Monday, September 18, 2006
Courage through the Darkness:
Those four words in the title come much easier to the page than they do to the heart. I understand it and fully realize how important it is to remain steadfast through this dark and difficult time, but that does not mean it comes into the fiber of my being with ease.
We have been made to feel afraid intentionally; afraid for our jobs, afraid for our health care, afraid for our safety, afraid for our children. Our media has filled the airwaves and print with scary stories about enemies behind every tree, waiting to victimize us or our children the moment we let our guard down. Like a rabid animal, our media has turned on the people. As in Germany in the 1930's, our media has become the tool of the corporations and a government bent on destruction and world domination. (There were many economic factors driving WWII.)
The very people who should be working to make us feel better are working to make us feel worse; more angry, more afraid, more controllable.
Courage does not come easily to me. It never has. So I need to take the news in small doses, sometimes filtered by my friends through their blogs or by the alternative media in analysis, as long as I'm not subjecting myself to the daily stream of verbal violence that passes itself off as news. I don't respond well to verbal violence, but then, I'm not sure anyone does. It helps a little to use the web because I can decide if the headline is something I wish to read, but it's a poor excuse for a media filter. In many ways it's the opposite. Reading and listening to news that originates outside this country can be an improvement, depending upon the country.
I need support to stay in balance, and I get in trouble when I abandon those tools and let myself get caught up in the daily stream of insanity. Eventually I have to go back and pick those tools up once again, kicking myself for putting them down – again. But when I take those tools in hand and use them I come back into balance, I can focus on what is important. I remember what I'm supposed to do and where I need to effectively place my energy.
I feel there are many positive priorities for progressive people in America, people who see above the partisanship, the bickering and the fear-mongering. Many people in the Live Journal community and some other very talented bloggers are writing about them now, and I'll keep throwing in my two cents. (Would you expect anything else?)
One is starting a new conversation about how we feel and what our perception is around things like world peace and security, the economy, health care, the environment, politics, justice, space exploration, human relationships, technology, race. We need to start these conversations from a quiet, reasonable and open-minded place – start by listening to the other person, then asking questions to clarify how they feel and what they see.
I've seen people who can be soft-spoken regardless of the circumstances. I've always admired them. A person could scream at them and they would never raise their voice, never lose their temper. It's an amazing ability and it's needed now more than ever.
We need to start discussions on that footing, with a strong emphasis on keeping the conversation civil and hearing all viewpoints present. If we can do that we can really get a sense of where change is needed most and the most effective way to bring about said change. Listen to people's concerns and desires, find out what they think, and as important, why they think that way. We need to go beyond the sound-bite, to really hear.
Because people want to be heard. They always have. And times seemed better when we were listening, when we engaged in civil discourse. And sometimes, after they vent their spleen, we get to the real conversation, the one we wanted to have in the first place. Once they've been heard they become ready to listen in return.
Is this easy? Not by a long shot. But it is necessary. If we don't dismiss and/or discount them they cannot do the same to us, and if they refuse to engage beyond hostile rhetoric we can honestly say we tried and return to the group of rational people we have brought together. After a while that group becomes the tipping point, then a majority.
When Abbott Labs raised the price of an anti-AIDS drug by 400%, the activist group I belonged to at the time got doctors to sign on to a letter denouncing the price increase, and started a boycott of all Abbott products. The doctors agreed to not see Abbott drug reps when they came to their offices. When those reps had to go back to the corporate offices and tell their bosses the doctors would not see them, the price gouging stopped.
It started at the 2004 Retrovirus Conference and within two weeks over 400 doctors had signed on. Within a month it became 1000 doctors as they spread the word through their peer networks. It was amazing. Because a few smart people presented a rational and well thought-out argument, and had a simple and effective plan, the boycott grew so fast it caused an implosion inside one of America's largest and most powerful companies.
I watched this event take place first-hand, and the doctors were not impressed by the impassioned pleas of the patients being affected by the hike. They were impressed by the activists with their well-thought out and well-reasoned proposition. Logic and reason carried the day. And this was in 2004, not 1974. Fourteen years after Reagan soured public discourse they overcame those obstacles like an Olympic sprinter over the posts on the track.
There was another time the drug companies issued a thinly-veiled threat they would just stop making the drugs. In answer we said; "Fine with us! The universities and non-profit foundations will do the lion's share of the cutting edge research and we'll just start non-profit companies to produce the medications Americans need. And with all the money we've saved from not paying out fat checks to shareholders and executives we'll accelerate drug development and offer medications at a price everyone can afford."
They backed down so quickly it was almost laughable. The lack of rancor and positive focus on solutions overcame problems that might never have been solved through conflict. We also taught guys who thought they had all the power that, in truth, they didn't have the power at all. We had the power.
Because we do. The reason they keep us afraid is because they fear us. They know we have the power anytime we wish to take it. We've done it many times in our relatively short history as a nation. They keep us afraid to control us and to keep us from claiming our power on an ongoing basis. When the Bush-Cheny-Rumsfeld-Trent-Warner bunch finally lose power and we discover all the terrible things they did in our name, behind our backs – we will probably take the power back and keep control for decades as we clean up their mess.
They know this and it's the one thing that keeps them up at night. They don't lose any sleep over the kids getting shot or having their limbs blown off in Iraq and Afghanistan. They certainly don't lose any sleep over the thousands of brown-skinned people they have killed. The only thing they fear is losing their control over us, of us reclaiming our power.
Let's make their fear a reality.
We are at a pivotal and dangerous time right now. People are tired of being made to feel afraid, tired of five years of mindless terror. They are at the snapping point. We need to be careful and avoid conflict where possible so we are not the catalyst for their snap. I fear the consequences of this snapping point, even though it needs to happen. Because we need to get to the place that happens after the snap.
When we do get to that point, when people are no longer running on mindless terror and anger, we can truly begin the healing process. I think there will be a backlash against the media and politicians who have fed us this steady diet of fear, and my hope is those people will get what they deserve. When this happens the Bush Administration and Radical Right will lose their control over us and we will take back our power.
There are people in Washington who have said that, when Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld lose control, people are going to prison. I hope this happens, not purely out of vengeance, but also because we need a return to justice. (I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a desire for retribution for all the terrible things they have done.) We need those people to go to prison, to be tried for crimes against humanity and the American people. We need to restore our democracy.
It will happen. As long as we keep our eyes on the ball, remain focused, and engage our fellow citizens in dialogue that is free of mindless hatred and fear. If we keep our courage we will emerge from this terrible darkness.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
It's not about apathy, it's about fear:
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)
As I've been staying away from the news on purpose I've noticed that I get the news anyway. When I go out there are papers all over the place with big bold headlines. There are more TVs around, and if they're not tuned to CNN or (shudder) FOX News, the station that is on has a news ticker below the program. Even if I try to not watch it or read it, it catches my eye.
Then there are my well-meaning friends who send my emails about the news, and Live Journal usually has posts about the news. I could avoid email and Live Journal but then I'd feel like I'm punishing myself. I consider Live Journal a community, though not a replacement for flesh-and-blood contact.
But through all that filtering the news gets softened a little. What I've seen for a long time is the propensity of the news to be loud, aggressive to the point of verbally abusive, biased, over-simplified, pro-business to the point of being anti-human, corrupted by money and politics, pandering, and above all – fear-mongering. It was fashionable long before the Bush Administration to go for an emotional response with every news story, they just became the fear-mongering publisher's wet dream.
And then the quote I put at the top of this entry appeared.
And I realized that people are not apathetic, they are scared. This is a hell of a realization for me. It also changes how I view the world around me, making me a little more understanding and compassionate. I know understand that ignorance and fear-mongering are driving many people out there. They are not happy with the way their lives or the world is going but they have no idea how to change it.
Civic participation is no longer being taught, another victim of the testing obsession in American education today. When young people no longer understand how their government works things like re-districting are not seen as the threat to our democracy they are. They don't understand how important their vote is, so they don’t vote. Normally this ignorance would lead to apathy, (where I believed the problem resided.)
But we don't live in normal times. Fear has been force-fed to all of us since the 80's. The attack on 9-11 and our government's complicity in it just made things worse. (4 out of 10 Americans think our government played a role in the events on 9-11. That figure is higher outside the United States.) The Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal has been around since the 80's. In Washington they call them "The Crazies." This stuff is not new.
Remember when Franklin D. Roosevelt said; "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." That is true. What may also be true is our government knew about Pearl Harbor before it happened and even antagonized the Japanese as an excuse to enter the war. It's well-known the Japanese were on the edge of surrender when we dropped atomic bombs on their tiny island. We wanted to use these new weapons, flex our muscle, show the world we were the new super-power on the block as the British Empire declined.
So not even 9-11 is new. Would the Bush Administration and the Pentagon under Cheney and Rumsfeld let 3,000 Americans die simply to further their agenda?
I'll leave you to answer that one for yourself.
The people in power in this world do not think in terms of years, they think in terms of decades. They study history, except they don't use their intelligence, education, wealth and power to help humanity. They also hope that we won't study history or think about it on a deep level.
The press and our government say the economy is great, but that's not what I hear. Every time it's mentioned in any group I hear people say how fucked up things are.
People who are disabled get $900.00 a month from the federal government at the bottom of the scale, and that's the majority. Have you ever tried to live in San Francisco on $900.00 a month? Even if you take the dispassionate attitude they should "go somewhere else," how would they move on less than that amount? They cannot "save up to move" because they are barely getting by. And even if they do, $900.00 a month doesn't go very far anywhere in America.
My brother is a small-businessman in Texas, and he says the economy sucks, business sucks. My friends who are job-seeking, or working at underpaid jobs they are vastly overqualified for, say the same thing. Even people who have "good" jobs are concerned about the economy and their livelihood. What's the tipping point for lay-offs at your company? A drop in the stock price?
Health care is in trouble too. Billions of dollars are sucked up by the managed care industry, consolidation has placed the revenue in the hands of the few, taking care and services away from the many. Doctors hate insurance companies. Politicians are bought and paid for by the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. The corruption and graft is staggering. Even the most cynical among us ordinary folk cannot deny this.
Is it any wonder people are terrified? How many of us are a step away from homeless? Suddenly that person on the street corner begins to look more and more familiar. Our media and our government and our societal structure are generating fear-based messages, but none of those entities are offering alternatives to the fear. Americans are more isolated than they were 20 years ago, as many recent studies have shown.
Terrified and Alone. What a horrible pairing.
Our spouses and our friends are more precious than gold. We need them now more than ever, yet fear and isolation are pushing us away from each other. Physical contact is vital to our sanity and our physical health. We need love and affection, even if it's purely platonic. They aren't just sappy homilies from the 60's. The Beatles wrote; "all you need is love," but we have somehow missed the understanding of "need." Need is not a desire, a wish, a hope – need is that which we cannot live without.
We need each other. Together we should reach out and help ease the fear of others. I'm not moralizing here – we need to solve these problems and we have to be united to do so. The Crazies want to start a third war with Iran. Everyone knows this. We cannot afford to start another war, which will drag our economy down even further, and increase our level of fear.
These recent changes in my personal life are giving me a new perspective on things, but my beliefs remain the same. It's just my attitude that needs to change. It's not easy dealing with frightened animals, even human ones. I will say that, of all the species, we seem to have a special talent for hiding our fear. Today I can see that I need to treat everyone as if they were a scared animal. Easier said than done, I know. It's really hard for me to be nice to someone who is not being nice in return. I'm not currently programmed that way. I don’t know fully how to change that programming right now, but I have some ideas, I'm initiating some actions, and I'm learning. Avoiding the mass media helps.
The last time I watched live TV I was struck by how loud, aggressive and obnoxious it has become. Everything is shrill. They're not exhorting us to buy their product, they are screaming at us to do so. If people behaved that way in our homes we would ask them to leave. I've found it's not worth it to see a new "Simpsons" or "Family Guy" if I have to put up with all that shrill, violent and overwhelming advertising. (I suspect FOX is particularly bad about this.) TIVO is an option if one is diligent about skipping the ads.
Listening to music has been helpful. Writing helps. Art helps. Playing my drums helps. Being around my partner and my friends helps more than words can express. I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing, reach out a little more if I can, and try to be patient and kind. I'm starting to believe they are the only things that truly make positive change possible.
Hope for the best. Strive for the good of us all.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)
As I've been staying away from the news on purpose I've noticed that I get the news anyway. When I go out there are papers all over the place with big bold headlines. There are more TVs around, and if they're not tuned to CNN or (shudder) FOX News, the station that is on has a news ticker below the program. Even if I try to not watch it or read it, it catches my eye.
Then there are my well-meaning friends who send my emails about the news, and Live Journal usually has posts about the news. I could avoid email and Live Journal but then I'd feel like I'm punishing myself. I consider Live Journal a community, though not a replacement for flesh-and-blood contact.
But through all that filtering the news gets softened a little. What I've seen for a long time is the propensity of the news to be loud, aggressive to the point of verbally abusive, biased, over-simplified, pro-business to the point of being anti-human, corrupted by money and politics, pandering, and above all – fear-mongering. It was fashionable long before the Bush Administration to go for an emotional response with every news story, they just became the fear-mongering publisher's wet dream.
And then the quote I put at the top of this entry appeared.
And I realized that people are not apathetic, they are scared. This is a hell of a realization for me. It also changes how I view the world around me, making me a little more understanding and compassionate. I know understand that ignorance and fear-mongering are driving many people out there. They are not happy with the way their lives or the world is going but they have no idea how to change it.
Civic participation is no longer being taught, another victim of the testing obsession in American education today. When young people no longer understand how their government works things like re-districting are not seen as the threat to our democracy they are. They don't understand how important their vote is, so they don’t vote. Normally this ignorance would lead to apathy, (where I believed the problem resided.)
But we don't live in normal times. Fear has been force-fed to all of us since the 80's. The attack on 9-11 and our government's complicity in it just made things worse. (4 out of 10 Americans think our government played a role in the events on 9-11. That figure is higher outside the United States.) The Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal has been around since the 80's. In Washington they call them "The Crazies." This stuff is not new.
Remember when Franklin D. Roosevelt said; "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." That is true. What may also be true is our government knew about Pearl Harbor before it happened and even antagonized the Japanese as an excuse to enter the war. It's well-known the Japanese were on the edge of surrender when we dropped atomic bombs on their tiny island. We wanted to use these new weapons, flex our muscle, show the world we were the new super-power on the block as the British Empire declined.
So not even 9-11 is new. Would the Bush Administration and the Pentagon under Cheney and Rumsfeld let 3,000 Americans die simply to further their agenda?
I'll leave you to answer that one for yourself.
The people in power in this world do not think in terms of years, they think in terms of decades. They study history, except they don't use their intelligence, education, wealth and power to help humanity. They also hope that we won't study history or think about it on a deep level.
The press and our government say the economy is great, but that's not what I hear. Every time it's mentioned in any group I hear people say how fucked up things are.
People who are disabled get $900.00 a month from the federal government at the bottom of the scale, and that's the majority. Have you ever tried to live in San Francisco on $900.00 a month? Even if you take the dispassionate attitude they should "go somewhere else," how would they move on less than that amount? They cannot "save up to move" because they are barely getting by. And even if they do, $900.00 a month doesn't go very far anywhere in America.
My brother is a small-businessman in Texas, and he says the economy sucks, business sucks. My friends who are job-seeking, or working at underpaid jobs they are vastly overqualified for, say the same thing. Even people who have "good" jobs are concerned about the economy and their livelihood. What's the tipping point for lay-offs at your company? A drop in the stock price?
Health care is in trouble too. Billions of dollars are sucked up by the managed care industry, consolidation has placed the revenue in the hands of the few, taking care and services away from the many. Doctors hate insurance companies. Politicians are bought and paid for by the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. The corruption and graft is staggering. Even the most cynical among us ordinary folk cannot deny this.
Is it any wonder people are terrified? How many of us are a step away from homeless? Suddenly that person on the street corner begins to look more and more familiar. Our media and our government and our societal structure are generating fear-based messages, but none of those entities are offering alternatives to the fear. Americans are more isolated than they were 20 years ago, as many recent studies have shown.
Terrified and Alone. What a horrible pairing.
Our spouses and our friends are more precious than gold. We need them now more than ever, yet fear and isolation are pushing us away from each other. Physical contact is vital to our sanity and our physical health. We need love and affection, even if it's purely platonic. They aren't just sappy homilies from the 60's. The Beatles wrote; "all you need is love," but we have somehow missed the understanding of "need." Need is not a desire, a wish, a hope – need is that which we cannot live without.
We need each other. Together we should reach out and help ease the fear of others. I'm not moralizing here – we need to solve these problems and we have to be united to do so. The Crazies want to start a third war with Iran. Everyone knows this. We cannot afford to start another war, which will drag our economy down even further, and increase our level of fear.
These recent changes in my personal life are giving me a new perspective on things, but my beliefs remain the same. It's just my attitude that needs to change. It's not easy dealing with frightened animals, even human ones. I will say that, of all the species, we seem to have a special talent for hiding our fear. Today I can see that I need to treat everyone as if they were a scared animal. Easier said than done, I know. It's really hard for me to be nice to someone who is not being nice in return. I'm not currently programmed that way. I don’t know fully how to change that programming right now, but I have some ideas, I'm initiating some actions, and I'm learning. Avoiding the mass media helps.
The last time I watched live TV I was struck by how loud, aggressive and obnoxious it has become. Everything is shrill. They're not exhorting us to buy their product, they are screaming at us to do so. If people behaved that way in our homes we would ask them to leave. I've found it's not worth it to see a new "Simpsons" or "Family Guy" if I have to put up with all that shrill, violent and overwhelming advertising. (I suspect FOX is particularly bad about this.) TIVO is an option if one is diligent about skipping the ads.
Listening to music has been helpful. Writing helps. Art helps. Playing my drums helps. Being around my partner and my friends helps more than words can express. I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing, reach out a little more if I can, and try to be patient and kind. I'm starting to believe they are the only things that truly make positive change possible.
Hope for the best. Strive for the good of us all.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
An interesting group (and outlook)-
The group they're building is called The Network of Spiritual Progressives, and their foundation grows out of progressive Jewish group called Tikkun.
Here's part of the text from their "core vision:"
"We are trying to create something which doesn't have an exact analogue in contemporary life. The truth of the matter is, many of us are wary of any organization—they remain human institutions, susceptible to the ever-present reality of human frailty. The capacity to under-whelm, frustrate, disappoint, and madden is common to all human organizations, whether spiritual or secular, whether on the left or the right or in the middle.
I don't know if I agree with everything they say or that I plan to join their group, but I like where they're coming from in general. Being a deeply spiritual person who identifies as a Taoist and does not care for most organized religions, it's nice to see a group that seeks to find a spiritual center for the left.
I agree with their view that the progressive left can be deeply anti-spiritual. Not they always are by any means – we can assume the basic rules of generalizations here and the exceptions and contradictions therein – but it's a common reaction to the radical Christian right and their intrusion into American politics.
I appreciate they are not another American Jewish group that blindly supports Israel and our equally blind backing of that state. In fact, they seem to denounce extremism regardless of where it comes from.
I think it's important to show people that those of us on the left are not bereft of a moral and/or spiritual compass. On more than one occasion, when I've stated I'm not a Christian, the follow-up question has been; "So you're an atheist?" As if those are the only two possibilities. There's a lot of ignorance fostered by those in positions of authority to encourage divisiveness.
When I lived in Texas I talked with Christians and Baptists, and when we finished we realized we were not as far apart as we thought. For example; there's a common belief that gay people want to come into their churches and force their priests to marry them. When I tell them we do not wish to marry or worship where we are not wanted, they answered; "Nobody's ever said that."
Because divisiveness is the oldest weapon in the book. Divide and Conquer. The Romans used it to foster class warfare and enslave the Jews. It's been used in countless military campaigns. Karl Rove feeds on it. Fear of "the other," "those who are not like us," who don't "share our values."
Bullshit. We all share the same values, more or less. We want to be loved and love in return. We want to cultivate our friendships and care for our families. We want healthy food and a stable roof. We want to experience joy, communicate, be heard and acknowledged as worthy. We want to be valued as human beings.
"Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand."
That's one of the most prophetic lines in rock music, ("Witch Hunt" by Rush.)
"They say there are those who threaten us, our immigrants and infidels.
"They say there is strangeness to danger us, in our theaters and bookstore shelves.
"And those who know what's best for us, must rise and save us from ourselves."
It's like a playbook for Rove and the Cheney-Rumsfeld neo-cons.
And I've heard the same close-minded hate from the left. "Southern Baptists are assholes!" As if any one group has a corner on the market. I've worked with and for Southern Baptists and I'm here to tell you, many of them are perfectly nice people.
A grocer I worked for in Texas also employed a gay friend as a corporate accountant. They were amazingly supportive towards Allen and his partner when Allen was dying from AIDS, and even called to check on his partner after Allen's death.
That grocer was owned by a Southern Baptist family.
Isolation and fear have brought us to where we are today. My country is polarized and ugly and I don't like it very much right now. I'm tired of those in power feasting on our fear. Aren't you?
The group I mentioned above is one way out of this situation, but they are not alone. There are many groups that destroy the image of "the other." It is the basis of Eastern spiritual thought. I think groups like this are important and they can help us move beyond that which divides us now. Once the ignorance is lifted and we see how alike we really are it becomes easy to spot those who wish to prey upon us and stop them.
We are NOT alone. That is part of the illusion.
The group they're building is called The Network of Spiritual Progressives, and their foundation grows out of progressive Jewish group called Tikkun.
Here's part of the text from their "core vision:"
"We are trying to create something which doesn't have an exact analogue in contemporary life. The truth of the matter is, many of us are wary of any organization—they remain human institutions, susceptible to the ever-present reality of human frailty. The capacity to under-whelm, frustrate, disappoint, and madden is common to all human organizations, whether spiritual or secular, whether on the left or the right or in the middle.
"Particularly when people start hoping for a loving reality, we often get so scared—because we have been so deeply shaped by the pathogenic belief that we don't really deserve to be loved—that we try to prove to ourselves that a better world isn't really possible. That’s when we find people in our organizations hurting each other in the name of love, being brutal and lacking compassion, creating endless fights over theoretical differences, or clinging to ego at the cost of finding real solidarity with others. We will do what we can to provide a supportive context, but we will also not hesitate to ask people to leave our organization who would prefer to fight with each other than to lovingly support each other. Creating an international community of people who start with agreement on the points in this document can generate generous amounts of comradely love and solidarity."
I don't know if I agree with everything they say or that I plan to join their group, but I like where they're coming from in general. Being a deeply spiritual person who identifies as a Taoist and does not care for most organized religions, it's nice to see a group that seeks to find a spiritual center for the left.
I agree with their view that the progressive left can be deeply anti-spiritual. Not they always are by any means – we can assume the basic rules of generalizations here and the exceptions and contradictions therein – but it's a common reaction to the radical Christian right and their intrusion into American politics.
I appreciate they are not another American Jewish group that blindly supports Israel and our equally blind backing of that state. In fact, they seem to denounce extremism regardless of where it comes from.
I think it's important to show people that those of us on the left are not bereft of a moral and/or spiritual compass. On more than one occasion, when I've stated I'm not a Christian, the follow-up question has been; "So you're an atheist?" As if those are the only two possibilities. There's a lot of ignorance fostered by those in positions of authority to encourage divisiveness.
When I lived in Texas I talked with Christians and Baptists, and when we finished we realized we were not as far apart as we thought. For example; there's a common belief that gay people want to come into their churches and force their priests to marry them. When I tell them we do not wish to marry or worship where we are not wanted, they answered; "Nobody's ever said that."
Because divisiveness is the oldest weapon in the book. Divide and Conquer. The Romans used it to foster class warfare and enslave the Jews. It's been used in countless military campaigns. Karl Rove feeds on it. Fear of "the other," "those who are not like us," who don't "share our values."
Bullshit. We all share the same values, more or less. We want to be loved and love in return. We want to cultivate our friendships and care for our families. We want healthy food and a stable roof. We want to experience joy, communicate, be heard and acknowledged as worthy. We want to be valued as human beings.
"Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand."
That's one of the most prophetic lines in rock music, ("Witch Hunt" by Rush.)
"They say there are those who threaten us, our immigrants and infidels.
"They say there is strangeness to danger us, in our theaters and bookstore shelves.
"And those who know what's best for us, must rise and save us from ourselves."
It's like a playbook for Rove and the Cheney-Rumsfeld neo-cons.
And I've heard the same close-minded hate from the left. "Southern Baptists are assholes!" As if any one group has a corner on the market. I've worked with and for Southern Baptists and I'm here to tell you, many of them are perfectly nice people.
A grocer I worked for in Texas also employed a gay friend as a corporate accountant. They were amazingly supportive towards Allen and his partner when Allen was dying from AIDS, and even called to check on his partner after Allen's death.
That grocer was owned by a Southern Baptist family.
Isolation and fear have brought us to where we are today. My country is polarized and ugly and I don't like it very much right now. I'm tired of those in power feasting on our fear. Aren't you?
The group I mentioned above is one way out of this situation, but they are not alone. There are many groups that destroy the image of "the other." It is the basis of Eastern spiritual thought. I think groups like this are important and they can help us move beyond that which divides us now. Once the ignorance is lifted and we see how alike we really are it becomes easy to spot those who wish to prey upon us and stop them.
We are NOT alone. That is part of the illusion.
Friday, September 01, 2006
The Christian Agenda:
I commented the other day that Christians can be creepy and a fellow community member took offence. I made it clear I have nothing against Christians per se, but I do have a problem with the way they push their values at me.
Yesterday I got a phone call from an organization concerned about sex and violence on TV. It took a while and some direct questions to get the caller to admit they were from a Christian group. When I said I was not a Christian they hung up.
I have been accosted on the street, through email, by phone, and at my front door – by Christians trying to push their religion on me. Buddhists don't do this, nor do Taoists. I have not been asked a hundred times if I've accepted Lao Tzu as my "personal savior."
The Radical (Christian) Right has been working on national and state policy issues, trying to deny equal rights to my community. We are an object of their hate.
American Christians hate. They have done everything within their power to hurt my community. I do know exceptions to this group, and I do know gay Christians, but they are exceptions. American Christians attack my community in many "un-Christ-like" ways, justifying their hatred and bigotry based on their limited interpretation of the Bible.
As an aside – the Bible was written by superstitious men who wiped their ass with their hand and had barely moved beyond cave living. Various groups have edited the Bible in ways too many to count, so the Bible you see today may have nothing to do with the original.
And as for those exceptional Christians – why don't they stand up when their brethren spreads hate and division? Why do they remain silent when their fellows use the words of Jesus to persecute others? If you're a member of this group and you remain silent you are giving your approval. You are part of the hate if only through your silence.
So before you get indignant and say; "I don't hate!" Remember that your silence is your approval for your fellows to spread such hate.
If you want to be a Christian I have no problem with that. This country was founded upon individual and spiritual freedom. But keep it in your church. Keep your religion out of politics – remember separation of church and state? Don't attack my brothers and sisters. Don't bother me through phone or email. Stay away from my home.
I commented the other day that Christians can be creepy and a fellow community member took offence. I made it clear I have nothing against Christians per se, but I do have a problem with the way they push their values at me.
Yesterday I got a phone call from an organization concerned about sex and violence on TV. It took a while and some direct questions to get the caller to admit they were from a Christian group. When I said I was not a Christian they hung up.
I have been accosted on the street, through email, by phone, and at my front door – by Christians trying to push their religion on me. Buddhists don't do this, nor do Taoists. I have not been asked a hundred times if I've accepted Lao Tzu as my "personal savior."
The Radical (Christian) Right has been working on national and state policy issues, trying to deny equal rights to my community. We are an object of their hate.
American Christians hate. They have done everything within their power to hurt my community. I do know exceptions to this group, and I do know gay Christians, but they are exceptions. American Christians attack my community in many "un-Christ-like" ways, justifying their hatred and bigotry based on their limited interpretation of the Bible.
As an aside – the Bible was written by superstitious men who wiped their ass with their hand and had barely moved beyond cave living. Various groups have edited the Bible in ways too many to count, so the Bible you see today may have nothing to do with the original.
And as for those exceptional Christians – why don't they stand up when their brethren spreads hate and division? Why do they remain silent when their fellows use the words of Jesus to persecute others? If you're a member of this group and you remain silent you are giving your approval. You are part of the hate if only through your silence.
So before you get indignant and say; "I don't hate!" Remember that your silence is your approval for your fellows to spread such hate.
If you want to be a Christian I have no problem with that. This country was founded upon individual and spiritual freedom. But keep it in your church. Keep your religion out of politics – remember separation of church and state? Don't attack my brothers and sisters. Don't bother me through phone or email. Stay away from my home.
