Pond Vibrations
Until the philosophy which hold one race superior
And another
Inferior
Is finally
And permanently
Discredited
And abandoned -
Everywhere is war -
Me say war.
That until there no longer
First class and second class citizens of any nation
Until the color of a man's skin
Is of no more significance than the color of his eyes -
Me say war.
That until the basic human rights
Are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race -
Dis a war.
That until that day
The dream of lasting peace,
World citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued,
But never attained -
Now everywhere is war - war.
-- Bob Marley; War
This is a strange time. Maybe it’s always that way. In a sense, every action results in an opposite reaction. Still, it seems to me that on several levels, the negatives are gaining momentum, and at a pace that the positives haven’t caught up to.
There are exceptions, of course. The outpouring of positive vibrations in Boston is the obvious example. I continue to see where people question what motivated two young men to strike out in such a vicious manner. The answer is obvious: hatred. In the United States, And, on one hand, this country has not had much experience with the dynamic of this type of gross violence in its city streets.
On the other hand, in the past fifty years, there has been domestic terrorism aimed at specific groups of people. There were bombings of churches; the Weathermen; Tim McVeigh; the bombing of clinic that provide women with healthcare; and murderous attacks on people targeted for ethnic, religious, and sexual identity. So many people have the experience of being terrorized for simply being human beings.
I read about Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s comments regarding Israel and Iran today. Obviously, I do not know Chuck Hagel, but my impression is that he’s not a hateful person. Yet, his level of being is that of an agent of violence. James Carroll’s classic 2006 book “House of War” documents how being a cog of the pentagon changes even those who enter it with hopes of instituting change.
So long as people think they can defeat hatred with violence -- and I am not denying that human beings have the right to self-defense -- then hatred and violence will continue, with no end in sight. Yet, as overwhelming as the problems we face today seem, we all have the ability to stop participating in the hateful and violent ways that threaten (and often terrorize) the people around the earth.
Being non-violent and refusing to hate doesn’t equal a silent acceptance of victimhood. It isn’t that there is not a need for law and order, if there is to be social justice. Common sense gun laws are a good example. If the young man in Boston lives, he has the right to a fair trial; if he is found guilty, he should face the consequences.
Likewise, I believe that if there was real law and order, justice would demand that the Dick Cheneyites must face consequences. For it is that type of person who initiates violence and warfare on the global scale. And they rarely face consequences: they send ignorant young adults -- sometimes in large, uniformed (thus, depersonalized) groups, sometimes as individuals -- to carry vicious attacks upon groups no different than the good people of Boston who were watching the marathon.
These are some of the things I think about, while sitting out near my pond on a bright spring day. I’m enjoying watching both the fish and birds consume the food that I’ve brought out for them. I’m doing some writing, too (mostly on the book, but also this essay that I may post on DU.) And I have some dry firewood between the pond and cabin, and I’ll start a fire soon. Tonight, I’ll listen to the beautiful song of the peeper-frogs.
Tomorrow, I will be relaxed and rested, and return to the struggle for social justice.
Peace,
H2O Man
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