Douglas,
I need to correct an the use of a faulty comparison we've been making
here. Other peoples are not like our children. The relationships we make
with them simply cannot be compared to how we relate to (and raise) our
children, either. I know that no one intended to be patronizing, but it
does end up coming out that way.
Using the comparison of neighborhoods works much better. I can work in my
neighborhood (after working for a living), with youth groups, or helping
in schools, or raising houses, or contributing time and money to and
endless stream of ways to connect with the people in my neighborhood. I
can invite my neighbors to my house for barbeques and potlucks. My
children can play and go to school with my neighbors children.
Now, in my neighborhood are a couple of houses where people manufacture
drugs and sell them to children. There is another house where a pedophile
lives and tries to entice children into his home so he can take pictures
of them. There are a couple of houses where the families don't get along
very well with anyone. There is a family that styles themselves as
Christian zealots; another family that styles themselves as Jewish
zealots; and a family that considers themselves as Muslim zealots. They
don't worship with the other people whom they share religious beliefs
with, because those other people are too moderate. These three families
believe that through violence and intimidation they can enter their
version of paradise. Oh, yes, we have other types of fanatics--rascists,
political extremists, and so on--and they all live in this little
community together.
It takes quite an effort for all of us to get along--and we keep our law
enforcement and social service agencies relatively busy, but we do have
some problems. Once in awhile, someone bombs an abortion clinic--or the
federal building--or city hall--or the local mosque, synagogue or
church--but otherwise it's pretty calm and people get along.
Our global community does need to learn to get along, with or without
trust. But, we can't make people listen. We can't give them money to
further our motives. We can try to live openly--identify community
standards of behavior--and expect all of our neighbors to live by those
standards. When they behave in a way that injures us (our community),
then we should act together against them.
At has asked an important question about the perception of terrorism. The
political acts (blockades, isolation, war, police actions, negotiations)
of governments can seem just as much an act of terrorism to the people
they affect as any other terrorist act can seem. By this, I mean to say
that "victims" are the consequence. The recent US air strikes created
victims. The embassy bombings created victims. It is this reinforcing
loop of creating victims that I'm sure we're so concerned about.
Personally, I believe that using international systems of law is much
superior to military actions. I also distrust political motives that
support military action.
I'm quite concerned that the continued growth of nationalism, religious
fundamentalism and the widening rift between the 1st and 3rd world will
give us more reason to hope we can learn globally. List serves like this
can only help.
walk in peace,
Doc
-- "Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows." -Nisargadatta MaharajThresholds <http://www.thresholds.com> Meeting Masters <http://www.thresholds.com/masters.html> Richard C. "Doc" Holloway Astoria, Or & Olympia, WA USA ICQ# 10849650 voice 360.786.0925
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