This is a call to anyone who feels like we're in suspended animation; to those of us who think that the government has finally taken over our inalienable rights and replaced them with their version of democracy; and to those who think that they are powerless to fight them and want to take all their anger and resentment and filter it out into society. To them I say:
Stop it now!
Or, at least take a break and munch on a Big Mac, ha ha.
Freedom comes at a much larger cost than one might think, yet that doesn't validate resentment or anger towards the people who are screwing the world: Neocons, the Right wing machine, TV, McDonald's, etc. We have no excuse to not be making logical, informed and mature decisions about how we channel our feelings.
We all know this country is screwing up the world, and everyday when the president says that 'things are going great and order some gol-darn ribs', the skies just seem to get darker and cloudier. I know, I know. We have learned about freaky things this mechanized, industrialized society does. We have learned about what is REALLY in our fast food. We know all about the Neocons' takeover policies. It can be overwhelming, but we need to keep our wits about us in order to make a dent. If we collectively use our anger and resentment to get back at this unfair world, what kind of happiness will it bring? It won't bring any happiness- rather, it will only bring shame and depression. How do you react to negativity? With more or less negativity? Will you be reactionary or will you act accordingly and adult about it?
We know that the media encourages people to be a certain way. We know this because we see it in the gallery malls in every major city, including this one. We see people's intelligence shafted for commercialized, generalized knowledge. We see how aspects of intellectualism, artistry, sensitivity and tact are replaced with pseudospeak, which in turn, is prioritized. It's more custom to hear whatever this neo-ebonics is (actually, it seems more like a degredation of language to me). The media tries to pop our heads open and pour it in, preaching "Walk in the valley of victory with me". Should we hate the media or should we hate those people who emulate the media as such? What do you think?
Or, should we not hate at all? NOT HATE?! That's un-American! We were BORN TO HATE! Our country was conceived out of hate! That's the American Way!
(Now picture a bugle call and a slowly waving Old Glory, ha ho.)
I don't think so.
Humanity needs to be careful and listen carefully. I think if anything in our world view or even our local view gets askew enough to start breeding hatred towards the people who are raping the world, then we'd better get on their bandwagon and become one of them. We ought to be constructive about the things in this world that piss us off. In my opinion, we need to love people for their shortcomings and try to understand them better, and either do nothing or do something constructive to fix the problem. Sound preachy? Sound like bullshit or Jesus-jargon? It's the TRUTH. We were all born to hate the 'other'- the black man, the Japanese, the women, the Iraqis, the fast food eaters, the yuppies, the trustafarians, the conservatives, the neocons and on and on.
And I believe this is why:
It's hard to know everyday that there are people out there who want to make life harder for us. It's hard to understand that there are people out there who want to be the ultimate paradigm kind of staus-quo; or they want to be the fish at the bottom of the barrell. It's difficult to swallow the fact that there are so many people out there who don't give a fuck about the economy or the poor because they've got their nice tax breaks and their nice suits and their nice Range Rovers and a mouth full of McNugs. It's painful to watch anyone who consumes the bottom-barrel fast foods and their idealism that is seemingly being shoved down the throats of our minds in relentless advertisements. If all that makes you pissed off, then you're definitely paying attention.
But, if we redistribute anger into the world, we'd only be feeding the fire. Lots of things are so bad right now it's almost like a new breed of social anxiety is coming out: everythingitis!
I think that people have the power to react in good, understanding ways to assert the truth in our world. I think that madness breeds madness and only love can break it apart. I think that this group knows this and anyone who reads my shpiel could probably identify...but I don't know anything for sure. This world is so fucked up right now it needs love in order to break the shackles that bind us. Use your head.
I think you're right to call for an end to hatred, Noah, and an end to the sort of holier-than-thou idealism that rears its ugly head whenever people feel they know what's best for the world. It's important to understand and have compassion for EVERYONE, not just the poor and huddled masses. Perhaps they are in more need of it than a white man sipping martinis in his high rise, but they are no more and no less human. And yes, put that way, it does sound like new-age hippie bs. But "othering" anyone, whether by mocking, demeaning, dismissing or oppressing them, undermines any ideal of a free society based on equality. Stick flowers in the end of guns, don't just point back with another weapon.
Posted by: Ana at May 10, 2004 12:26 AM