can you imagine that? So there were family members, friends who lost loved ones in this crazy act and then felt not only that loss, but a loss of freedom as everywhere they went, people began to look at them as if they were terrorists. Then in the guise of protection, our government used this tragedy to systematically siphon off our rights. We lost so much more to this tragedy that what was lost on that day. We willingly gave up so much of our freedom and privacy. We lost the cohesion some of us had worked towards. We looked at anyone with dark skin and hair with suspicion. We lost touch with what this country is supposed to be about.
The people who did this came from a very different place. It is my firm belief that these types of actions only take place because of the unbalanced distribution of resources. So people outside of the U.S. hate us? I don't think they hate us personally. I think they live in a place where day to day life is so difficult that it's easy to create hate towards a nation that seems to have everything dangled before them on a silver spoon. I don't even think these people were intrinsically hateful. I think they were taken advantage of and used. They were fed anti-American propaganda and with the way we behave sometimes, we certainly give fuel for that. I'm not saying that I am anti-American or that I condone terrorism by any stretch of the imagination. What I will say is that we don't take responsibility for anything, as citizens. I never hear people talk about what it must be like to live in the Middle East. Why would we ponder that? We have a tennis match to go to and then the kid's baseball game and a cook-out this weekend and the car payment and mortgage to attend to. We'll think of other people another day. Maybe next week, I think I have some spare time on Tuesday afternoon. This is what makes me sick about the culture I've been fortunate enough to have been born into.
I don't wish I was somewhere else. (Well, maybe Canada but they're not perfect either.) I am so grateful to have been born here and I see the gift in it. I know that it was luck, chance, that I could have come into being anywhere on this great round planet. But knowing that, I think I have a responsibility to dwell in gratitude, to carry some compassion for those who were born into less favorable circumstances.
As a good Witch and a loving person I simply cannot abide the ignorance and hate I hear seething around me. Anyone who holds these opinions should be ashamed of themselves. To me, building a mosque in that area is a great way to bring healing. This is a place of worship and of peace. These people want to come here to pray and express gratitude. Would anyone have complained if someone had opened a gun store nearby?
What really bothers me about this is the anger it causes in me. This is not helpful. I have shame over the way my country-mates are acting. I am so pissed off that these hateful, ignorant opinions are being sent around the world in the name of the country I live in! I don't want to feel this anger. I want to be able to forgive people for being such assholes. Maybe tomorrow.
I really thought that as a country we had gotten over the misconception that the tragedy of 9/11 was perpetrated by Muslims. I thought people had gotten over the conclusions they had jumped to and realized how little sense they made.
I have to admit that I have heard of this story through friends and I don't watch the news. This isn't a complicated issue so I feel comfortable writing about it. What I'm hearing: A mosque is being built near the site where the twin towers fell. People are outrageously angry about this. Who are these people? A co-worker told me yesterday that she almost had to walk out of church because during the sermon the preacher was going off about this and basically saying that this was an evil action and surely implying that all Muslim people are evil as well. What a kind and compassionate Christian perspective. I'm sure if Jesus had been there, he would have agreed completely. (You can't hear the sarcasm but it's thick!)
I have a few Muslim friends and they are among the kindest, most compassionate, gentle people I have ever met. I have studied (admittedly not thoroughly) the Islamic faith and it is a very gentle path. The only thing that has ever bothered me about it is that it is a very patriarchal faith. This is NOT unique to Islam. Have you ever met a female priest? How long has it been that women could sit with men in Temple? At it's core, Islam teaches the same loving message as any other positive faith. Blaming all Muslim people for a tragic act committed by people who were clearly not following the tenants of that faith is ridiculous!
Muslim people died in those buildings. Can you imagine that? So there were family members, friends who lost loved ones in this crazy act and then felt not only that loss, but a loss of freedom as everywhere they went, people began to look at them as if they were terrorists. Then in the guise of protection, our government used this tragedy to systematically siphon off our rights. We lost so much more to this tragedy that what was lost on that day. We willingly gave up so much of our freedom and privacy. We lost the cohesion some of us had worked towards. We looked at anyone with dark skin and hair with suspicion. We lost touch with what this country is supposed to be about.
The people who did this came from a very different place. It is my firm belief that these types of actions only take place because of the unbalanced distribution of resources. So people outside of the U.S. hate us? I don't think they hate us personally. I think they live in a place where day to day life is so difficult that it's easy to create hate towards a nation that seems to have everything dangled before them on a silver spoon. I don't even think these people were intrinsically hateful. I think they were taken advantage of and used. They were fed anti-American propaganda and with the way we behave sometimes, we certainly give fuel for that. I'm not saying that I am anti-American or that I condone terrorism by any stretch of the imagination. What I will say is that we don't take responsibility for anything, as citizens. I never hear people talk about what it must be like to live in the Middle East. Why would we ponder that? We have a tennis match to go to and then the kid's baseball game and a cook-out this weekend and the car payment and mortgage to attend to. We'll think of other people another day. Maybe next week, I think I have some spare time on Tuesday afternoon. This is what makes me sick about the culture I've been fortunate enough to have been born into.
I don't wish I was somewhere else. (Well, maybe Canada but they're not perfect either.) I am so grateful to have been born here and I see the gift in it. I know that it was luck, chance, that I could have come into being anywhere on this great round planet. But knowing that, I think I have a responsibility to dwell in gratitude, to carry some compassion for those who were born into less favorable circumstances.
As a good Witch and a loving person I simply cannot abide the ignorance and hate I hear seething around me. Anyone who holds these opinions should be ashamed of themselves. To me, building a mosque in that area is a great way to bring healing. This is a place of worship and of peace. These people want to come here to pray and express gratitude. Would anyone have complained if someone had opened a gun store nearby?
What really bothers me about this is the anger it causes in me. This is not helpful. I have shame over the way my country-mates are acting. I am so pissed off that these hateful, ignorant opinions are being sent around the world in the name of the country I live in! I don't want to feel this anger. I want to be able to forgive people for being such assholes. Maybe tomorrow.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Movie Night
I don't generally watch tearjerkers but I watched Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story last night and I cried the entire time. Seeing people getting thrown out of their homes, homes that had been in their families for generations. Seeing people out of work with no notice. Seeing the people who prey on those lost homes. It was all so sad. One of the things that surprised me was the fact that, even though I have usually kept my head down when it comes to things like these, I actually had a pretty clear idea of what went down.
The stock market and the real-estate market crashes, these were not accidents. It's so vile to think that these were orchestrated and that people profited on these losses. I remember when the stock market fell apart but I don't remember anyone telling us exactly what happened to cause that problem. All we knew was that our savings, retirements, nest-eggs, our plans were suddenly pulled out from under us along with our security. Then the banks had the nerve to ask the government for money. Our money. After they had done so much to loose it all. When the bail-out was first proposed, I knew it wouldn't go back to those who had lost everything. I don't understand how this happened but it was the expected course. When we stood up and shouted, "No! Don't bail those banks out!", congress listened. They voted it down. Then got pressured into going forward with it anyway. There were no restrictions. The banks were not instructed to give back the money they lost. They weren't even asked to report on what they did with it! It was like giving a 16-year-old a great car, watching him crash it and then giving him another, just as nice. But the kicker is that this crash was constructed. I'm not sure what would possess a person to devise a way to steal so much money from an entire country. Especially since, undoubtedly, the persons behind this mess were already some of the world's elite. What I do know is that they got away with it and it makes me sick.
I've not been learning about the political climate or financial structure of our country for very long. I've kept my head in the sands of self-preservation for most of my life. This stuff hurts me on a very person level. It's a reflection of what I talked about in the "Being and Aquarian" post. What's happening to the country and the world can often affect me more deeply than what is happening in my own life. I don't think I'm the only person who experiences this. So all of this outrage, all of this information that angers me so, only leads me back to that constant question simmering below the muck of what is: Why? Why has this gone on for so long? How did it get so corrupt? Why haven't we risen up to make right? And I think of the 60's. Those people who rallied and protested had real faith. They believed that this was their country and that it was supposed to work for them, not the other way around. They believed that by raising their voices and signs, they could get others to understand their position, gain support and momentum. They knew right from wrong and they were prepared to fight with all they had to shift the status quo towards health and sustainability. This sheds a little light on where our complacency comes from.
My neighbor was talking recently about the differences between the social climate in the 60's and the 70's. The 70's brought about a real distrust of our government and that's no big surprise. The didn't listen to us! We worked SO hard and very little changed. Then we sidled into the 80's and some weird fluorescent version of the American Dream emerged. We only wanted to have a nice house in the suburbs, a car, 2.5 kids, maybe a dog, and cooler toys than our neighbors. It became all about being a Jones. How many social causes were active in the 80's as compared with the early 70's and 60's? It was like they just had to hold out and eventually we would quiet down and go back to keeping the hamster wheel spinning.
Back to the movie, since I'm not sure the point. I keep coming back to a scene near the end. Michael is sitting with a priest and he asks- directly from his inner child- why we haven't changed things. He says that in a country so great, with so many resources and so many great people, why haven't we found a way to not go to war, to stop the grip of Capitalism as it is surely going to be our ruin, to provide health care. Simple things. That's what I want to know.
I realize that the world is very convoluted. We seem inextricably bound to the structures we've created in terms of government and finance. But somebody, or many somebodies out there must see a clear path out of this insanity. When Jimmy Carter said in 1979 that we needed to readdress our priorities, he was dead on. We've lost or misplaced one of the things that makes us human beings, our compassion for and connection to other humans. Money and power have blinded many of us and the rest of us are so busy trying to make ends meet that it's hard to find the time to look up and see what's real. I'm only starting to learn and I won't look too closely because I refuse to let them make me believe that it all makes sense.
If I had a platform, I would call for a global strike. We need to stop. Stop making, stop buying, stop chasing and looking for 'things'. We need to stop and sit and think together. I know how crazy that sounds but we're capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. We don't need to be policed by laws and politics, we need to figure out how to formulate a world where everyone is cared for. If there is balance, there is no reason for crime. If we are all seen and heard, if we all are considered to be of equal value, with equal votes and fair shares, then we will have finally found a stable foundation on which to build a strong society. As unlikely as this eventuality is, I believe in it. It know there are enough of us who care, who want something better, and who see through the veil of "Everything is fine, just watch some more T.V.". Everything is not fine. The most I can do from my little life is to live with love and hope. I wouldn't get so angry if I didn't love this place so much. I'm going to do my best to let go the anger and lead with love. Fighting things tends only to perpetuate those things. I'm going to love as loudly as I can and hope that others will take up that call. Maybe we can love some sense into this world!
The stock market and the real-estate market crashes, these were not accidents. It's so vile to think that these were orchestrated and that people profited on these losses. I remember when the stock market fell apart but I don't remember anyone telling us exactly what happened to cause that problem. All we knew was that our savings, retirements, nest-eggs, our plans were suddenly pulled out from under us along with our security. Then the banks had the nerve to ask the government for money. Our money. After they had done so much to loose it all. When the bail-out was first proposed, I knew it wouldn't go back to those who had lost everything. I don't understand how this happened but it was the expected course. When we stood up and shouted, "No! Don't bail those banks out!", congress listened. They voted it down. Then got pressured into going forward with it anyway. There were no restrictions. The banks were not instructed to give back the money they lost. They weren't even asked to report on what they did with it! It was like giving a 16-year-old a great car, watching him crash it and then giving him another, just as nice. But the kicker is that this crash was constructed. I'm not sure what would possess a person to devise a way to steal so much money from an entire country. Especially since, undoubtedly, the persons behind this mess were already some of the world's elite. What I do know is that they got away with it and it makes me sick.
I've not been learning about the political climate or financial structure of our country for very long. I've kept my head in the sands of self-preservation for most of my life. This stuff hurts me on a very person level. It's a reflection of what I talked about in the "Being and Aquarian" post. What's happening to the country and the world can often affect me more deeply than what is happening in my own life. I don't think I'm the only person who experiences this. So all of this outrage, all of this information that angers me so, only leads me back to that constant question simmering below the muck of what is: Why? Why has this gone on for so long? How did it get so corrupt? Why haven't we risen up to make right? And I think of the 60's. Those people who rallied and protested had real faith. They believed that this was their country and that it was supposed to work for them, not the other way around. They believed that by raising their voices and signs, they could get others to understand their position, gain support and momentum. They knew right from wrong and they were prepared to fight with all they had to shift the status quo towards health and sustainability. This sheds a little light on where our complacency comes from.
My neighbor was talking recently about the differences between the social climate in the 60's and the 70's. The 70's brought about a real distrust of our government and that's no big surprise. The didn't listen to us! We worked SO hard and very little changed. Then we sidled into the 80's and some weird fluorescent version of the American Dream emerged. We only wanted to have a nice house in the suburbs, a car, 2.5 kids, maybe a dog, and cooler toys than our neighbors. It became all about being a Jones. How many social causes were active in the 80's as compared with the early 70's and 60's? It was like they just had to hold out and eventually we would quiet down and go back to keeping the hamster wheel spinning.
Back to the movie, since I'm not sure the point. I keep coming back to a scene near the end. Michael is sitting with a priest and he asks- directly from his inner child- why we haven't changed things. He says that in a country so great, with so many resources and so many great people, why haven't we found a way to not go to war, to stop the grip of Capitalism as it is surely going to be our ruin, to provide health care. Simple things. That's what I want to know.
I realize that the world is very convoluted. We seem inextricably bound to the structures we've created in terms of government and finance. But somebody, or many somebodies out there must see a clear path out of this insanity. When Jimmy Carter said in 1979 that we needed to readdress our priorities, he was dead on. We've lost or misplaced one of the things that makes us human beings, our compassion for and connection to other humans. Money and power have blinded many of us and the rest of us are so busy trying to make ends meet that it's hard to find the time to look up and see what's real. I'm only starting to learn and I won't look too closely because I refuse to let them make me believe that it all makes sense.
If I had a platform, I would call for a global strike. We need to stop. Stop making, stop buying, stop chasing and looking for 'things'. We need to stop and sit and think together. I know how crazy that sounds but we're capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. We don't need to be policed by laws and politics, we need to figure out how to formulate a world where everyone is cared for. If there is balance, there is no reason for crime. If we are all seen and heard, if we all are considered to be of equal value, with equal votes and fair shares, then we will have finally found a stable foundation on which to build a strong society. As unlikely as this eventuality is, I believe in it. It know there are enough of us who care, who want something better, and who see through the veil of "Everything is fine, just watch some more T.V.". Everything is not fine. The most I can do from my little life is to live with love and hope. I wouldn't get so angry if I didn't love this place so much. I'm going to do my best to let go the anger and lead with love. Fighting things tends only to perpetuate those things. I'm going to love as loudly as I can and hope that others will take up that call. Maybe we can love some sense into this world!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Intro in the 3rd Act
I realized that I kinda started this blog out of nowhere and as it seems to be a place I'm going to do a lot of ranting, I feel an introduction of sorts is in order. I rant a lot, but it doesn't come from a place of expecting others to change so that the world will be as I wish it to be. More, I'm sitting in my glass house and rather than throwing my bucket of stones, I'm searching for reflections. If I bitch about the actions of others it's likely that they piss me off because I see something in them that I want to change in myself. This isn't always true but often. Obviously if I bitch about war, it's not because I believe in or support war, but what wars are going on in my own life? What things do I war against and so waste my energy? Basically, I use writing as a way to think about the world, to pick it apart and see if I can figure out what's going on. In studying the world, I learn more about myself. I'm coming to feel an urgency to be of service to those around me. I have to investigate to see where and in what capacities I can be most helpful. I also, like we all do, have a lot of growing and healing to do myself. I don't think I should sit and wait to help while I devote all my time to healing and trying to perfect myself. I do know that I have to work hardest at my own healing so that I have more to give. I envision a world where we all work together for the good of all. Where we know we all are one, where compassion reins supreme. We all are the custodians of this planet and of our race. Soon we'll be able to see the beauty in all others and, perhaps most importantly, in ourselves.
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