O Pinions!

Pentecost Rant!

Protesters or Rioters?
31.may.2020

Response to Joey at spacebook: "These are just the armed members! I'll challenge every 'good' Christian here lurking in the background ... how doesn't praying in your churches every Sunday for the Apocalypse not feed this glorification of violence at the ever-present (for generations) End Times? Oh yes, I blame those without guns as well. And I'll go further ... how does glorifying Christians (many by name only) above all others lead to a peaceful world? Huh? Explain this to me. After-all today is Pentecost."

Response Deux to Joey re extremist Christians: "Yes [they live here], but for now most of the radicals are quiet. And the mainstream supporters are everywhere within various Christian congregations. For in America Sunday is the segregated day of the week where people of other faiths are attacked and demeaned, where the pews tend to be a single color. Someone will say not ALL Christians ... but I'll make this clear ... it wasn't ALL Germans either. I can't make Christians clean up their act. I can only warn them that there are better ways and there are consequences if they don't. The violence we witness is the bitter fruit of a very ill tree."

Response to Charlie here at WdC: "I have fought racism by having diverse friends (even a cop or two), by bringing disparate groups together at my house for 'parties' (racism is a huge issue but not the only one), for 15 years enticing White friends into my inner-city African-American neighborhood for a garden party remembering MLK's "I have a Dream". Here in pale Montana it's attitudes regarding Native-Americans that are more salient. But I'm not working on many issues in a personal way these days. Worn out.

I do travel and I often cross bridges-of-culture to connect.

But that's me.

There are many good suggestions out there regarding the police. My #1 solution: make ALL cops live in the districts they work in. If they refuse they need to find another job. I have little sympathy for cry-baby cops, teaches, city-workers, politicians who think they're too good or consider it an inconvenience. I think 5 year minimum residency-once-hired for new job-seekers would immediately help. I say this because I lived in the Occupied Zone.

American culture, society, laws are set up to divide us. At this point I'd start with housing. Having diverse neighbors truly helps. I'd outlaw gated communities and neighborhood associations and withdraw any public support for private schools while mandating more academics and art. I'm not fond of some exclusive churches but that's beyond my control. Still, religious organizations shouldn't be exempt from public policy if they receive one dime of public support.

Racism in America is systemic. I'd cut off the roots."

To Arif: "I think kind thoughts towards you whenever I visit the Balkans. Loved Novi Pazar the last time, Sarajevo, Mostar, Gjakova, (not Dubrovnik so much becuase it's too touristy) and let me not forget, Kotor, Beograd, Prishtina, Prizren, Peje, Ferizaj or even statue-crazy Skopje. People were great, especially the Bosniaks. I mention this here because I met someone in Sarajevo so traumatized by the war she could barely talk about it 25 years later. And I visited the cemetery in Mostar. No one wanted the war. No one wanted to see their friends die and their beloved cities turned into ruins. No one. So why do people think it's any different here? People want justice but they don't want their neighborhoods to become a war zone. They don't want to see their friends and family hurt or killed. No one." [Arif is a young 'yugoslavian']

To Elisa: "I've been very concerned that the issues of racism and brutality would be deflected by violence as many people would rather confront the violence with more violence (as certain political leaders drool with their law&order fangs) than deal with underlying inconvenient Truths. Because I believe we are all One I take these affronts on humanity personally. That said, until people can actually sit at each other's tables, share a meal and chat as friends, we haven't even begun to address the poison that is killing us all."

651