Is it easier for us to speak hatefully than to stop and consider the effects of what we say?
Is it easier for us to 'other-ize' those whom we do not understand, ethnically, religiously, so that we may then feel free to commit acts of violence towards them?
Is it easier for us to vent our anger in outrage, without really pausing to think if the initiating event has any integrity, truth or worth to demand the release of such negative energy?
I am not just referring to the outrage in response to the release of the abominable video that falsely condones American views of those who profess the religion of Islam. That outrage may be a result of pent up anger towards decades of wars and dictatorships, inter-tribal struggles, colonial/corporate greed, economic hardship. . . .
In this election season, there is also a proliferation of 'gotcha' moments, of viral and nasty facebook and you tube posts full of hateful speech towards our president, as well as flaming snark towards those who are viewed as extremists of any sort in our country...
Spiralling remarks, pictures, images of such vitriol speak very ill of where we as human beings are progressing....
Such images and remarks...created by a minority of voices among us--do NOT represent what I believe to be the soul of tolerance of not just Americans,
but also of most of the people of every faith and ethnicity around the world.
The force of the current media storms that threaten to engulf us--both internationally as well as in the current political campaigns here--needs to be calmed by a call to reason, a call to peace, a call to come together, to bring our hurts to the table, our faults and wrongs to the table, and to forgive, and to ask for forgivenes....to find a way to get beyond the cruel ravaging of the 'other'....to finding a more honest, tolerant, and compassionate way to address our human needs.
when we denigrate a human person into an 'other', an 'it'...we give permission to perform de-humanizing acts, setting reason aside, setting our humanity aside...
we all can be sucked into this deathly way of being, but we don't have to...we can consciously choose another way, without relinquishing our reason and sanity to destructive forces...click on the link below....
Where in the World
....can you find one, whose mind is pure and who has done
the work each day, to pave the way, with hope?
Where in the world, can you find two, who've joined together to do
what we can, enriching lives in love?
Where in the world, are there three? Maybe you, and you, and me
Who will begin to empty our hearts from war?
Where in the world can you find hope?
Where in the world can you find love?
Where in the world, can you find peace?
Where in the world?
Peace is here, peace is now, if you want it!
Peace is here, peace is now, do you want it?
....I realize we cannot control what others may say or do, but each of us can control how we conduct our own speech, our own actions... to be the change, the change for GOOD, the change for Peace and reconciliation....it begins with each of us,
it begins with one. . . .