4 posts tagged “iraq”

I have followed the Rev Jeremiah Wright story a little bit.  I don’t watch much in the way of network news so I’ve missed *some* of the flurry of sound bytes.  I spent some time on YouTube watching some of Rev Wright’s speeches in full.  Not just the ten second bytes.  I am no expert on this man but I have felt very sympathetic toward him, thrust as he has been, into a spotlight he didn’t ask for.  Well, he doesn’t seem to mind it really, now does he?!

I’ve heard his recent comments quoted on NPR.  A few interesting tidbits include references to the tragic Tuskegee Syphilis Study.  And something about AIDS being caused by the US government.  And a few other things that I’ve also heard from economically challenged members of the black community.  Considered opinions as to the injustice of the US government toward her own people.  Are these opinions widely held?  It would seem so.  And I sympathize.  When something is widely perceived as truth, the actual truth is of little consequence.  But when these things are said in the light of day with a white audience, people get a little shocked.  And perhaps rightly so.  I’ve been very surprised the whole time this story ran, wondering how it ever got to the air waves.

Here’s the thing I find most unsettling.  Obama has denounced Rev Wright in the strongest possible terms.  Yet the good Rev has only articulated what many Afro-American’s believe.  And here is a charming black pastor, who seems to be saying in effect “Come on Obama, fess up!  We all know you agree with me.”  It’s almost as if Rev Wright is defining what it means to be a Black, Christian, and Democrat in America.  It’s as if Obama has crossed the line and there is the good Reverend calling him back into the fold.  No thanks!  I didn’t like it when the Republicans told us what it meant to be White and Christian (backed by Reverands Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell) and I don’t like it now.  (There is more to leadership than being AGAINST some things.) 

The good Rev Wright is Wrong.  If there is a possibility that a good man, who happens to be Christian and Democrat can make a difference in the future of this country and begin to be a positive change against that injustice that angers those with a conscience…      If someone could take the power in Washington out of the hands of the wealthy few and put it into the hands of the people…      If decency and compassion could be seen as signs of integrity rather than weakness…      If the blood-letting of the Iraq war could come to a close…     If one man has the audacity to hope, and more than a million contributors share this audacity...     If any of these things could be seen on the horizon in American politics, wouldn’t it just be time to take your wounded pride, sit down and shut up?!

No, this is the land of free speech.  We don’t keep silence here.  Hate speech, inappropriate speech, stupid speech, lewd language, not to mention propaganda and spin.  Our speech may be free but amongst all the babble the truth is increasingly difficult to find.   

Hi all you lovely voxers!  How on earth are ya?

We went to see Desmond Tutu speak.  And it was good.  Actually, there were parts of it I found kind of fascinating in a sick sort of way.  All the presenting of awards and resolutions and flowery words of congratulations and glory, laud and honor… well…  It kind of made me a little sick.  I mean Desmond Tutu is human.  Not a god.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I respect what the man did and his current work for peace and restorative justice, AIDS and other issues.  He has my absolute deepest personal respect.  But what seems to be unsettling in the back of my mind is that it wasn’t that long ago that this man was living the hunted life.  And where were these self same individuals who were stumbling over themselves the compliment him at this event?  Were they involved in the struggle?  Did they speak out back then?  When the situation was life and death for many black South Africans?

When the little man walked into the arena the place went crazy wild with a thunderous noise.  And just for a moment a room full of diverse individuals were altogether pacifists with a shared deep respect for Dr. Martin Luther King, Ghandi, Mandela and yes…  Desmond Tutu.  For a moment, there was a whole group of people who together saw and abhorred the evils of racism, poverty and the use of violence in the earth.  And for that brief moment I was transported with delight.  But tomorrow…  Well, count me a realist, a cynic, even a jerk if you like…  but will these six thousand people be pacifists tomorrow?  Will they speak out about the Iraq war tomorrow?  Will there be any talk of justice – not western retributive justice – but the redress and restorative justice that restores balance?  Will there be any talk of putting an end to poverty tomorrow?  Of changing our world and leaving it a more beautiful and peaceful place for our children?  Or will these six thousand people go back to a normal American life where African conflicts are a world away, voting for individuals who will chose violence with the goal of peace, and torture, rendition, Gitmo and other abhorrent atrocities are used by OUR OWN GOVERNMENT?!  The fruit of peace never grows on the tree of violence.  Never did, never will. 

So I have mixed feelings about the event where we heard Desmond Tutu speak.  For a brief moment we had a glimpse of a world – not as it is – but as it could be.  And it was good.  It was the triumph of good over evil, shining light over the dark void, enlightenment over ignorance.  We applauded this man who stood strong and true in a dangerous and dark world with blood and pain all around – half a world away – while we went about our lives.  It’s easy to jump on a hero after he’s proved himself.  But while he is in a dangerous place all by himself – standing firm – then he’s just another lunatic.  And the world didn’t bow at his door then as they do now.

Ok, really, if I’d have had the chance to hear Desmond Tutu speak, minus all the pomp and circumstance – I’d take that chance.  This was not that.  Oh well.  He’s energetic and enthusiastic and a joyful and slightly irreverent man.  I adored his message and I hope it turns up on Youtube somewhere.  I have the slight feeling that it’s the same speech for every honor he receives, and the list is so long that his mind couldn’t list them – even if he had the heart to try.  Something in me still resists this though.  Sure, it’s easy to jump on this band wagon and bless this man now that he has survived and become very popular.  But what about back then?  When the injustice was fresh and bloody?  Evil triumphs when good people remain silent.  And for those who were silent about ‘just another bloody African conflict’ back then, shouldn’t get to stand on stage and laud this man now.   But of course I don’t know all these wonderful Majors, Trustees, Ambassadors and other such grand poobas and big cheeses.  Maybe I’m just being a harsh judge for people I do not know.  Who am I to judge anyway?

I’m still a pacifist.  I’m still mightily annoyed by the Iraq War, Gitmo, rendition, torture and a host of other evils perpetrated by my own government.  I struggle to put those thoughts into words and I may never do it as well as Desmond Tutu does, with as much grace or humor.  But tomorrow I’ll still be the same person as I was the night he spoke.  I’ll still be seeking to love justice, mercy and walk humbly – just like Desmond Tutu in the days when the battle raged at his doorstep. 

What television show stands the test of time?

I have a great deal of respect for the TV show M.A.S.H.  The writers used stories from the Korean War to create this show, and because the themes and events are more fact than fiction this show has an incredible emotional impact.  Humor and human tragedy walk side by side in this show, one making the grief of the other more bearable, more palatable, more profound.  And there is truth here, the truth that war is (and has always been) a travesty against humanity.  There is good and evil, but it isn’t found in the expected “us and them” categories.  Although we’d like to believe the “us” is always good and the “them” is always evil, the truth is that good and evil reside in expected places; no matter what side of a conflict you are on, no matter how much power or opportunism is present or absent.  It has to do with moment by moment choices for death or life.  War is hell and makes heroes out of some and villains out of others.  M.A.S.H. put a human face on the experience.  And I think it should be required viewing for every soldier or civilian who has to choose whether or not a conflict is worth putting lives in harms way.  I don’t know what happened that compassion became a so rarified, but we need more compassion and less arrogance.  And much much much less war.

Well, I started this vox account to talk about politics.  I’ve often had the feeling that if people really knew about my political thoughts they would think I’m really weird.  Of course the truth is that I think I am weird.  And other people have often happily confirmed that impression.  For example: I’m a pacifist in a world that was all gung ho about invading Iraq only a few short years ago.  I won’t bother with any sort of “I told you so” because at the time with all the fever pitch media reporting I didn’t utter a peep other than around close friends and family.  Who wants to be the lone voice saying “oh leave him alone” when the world is crying “crucify!  Crucify!”  I still remember an interview with Saddam Hussein that I saw briefly before the invasion.  He said there were no weapons of mass destruction and chuckled at reports that there were.  What kind of strange irony proves that man to be the truthful one?  Yeah, and things went down hill from there, big surprise.

The thing is, I’m a business woman and I don’t want my business to suffer because of my unpopular opinions.  So I’m uncertain about where to draw the line.  I once had a group of women in my gallery and each one in the group had picked out a piece of jewelry with a price tag of around $100.  Someone in the group complemented a painting of a group of donkeys under a tree.  It was an excellent art piece, very well done and beautifully framed by Elaine Hurst who is an excellent pastel artist.  Well, I made some passing comment about that piece being a reflection of my politics, and every single one of those republican women put down the jewelry that they were carrying around and walked out without spending a dime.  It took me a moment to realize what had just happened.  I was absolutely shocked.  If I had kept my mouth shut I could have made somewhere around $600 from that group.  But I got nada!  My car with two political bumper stickers was always parked near the entrance of my gallery.  The one says “War is a failure of imagination” and the other says “I didn’t vote for his daddy either.”  I’ll never know if those two bumper stickers lost me money or not, but there were times when people mentioned them when they came inside and we would talk about politics for a while.  I guess there is a chance the people who share my perspectives might purchase my work out of solidarity.  I don’t think my work really needs a sympathy purchase, I generally thing it is valid in its own right, but hey, a sale is a sale. 

I actually find myself envying people who have an unusual perspective who really put themselves and their opinions out there.  However ill considered they are from time to time.  I actually heard a woman once argue that we didn’t need to keep the Sabbath because between the time of Jesus and our time someone certainly got it mixed up on which day was actually Saturday.  Hey, I thought that was one of the strangest things I’d ever heard, but she was very audacious with it.  There are charming little shops all over the place with a full tilt witchy vibe, run by women in overtly spiritualistic attire and jewelry.  They are audacious about their beliefs and apparently they don’t mind that there is a whole segment of the population who would not make a purchase from them on religious grounds and would also cross themselves after leaving a shop like that.  LOL!  I do find it very interesting what people are willing to be evangelists for.  Yet I’ve been pretty low key about the things I believe and I’m not entirely sure why.

Maybe I’ve become a wimp.  I don’t mind shocking people and enjoying an interesting argument as a result, but I don’t always have the energy for that.  I’d probably put my own perspective out there more if I weren’t such a wimp.  And with close friends we discuss politics, religion, art and deeper things at length (but most of my friends are as weird as me or weirder.)  I think it’s hard enough to get through life some days which some of my own unique quirks, why not be a little choosy about my battles?  Is it disingenuous to withhold information to avoid an argument?  I love peace, I love quiet, and I love to create and sell my artwork.  I basically want to be left alone.  But I also am finding that I really want to speak out about issues that are really important to me as well.  Not because I think I’ll change anyone’s mind, but more because I want to know I tried and was successful at effective communication on a number of important issues.

What about becoming more of an integrated person?  What if I didn’t segment off these little parts of my life?  What if I put my political opinions and my artwork on the same website and allowing people to know the artist and the work, side by side?  On the web that is different than it is in a bricks and mortar type store where you are actually risking overt rejection.  So maybe this is the time to try this on for size and see what happens.  I don’t know.  Is it even safe?  Is it a bad idea to have my name and phone number out there where people can put my politics and my artwork together with a phone number fairly easily?  I once got a call from an old boyfriend, one who had excelled in cruelty.  It was very easy to google my unique name and arrive at a phone number.  Oy!  Is it even safe to have one’s work, political views and contact information so readily accessible on the net?

How about you?  Do you make purchases at stores who show a specific political agenda or spiritual bent in the way they present their corporate image?  Would you ever avoid purchasing something from a place that had a different perspective on an issue that is important to you?  Have you ever purchased an item out of solidarity with the person who was selling it, especially something you would not have otherwise purchased?