Freedom is a constant struggle. And the question is, freedom for whom? Why are oppressors of all colors so determined to squash other people’s right to dignity and a fulfilling life?
Freedom is a constant struggle. And the question is, freedom for whom? Why are oppressors of all colors so determined to squash other people’s right to dignity and a fulfilling life?
From personal observation I know it's true. My ex wife was a pretty decent, even shy person...not wild in any way. She was elected to city council and wanted to "serve" people. I could see the change as people looking for something, "kissed the ring" and bowed down...and then she learned she had power...and it changed her.
Thanks for your hug. It was 25 years ago...so I'm long over it. But she's a lonely Trumper now...and I'm not, with a very loving wife who never got into politics. Love wins.
It evolved slowly over 4-5 years. It became more obvious when she was re-elected. The whole thing got way out of hand for us personally. Politics is like rock & roll. I've been around both professionally...and I'll take the rock & rollers.
How does our system enable and encourage this? How does it promote vanity as opposed to humility? I feel like I am seeing this human problem everywhere from local politics to the police department to schools to the church to colleges to prisons to "orphanages" to caretaking of animals and "hunting." I fear the human brain, which is capable of inventing amazing things and acts of kindness is also capable of cruelty and destruction. I don't know what the answer is. But I do think we need to put more effort into understanding it. Punishment of bad behavior, or the threat of it, is not solving our problems.
To me, the problem is not with the brain. I LOVE the inventiveness of the brain.
Instead, to me, at least, it's the heart... missing ethics, morals, values, empathy, compassion and refusal to engage the brain through the heart. That leads to 'practical' solutions. Doing something simply because it can be done. NO consideration to how, why or if it should be done... is where the trouble lies. My personal view.
As Marianne Williamson often said on the 2020 campaign trail ... amorality leads to immorality. I'd never heard that before and found it valuable to consider.
That's a really good question. In the case of American slavery and then segregation it's rooted in the belief that folks of African descent are "less than" and don't deserve the same rights. In 2023 I just don't get it.
More like rooted in the belief of self-righteous, white supremacism of which the first immigrants to what became "America" was founded upon. The moment they stepped onto this land, they replicated the caste system and have maintained it. It is the greatest shadow in the bricks of our foundation and of which we MUST be courageous enough to fight against within ourselves and our leaders. Civility is an action that needs to be seeded and spread, and obviously, needs to be the foundation of our educational systems and families, including the newer technology of the world wide web. An easy tool to spread hatred behind an electronic, anonymous white hood—around the world. Justice must learn to be much swifter in order to stop incivility and lawlessness when it's stinky, now un-hooded, heads arise.
When will we protest in the streets to say enough? Are weapons of mass destruction making us too fearful to march? Certainly makes we think twice about my neighbors who drove down the street in Proud Boy Parades with guns and flags....Certainly makes me think about putting a sign out or a sticker on my car to Ban Assault weapons. How far to the edge do we humans have to be pushed before we just say, "I cannot take it anymore." Another innocent black man has been massacred by his own ethnic brothers in the most powerful uniforms a black man can wear. A uniform that is supposed to represent Keepers of the Peace. How much further do we have to go before we demand change en masse? How much longer will we continue to we mourn another victim, another school massacre of little children and teachers? Or another insane, corrupt leader to infiltrate our government and leadership across the nation? What does it take for a country's people to demand leaders of their governments to act on our behalf and to demand civility and enforce boundaries on this lawlessness? Now we witness that even the police are scared of all the weapons that abound and now hesitate to save our children. Our globe is on fire. But there are MANY more civil people and we need to be louder. It is so safe here in Heather's Herd to speak out. But that sticker I just bought on banning assault weapons, when it arrives, will I be brave enough to put it on my car. Strange thought in my head...my car is older, if it gets damaged because of the message it bears, I can buy another.
If I get damaged in my little rural town...will I just be another grain of sand to mourn. These are trying times, but we must look to those who sat at the lunch counter at Woolworths. Are we worth our own wool? I asked my scared self, isn't it time we all sit at that same lunch counter, together, no matter how scary that is?
Pensa, I just started working on a documentary that addresses some of your thoughts above. It does not have a title yet, but it's focused on a Confederate Monument called the Talbot Boys which was erected 100 years ago on the Courthouse lawn in Easton MD. A year ago it was removed and moved to a Civil War battlefield in VA. A group called Move the Monument formed and organized around the time of George Floyds murder. They marched , they rallied, protested and methodically worked on the County Council and public opinion. They were successful. Now the monument on their Courthouse lawn is to native son Frederick Douglass. We are telling the story.
I think you have very good points here. The amount of guns out there certainly make me less likely to hit the streets in protest. Not only the guns but now it is legal to run down protestors in some states(red ones ) if they are "breaking the law". Maybe this is part of a larger plan to keep people afraid and inside their homes. But as you said, there are MANY more of us than them. Too bad everyone who feels like we do here cannot make a huge statement that says IT IS ENOUGH! It would have to be a gargantuan action so we have the big strength in numbers advantage.
Pensa, what a powerful and heart swelling post. Such braver is to be applauded and embraced if we the " Civil" are to save our species from itself. Thank you for your thoughts.
Freedom is a constant struggle. And the question is, freedom for whom? Why are oppressors of all colors so determined to squash other people’s right to dignity and a fulfilling life?
Power is tempting and then it is addictive.
Some seem to live to empower. Others, to overpower.
Power IS addictive. A friend of mine whose father in law held a very high position in our federal government said that it is an aphrodisiac.
From personal observation I know it's true. My ex wife was a pretty decent, even shy person...not wild in any way. She was elected to city council and wanted to "serve" people. I could see the change as people looking for something, "kissed the ring" and bowed down...and then she learned she had power...and it changed her.
Oh Mike, I am so sorry to read this. Hugs
Thanks for your hug. It was 25 years ago...so I'm long over it. But she's a lonely Trumper now...and I'm not, with a very loving wife who never got into politics. Love wins.
That had to be hard to watch unfold.
It evolved slowly over 4-5 years. It became more obvious when she was re-elected. The whole thing got way out of hand for us personally. Politics is like rock & roll. I've been around both professionally...and I'll take the rock & rollers.
I’ve been around some decent rocknrollers and some ego$hitheads. I known of what you speak
no
How does our system enable and encourage this? How does it promote vanity as opposed to humility? I feel like I am seeing this human problem everywhere from local politics to the police department to schools to the church to colleges to prisons to "orphanages" to caretaking of animals and "hunting." I fear the human brain, which is capable of inventing amazing things and acts of kindness is also capable of cruelty and destruction. I don't know what the answer is. But I do think we need to put more effort into understanding it. Punishment of bad behavior, or the threat of it, is not solving our problems.
Excellent observations and questions, Kim.
To me, the problem is not with the brain. I LOVE the inventiveness of the brain.
Instead, to me, at least, it's the heart... missing ethics, morals, values, empathy, compassion and refusal to engage the brain through the heart. That leads to 'practical' solutions. Doing something simply because it can be done. NO consideration to how, why or if it should be done... is where the trouble lies. My personal view.
As Marianne Williamson often said on the 2020 campaign trail ... amorality leads to immorality. I'd never heard that before and found it valuable to consider.
That's a really good question. In the case of American slavery and then segregation it's rooted in the belief that folks of African descent are "less than" and don't deserve the same rights. In 2023 I just don't get it.
More like rooted in the belief of self-righteous, white supremacism of which the first immigrants to what became "America" was founded upon. The moment they stepped onto this land, they replicated the caste system and have maintained it. It is the greatest shadow in the bricks of our foundation and of which we MUST be courageous enough to fight against within ourselves and our leaders. Civility is an action that needs to be seeded and spread, and obviously, needs to be the foundation of our educational systems and families, including the newer technology of the world wide web. An easy tool to spread hatred behind an electronic, anonymous white hood—around the world. Justice must learn to be much swifter in order to stop incivility and lawlessness when it's stinky, now un-hooded, heads arise.
When will we protest in the streets to say enough? Are weapons of mass destruction making us too fearful to march? Certainly makes we think twice about my neighbors who drove down the street in Proud Boy Parades with guns and flags....Certainly makes me think about putting a sign out or a sticker on my car to Ban Assault weapons. How far to the edge do we humans have to be pushed before we just say, "I cannot take it anymore." Another innocent black man has been massacred by his own ethnic brothers in the most powerful uniforms a black man can wear. A uniform that is supposed to represent Keepers of the Peace. How much further do we have to go before we demand change en masse? How much longer will we continue to we mourn another victim, another school massacre of little children and teachers? Or another insane, corrupt leader to infiltrate our government and leadership across the nation? What does it take for a country's people to demand leaders of their governments to act on our behalf and to demand civility and enforce boundaries on this lawlessness? Now we witness that even the police are scared of all the weapons that abound and now hesitate to save our children. Our globe is on fire. But there are MANY more civil people and we need to be louder. It is so safe here in Heather's Herd to speak out. But that sticker I just bought on banning assault weapons, when it arrives, will I be brave enough to put it on my car. Strange thought in my head...my car is older, if it gets damaged because of the message it bears, I can buy another.
If I get damaged in my little rural town...will I just be another grain of sand to mourn. These are trying times, but we must look to those who sat at the lunch counter at Woolworths. Are we worth our own wool? I asked my scared self, isn't it time we all sit at that same lunch counter, together, no matter how scary that is?
Pensa, I just started working on a documentary that addresses some of your thoughts above. It does not have a title yet, but it's focused on a Confederate Monument called the Talbot Boys which was erected 100 years ago on the Courthouse lawn in Easton MD. A year ago it was removed and moved to a Civil War battlefield in VA. A group called Move the Monument formed and organized around the time of George Floyds murder. They marched , they rallied, protested and methodically worked on the County Council and public opinion. They were successful. Now the monument on their Courthouse lawn is to native son Frederick Douglass. We are telling the story.
I think you have very good points here. The amount of guns out there certainly make me less likely to hit the streets in protest. Not only the guns but now it is legal to run down protestors in some states(red ones ) if they are "breaking the law". Maybe this is part of a larger plan to keep people afraid and inside their homes. But as you said, there are MANY more of us than them. Too bad everyone who feels like we do here cannot make a huge statement that says IT IS ENOUGH! It would have to be a gargantuan action so we have the big strength in numbers advantage.
Beautifully said. I can only hope that the generations behind us, like the oh so eloquent Will above, will hear the call.
Pensa, what a powerful and heart swelling post. Such braver is to be applauded and embraced if we the " Civil" are to save our species from itself. Thank you for your thoughts.
Pensa, You have given me much to ponder on.