Why Wait?
I can't help but wonder why we, as a society, need to be confronted directly with violence to begin opposing it. Are we so complacent that we are comfortable ignoring it? What does this comfort zone say about us?
I need to be clear: I am not only talking about violence against women. It is deplorable, as is violence against children or any other type of physical violence against the oppressed. However, we need to develop out outrage a little more broadly in order for our humanity to be fully developed. EVERY act of physical violence is a failure of our potential as human beings. Sorry, game over, back to square one. Somewhere, Gandhi and King shake their heads and say, "We know they can get it right, but they're just not trying hard enough."
And, as I have learned recently through various means, there is a subtler form of violence, a less-tangible but equally insidious form, which is much easier to ignore. It is the structural violence that we have built into the system, that keeps those with no power from obtaining it.
Quick example: It is enshrined in Federal law that Band elections on reserves must take place every two years. Think about that for a moment. Does the average white politician accomplish anything constructive in the first two years? The disadvantage of a complete lack of continuity and the culture of constant campaigning that has to result from this system prevents Aboriginal people from finding their voice and their power. The law is specifically designed to prevent this.
I don't want to downplay the grief of the artist's family, I have lost loved ones and know what an emptiness it can leave.
But, I guess what I'm saying is: We have all lost a brother. And today, we will lose several more brothers all over the world, and, chances are, many more sisters than that. And many more will be scarred, and maimed, and mentally wounded. And many more feel powerless and hopeless because we have built their prisons from our indifference and the activities of men with vested interests. We need to recognize all of this for what it is: violence against our human family. And we need to find our outrage. and we need to remember that...
...it all starts over again tomorrow.
Unless...
Peace.
I need to be clear: I am not only talking about violence against women. It is deplorable, as is violence against children or any other type of physical violence against the oppressed. However, we need to develop out outrage a little more broadly in order for our humanity to be fully developed. EVERY act of physical violence is a failure of our potential as human beings. Sorry, game over, back to square one. Somewhere, Gandhi and King shake their heads and say, "We know they can get it right, but they're just not trying hard enough."
And, as I have learned recently through various means, there is a subtler form of violence, a less-tangible but equally insidious form, which is much easier to ignore. It is the structural violence that we have built into the system, that keeps those with no power from obtaining it.
Quick example: It is enshrined in Federal law that Band elections on reserves must take place every two years. Think about that for a moment. Does the average white politician accomplish anything constructive in the first two years? The disadvantage of a complete lack of continuity and the culture of constant campaigning that has to result from this system prevents Aboriginal people from finding their voice and their power. The law is specifically designed to prevent this.
I don't want to downplay the grief of the artist's family, I have lost loved ones and know what an emptiness it can leave.
But, I guess what I'm saying is: We have all lost a brother. And today, we will lose several more brothers all over the world, and, chances are, many more sisters than that. And many more will be scarred, and maimed, and mentally wounded. And many more feel powerless and hopeless because we have built their prisons from our indifference and the activities of men with vested interests. We need to recognize all of this for what it is: violence against our human family. And we need to find our outrage. and we need to remember that...
...it all starts over again tomorrow.
Unless...
Peace.
Hey Dave,
Thanks for posting this. I don't really have anything to add, except that while reading the link you posted I found a link to a skateboard memorial that is being constructed and maintained in his name. The website is called LeesideLee.
I don't think most of us are complacent about violence - just watch the news and see the reactions of ordinary people to it. The problem is the amount of it that we are in contact with. We swim in it through the media and the huge circle of contacts that it provides.
The only defence against what we see on the news is dissociation - no one would be able to assimilate all of the violence and the cares of the world and survive. Dissociate the stuff that doesn't affect us directly and move on to deal with the stuff that does -"think globally, act locally" in a way.
Posted by
kevvyd |
Thu Mar 09, 03:35:00 PM
Thanks for the extra info on the skate park, interesting postscript.
I should have added something encouraging each of us to live as peacefuly as we can - Maybe it'd spread. It's worth a try.
Posted by
Flash |
Thu Mar 09, 04:43:00 PM