As I sit behind my desk for the first time in 2006, I am encouraged by your words and echo most of your sentences. Often we get caught up in the finger pointing, name calling, and "magnification of negativisms" game too much to realize that we ARE neighbors, we ARE all Americans and on some level -- we MUST unite as one and find unified platforms to facilitate change. A country divided is a country conquered for certain.
It is difficult to find neutrality in the midst of passion -- it is difficult to find reason and justice in the midst of rage - it is even more difficult to find solutions in the midst of wide spread ignorance --fueled by uninformed fragmented thought processes that consume the masses. But among so many, there are the few (yourself included) that define and demonstrate reason and poise and simple truth amidst the chaos -- and while we all might not always agree with every thought or point another makes - -when many find cerebral synergy, THAT creates positive change.
Thank you for giving me food for thought and perspective this morning as I look to a prosperous exciting and worthwhile new year.
here's a reference to what I'm saying about your post; "Extremism Is No Excuse".
The community at large, the make-up of individuals have a responsibilty to care for each-other-the elderly, the children, the younger adults.
There are areas in our community that do this today.
Extremism is a short-circuit, fueled first, by ignorance and hatred. These kinds are off on their own trek. Leave them alone...
Trying to change them now makes no sense, except to one's ego.
The best thing for you and I is the im-peachment of Cheny and Bush!
The fraud in the GOP is surfacing-the young GOP trained, lock-step, non-thinkers are the way they are.
However, it may take us twenty years to recover and redirect the economic damage that has been wrought and truly their are millions of us that know the true story.
Trying to convince those that are not puzzled or looking for better answers, is an excercise best taken with caution. Like walking into a lions den and hoping to train the lions to eat vegetarian in one visit.
Foolish yes...
Back to the issues about religious truth. Everything in religion is true accordingly to its followers.
Back off-you either know your own religion, and are loving enough to allow others to practice their own.
Who cares about the fundamentalists? Why should I?
I don't care about them-they come home in due time.
All focus now becomes in the possession of those that will undoubtedely go through their own pain of discovery-something similar to Bush and Cheny being the best God has to offer, to finally realizing that they are crooks, liars, cheats whom have no compassion, empathy, or feelings for the community-at-large.
Fantastically, these are not Christian men-do not follow Jesus' teachings nor care too.
Very soon-those that now hurt you will shamefully rediscover that their hero's have fallen.
Too make you feel better, even after these events come too pass, many followers cannot or willnot change because the lack of critical thinking skills does not allow for change.
Though I have the capacity to feel emphathy, I am not like Christ nor want to be that person that suffers at the hands of his so-called friends when he bears the truth.
Ignorance is one thing-ignorance is intelligence but the opposite or lack of - is stupid.
Call it what you need but casting pearls before swine is not in yours or my best interests.
Saving your energy in humility nurtures your truth and power.
Hopefully all this will bring YOU peace.
As for me, peace comes through vindication when we actually 'throw the bums out'.
Give 'em hell Michael-Carrying the banner of Peace is not easy, my friend.
Lyle K'ang
9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I guess I would look first to a wondering why positions considered are only (or primarily) the "active left" and the "radical right" - what about the zillion or so of us in the middle? Must we align ourselves with one radical side or the other? To see NO virtue or competence in President Bush is just as narrow on the part of the left as it would be to say that some nut like Pat Robertson speaks for all Christians or even the "Christian right". Most people I know agree with some of the things the president has done/decided, and disagree with others.
I suppose there is something of virtue in Pat Robertson, but I'm having a harder and harder time finding it! I just think that if we are to really get to a point where men of good will can come and reason together, we really have to rid ourselves of these absolutes and admit that there is good and bad in each of us and in our views and opinions, and that while we might not agree with everything someone has done, if we dismiss them or their entire body of work out-of-hand, we diminish our own ability to be taken seriously and to have our opinion count in a discourse of any magnitude.
More later when I'm not so tired!
11:03 PM
In my last blog I wrote about Intelligent Design. There was a detailed response which labeled me "Either you are being intellectually dishonest or hypocritical". Needless to say I was hurt and offended, particularly as it came from a friend whose opinions I respected. I did not always agree but I believed in reading his positions. To make a strong, rapid reply would have started a firefight, so I passed and said nothing.
It made me think about how extreme so many positions have become. Many of us, myself included, have a visceral dislike for the Gang of Four (Bush, Cheney, Rice and Rumsfeld). I have tried in the Civic List and other methods of communication to tone down the rhetoric. I have even posted items of the radical right. This is not only a question of manners but of sense. Extremism can be counter-productive.
Note the fact that the Yippies gave us Richard Nixon as President. Their extreme actions at the 1968 Democratic Convention created fear in the minds of the public. This fear was enough to defeat Humphrey. The fear of terrorism catapulted the Cheney cabal into a position of power beyond what they were expecting.
Marsha Erman, a friend of my Hawaiian days, called to say that we have Blue and Red States. However we are all one. How about the Purple States? She has a point. It is not only America but we have a world that should be considered as one. All humanity is linked in one form or the other. By any standard or viewpoint we are going through tremulous times compared to the halcyon period following WWII.
We are faced with great natural tragedies from different causes that have affected all types of people in many different areas. We are faced with a Civil War in Iraq. America has a crisis of governmental control. Social services are under attack. Compassion gives way to greed. The space between poor and rich has become a canyon. These are just a few of our mounting problems.
Extremism is not the answer. We live together on this planet. Americans need to return to a period of more civil discourse. We need to respect our neighbors all over the planet. We need to understand there are climate changes that are affecting the entire world. There is nothing created by nature or humans which cannot be dealt with if we work together.
Moderation and working from the center will make fear not so powerful in the minds of all. Extremism will only create fear that is the mother's milk of political control.
"Extremism Is No Excuse"
3 Comments -
As I sit behind my desk for the first time in 2006, I am encouraged by your words and echo most of your sentences. Often we get caught up in the finger pointing, name calling, and "magnification of negativisms" game too much to realize that we ARE neighbors, we ARE all Americans and on some level -- we MUST unite as one and find unified platforms to facilitate change. A country divided is a country conquered for certain.
It is difficult to find neutrality in the midst of passion -- it is difficult to find reason and justice in the midst of rage - it is even more difficult to find solutions in the midst of wide spread ignorance --fueled by uninformed fragmented thought processes that consume the masses. But among so many, there are the few (yourself included) that define and demonstrate reason and poise and simple truth amidst the chaos -- and while we all might not always agree with every thought or point another makes - -when many find cerebral synergy, THAT creates positive change.
Thank you for giving me food for thought and perspective this morning as I look to a prosperous exciting and worthwhile new year.
Peace and much fondness to you always-
Laurie
5:07 AM
http://silomanagement.blogspot.com/2005/12/humanness.html
here's a reference to what I'm saying about your post; "Extremism Is No Excuse".
The community at large, the make-up of individuals have a responsibilty to care for each-other-the elderly, the children, the younger adults.
There are areas in our community that do this today.
Extremism is a short-circuit, fueled first, by ignorance and hatred. These kinds are off on their own trek. Leave them alone...
Trying to change them now makes no sense, except to one's ego.
The best thing for you and I is the im-peachment of Cheny and Bush!
The fraud in the GOP is surfacing-the young GOP trained, lock-step, non-thinkers are the way they are.
However, it may take us twenty years to recover and redirect the economic damage that has been wrought and truly their are millions of us that know the true story.
Trying to convince those that are not puzzled or looking for better answers, is an excercise best taken with caution. Like walking into a lions den and hoping to train the lions to eat vegetarian in one visit.
Foolish yes...
Back to the issues about religious truth. Everything in religion is true accordingly to its followers.
Back off-you either know your own religion, and are loving enough to allow others to practice their own.
Who cares about the fundamentalists? Why should I?
I don't care about them-they come home in due time.
All focus now becomes in the possession of those that will undoubtedely go through their own pain of discovery-something similar to Bush and Cheny being the best God has to offer, to finally realizing that they are crooks, liars, cheats whom have no compassion, empathy, or feelings for the community-at-large.
Fantastically, these are not Christian men-do not follow Jesus' teachings nor care too.
Very soon-those that now hurt you will shamefully rediscover that their hero's have fallen.
Too make you feel better, even after these events come too pass, many followers cannot or willnot change because the lack of critical thinking skills does not allow for change.
Though I have the capacity to feel emphathy, I am not like Christ nor want to be that person that suffers at the hands of his so-called friends when he bears the truth.
Ignorance is one thing-ignorance is intelligence but the opposite or lack of - is stupid.
Call it what you need but casting pearls before swine is not in yours or my best interests.
Saving your energy in humility nurtures your truth and power.
Hopefully all this will bring YOU peace.
As for me, peace comes through vindication when we actually 'throw the bums out'.
Give 'em hell Michael-Carrying the banner of Peace is not easy, my friend.
Lyle K'ang
9:27 PM
I guess I would look first to a wondering why positions considered are only (or primarily) the "active left" and the "radical right" - what about the zillion or so of us in the middle? Must we align ourselves with one radical side or the other? To see NO virtue or competence in President Bush is just as narrow on the part of the left as it would be to say that some nut like Pat Robertson speaks for all Christians or even the "Christian right". Most people I know agree with some of the things the president has done/decided, and disagree with others.
I suppose there is something of virtue in Pat Robertson, but I'm having a harder and harder time finding it! I just think that if we are to really get to a point where men of good will can come and reason together, we really have to rid ourselves of these absolutes and admit that there is good and bad in each of us and in our views and opinions, and that while we might not agree with everything someone has done, if we dismiss them or their entire body of work out-of-hand, we diminish our own ability to be taken seriously and to have our opinion count in a discourse of any magnitude.
More later when I'm not so tired!
11:03 PM