by Don Hynes
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| Vantage Point | Culture and Politics by Don Hynes |
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"No man is prejudiced in favor of a thing, knowing it to be wrong.
He is attached to it on the belief of its being right; and when he sees it is not so,
the prejudice will be gone." - Tom Paine
June 09, 2003 Guardians of Community The ancient Celtic culture initiated men and women separately through a series of specific steps to ensure a leadership that was accountable to the community and responsible to eternal values. Legend has it that in their training of warriors initiates were required to master poetry, music and dance before they took up the sword, cultivating the heart before endowing force. Richard Rohr wrote in 1991 shortly after Gulf War 1: “The warrior archetype is not going away. Warrior energy is not in its essence wrong. It takes warrior energy to see through and stand against the mass illusions of our time and be willing to pay the price of disobedience. It takes warrior energy to see through the soft rhetoric of "support our troops" which cleverly diverts us from the objective evil of war.” The war in Iraq continues and intensifies; the war against occupation continues in Palestine despite the rhetoric of peace and some progress in the settlement issue while innocents continue to be victimized as well as those who oppose aggression. Children fight in African and Asian conflicts while the developed nations turn their back. Afghanistan remains largely unreconstructed; totalitarian repression rises in Indonesia with some hope of reform; all within a rising tide in which the warrior has become a means to an end. In the midst of these near apocalyptic conditions there are voices of a transcendent warrior spirit, beyond tribalism and nationalism that speak with courage for justice, wisdom, and despite all evidence to the contrary, mercy. From the Heart Sean Penn has worked the artistic edges for years as an actor and film director. He was vilified for his visit to Iraq prior to Gulf War 2 although his claims against weapons of mass destruction have proven true. From his poignant and passionate essay that ought to be posted with the pledge of allegiance: “Can we consider that the Afghans, Iraqis, Africans, so many, and yes, even here in America need food, water, medicine, hope and sweet dreams? That the millions of people in need who make up so much of the world, where we stand as the greatest Democracy in its history, leave us to dance with them in our hearts and minds, or, to dance upon them, their graves and those of their children.” Arundhati Roy is a strident and articulate voice for the third world. She writes without empathy for the forces of commerce and militarism: “Mesopotamia. Babylon. The Tigris and Euphrates. How many children, in how many classrooms, over how many centuries, have hang-glided through the past, transported on the wings of these words? And now the bombs have fallen, incinerating and humiliating that ancient civilization. A building went down. A marketplace. A home. A girl who loved a boy. A child who only ever wanted to play with his older brother's marbles.” William Rivers Pitt a high school teacher in Boston MA and writer of conscience, has this to say about the Congressional investigation into the deception of arguments used to invade Iraq: “Let the House be brought to order. Gavel the members to attention, and let the evidence be brought forth. Let there be justice for the living and the dead.” Robert Byrd has been relentless in the U.S. Senate in demanding accountability from President Bush and his Administration: “What amazes me is that the President himself is not clamoring for an investigation. It is his integrity that is on the line. It is his truthfulness that is being questioned. It is his leadership that has come under scrutiny” as this week both the weapons of mass destruction rationale and the claims of Iraqi complicity with Al Queda evaporated. Michael Meade founded Mosaic Foundation as a resource to bring together disparate peoples and beliefs to heal the heart of culture. “Going on the ‘war path’ involves raising a clamor of accusations, stirring up elemental fears and basic instincts for protection as well as aggression. While the super-charged atmosphere of war spreads quickly and widely, paths of peace develop more slowly and require a specific attention for finding ideas and places of refuge. Each attempt at peace means creating a new sense of sanctuary.” Listen to the Earth To protect the earth is an action beyond personal future, it is a seventh generational gift that we bestow upon our children and grandchildren. Like so many issues today there are a confusing multiplicity of groups to join and funds to contribute to, but despite the broad range of potential we can each become more intelligent and informed and participate through awareness. The oceans are our lifeblood and the developing nations are having the greatest detrimental impact. The endangered species act is a vitally important part of the restoration of our continental and worldwide ecology, yet this landmark legislation is itself under attack. The ban on genetically modified foods is controversial because of the powerhouse of opposition it has in corporate America and the White House. Hunger isn’t one country’s or continent’s problem, it is a concern of compassion that supercedes all boundaries and deserves a worldwide commitment beyond politics. Ways to Help Support Mosaic Foundation. Sign a petition at the Democratic Party website against further right wing stacking of the Supreme Court. Speak out against the revised FCC regulations allowing further media monopoly through Common Cause. Help out NRDC in the fight for environmental protection. Check in at the Hunger Site and your visit makes a contribution to feeding the poor worldwide. Tune in to Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion this Saturday and cheer your heart with two of America’s finest folk singers, Kate Power and Steve Einhorn. From an Untitled poem by Pablo Neruda If each day falls inside each night there exists a well where clarity is imprisoned. We need to sit on the rim of the well of darkness and fish for fallen light with patience. Peace. *** |
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