Last January
I read "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community" by Martin Luther King, Jr. I was moved at the time by the prescience of his concerns, the relevance of his words to today. As I pick up the book again and re-read his admonition:"When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered."I see the "giant triplets" abounding in the misery of this last week and prospering inconceivably in the coming weeks.
Noam Chomsky, from an interview on Flashpoints
Quote of the Moment
...the attacks on Tuesday were a gift to the extremists of all sides.. some of Bin Laden's associates are praying for a (extrememly harsh) U.S. reaction....
posted by Drew King 12:52:48 PM | link to this post
Very recently, the President gave money to the Taliban.
Did We Create Him?
I listened yesterday as a friend talked with me and some others about the CIA havng recruited, trained and funded Usama bin Laden to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. Last night, I watched and listened to a Frontline special on PBS that dismissed this as an untrue rumor.
posted by Drew King 12:39:45 PM | link to this post
This morning, I'm finally trying to read through much of the material available on line from voices I trust. Here's Michael Moore's writing from yesterday.
Heartened by Barbara Lee
Before I moved to Berkeley, I was pleased to discover that my political positions lined up most completely with Congresman Ron Dellums. This morning I am finding some small comfort that Barbara Lee stood up before the Congress, the nation and the world and represented the desire of many of us not to meet violence with violence. Thank you!
posted by Drew King 11:24:12 AM | link to this post
Recommendation
Promise me,
promise me this day,
promise me now,
while the sun is overhead
exactly at the zenith,
promise me:Even as they
strike you down
with a mountain of hatred and violence;
even as they step on you and crush you
like a worm,
even as they dismember and disembowel you,
remember, brother,
remember:
man is not your enemy.The only thing worthy of you is compassion--
invincible, limitless, unconditional.
Hatred will never let you face
the beast in man.One day, when you face this beast alone,
with your courage intact, your eyes kind,
untroubled
(even as no one sees them),
out of your smile
will bloom a flower.
And those who love you
will behold you
across ten thousands worlds of birth and dying.Alone again,
I will go on with bent head,
knowing that love has become eternal.
On the long, rough road,
the sun and the moon
will continue to shine.
Thich Nhat Hanh
For Warmth
I hold my face in my two hands.
No, I am not crying.
I hold my face in my two hands
to keep the loneliness warm-
two hands protecting,
two hands nourishing,
two hands preventing
my soul from leaving me
in anger.Thich Nhat Hanh
posted by Drew King 10:02:23 PM | link to this post
Quote of the Moment
Those who are not upset with suffering,
and not attached to happiness,
are free of obstacles to dharma practice,
are liberated from suffering and happiness
and will go to the city of the sorrowless state (blissful state of peace)Lama Zopa Rinpoche
from Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Rinpoche's advice for those who want to help is to take the 8 Mahayana
precepts and to recite as many Chenrezig mantras - om mani padme hum - as
they can with strong prayers to Chenrezig, praying to have loving kindness
generated in the minds of everyone, especially those who have caused this
harm. To change their mind/to stop the thought of giving harm to others,
especially those in the USA. To pray to have much peace and happiness here
and the rest of the world, as much happiness as possible. To visualize
nectar beams emitted from Chenrezig entering everyone in the USA,
especially those who have died or have been hurt and also to everyone in
the world. Purifying all the suffering, the pain, the sicknesses and
negative thoughts of harm. To purify all the suffering including one of the
shortcomings of samsara - war. War is just one of the oceans of suffering
of samsara. Then of course meditating on bodhichitta, that of course,
without question is very important.So these are the main practices that I suggest for those who want to help
this very serious situation:
8 Mahayana Precepts
Offerings and prayers at the Jokhang (main temple in Lhasa)
Strong refuge practice
Prayer to prevent war
With much love and prayers,
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
posted by Drew King 8:09:10 PM | link to this post
Amidst All the Talk of War
Global Exchange issues a statement.
naked buddha part ii
[This is the continuation of a some writing that I began on 8/26/01. I've had some problems with the software I was using to write about the experience, so I've moved my continuation into blogger. If you wanna know what's going on, read naked buddha, then start below. Or, don't.]Evening Reflection
Shortly after I had packed it in on that first day, I began ruminating and and quickly bounced back and forth between anger at myself for not just relaxing and disrobing and being angry with my "friend." At some point it was clear for me that the choice was mine to take control over my experience. I decided to just "get with the program" and appreciate and enjoy the resort for what it was. I'd deal with whatever issues or troubles arose with my friend when they did not in my mind.The Next Morning
Before I headed out to the pool area I slathered on sunscreen smiled as I thought about getting out there and "exposing myself" to the world, or at least Atlantic Shores. As I received my lounge chair and positioned it on the deck, I felt my heart beating and my mind racing about each action I made or was about to make. I made myself just lie down and relax for a few moments before removing my suit. I noticed that about half of the folks were naked or topless. I heard the beautiful, young woman near me talking with her husband/boyfriend about his nervousness over removing his bathing suit. She was topless. He was distressed that there were gay men around. I laughed inside. I stood up and I took off my bathing suit as my heart pounded as all my shit flew through my mind --- "Your too fat, too hairy, too pale, too out-of-shape, not big enough, too old, ..." I stopped my mind's assault on myself and laid back and felt the calming warmth of the sun and I relaxed....I Forgot Something
Until, I realized that I had applied sunscreen in my room while wearing my bathing suit. I had missed some ciritcal extremely vulnerable areas. No problem, I had brought the sunscreen with me. As I rose to apply the sunscreen, I wondered about the etiquette of sunscreen application in a mixed setting such as this. I was feeling pretty sure that the straight guy nearby didn't want to see me slathering sunscreen onto my genitals and ass, as I was equally sure about the numerous lesbians lying around topless in relatively close proximity. I really didn't care too much about the one straight guy in particular, but I relaized that I'd feel very differently about things if this was an exclusively gay male venue. (Hell, maybe I'd perform if there were no one around except for the leering group at the poolside bar.) I resolved to apply the sunscreen discreetly and gently - "no show, don't appear to be having fun." Finally, I sat back and relaxed and enjoyed the sun and the breeze and the freedom.
I had a good time yesterday afternoon crossing paths with a bunch of bay area webloggers thanks to the efforts of Philo, Aaron and Bill. Thanks you guys, I appreciate it bunches! I also appreciate everyone who came out.
posted by Drew King 4:01:46 PM | link to this post
I'll do the stupid thing first and then you shy people follow...
If you wind up with a boring, miserable life because you listened to your
mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest or some guy on TV telling you how to
do your shit, then YOU DESERVE IT.
Playing guitar is like fucking -- you never forget it.
I never set out to be weird. It was always the other people who called
me weird.
May your shit come to life and kiss you on the face. (Said to Tipper Gore)
Quotes of the Moment
A Few From Frank Zappa
The crux of the biscuit is: If it entertains you, fine. Enjoy it. If it
doesn't, then blow it out your ass. I do it to amuse myself. If I like it,
I release it. If somebody else likes it, that's a bonus.
...
Unless you're really, really stupid.
posted by Drew King 2:04:47 PM | link to this post
Hoarhound - These folks provided a nice transition from Carmaig to Ramona the Pest. There was a somewhat medeival quality to Ari's voice as she sang. The lead guitarist looked like Sugar Ray gone bad. (But, I really mean that in a nice way!) I'm not annoyed with him for calling the attractive woman I was talking to away.
Ramona The Pest - I almost bailed before they came on. I think it was hte old man in me debating the merits of catching BART versus walking the mile or so home at 1AM. I got to chatting with a couple of nice folks and RTP started playing, so the decision was made. I didn't know any of the people in the band (trio), though the Hoarhound lead vocalist did help with some backup vocals. The two earlier bands had been somewhat laid back musically. RTP had their haunting and ethereal moments, but their were moments when the drummer seemed to be hitting me right between the eyes, the guitarist cut me with his pulsing chords and the vocalist grabbed me and then tossed me aside with her voice. I couldn't help being transfixed by the dancing of a dreadlocked cutie throughout the set. The crowd came alive. A few people danced.
Ramona is Pestering Me
Ever since my Saturday night outing to the Starry Plough, I've been haunted by the idea and the sounds of Ramona the Pest and their rendition of Itsy Bitsy Spider. It isn't so much the one song that keeps coming back, but the concept of taking a children's song and performing it in their "style" that keeps presenting itself to my consciousness as I go about my business. Who'd have thought I'd have had so many encounters with children's songs in two days. Their performance of itsy bitsy spider was made more memorable by the hand gestures of one fan in the crowd, who obviously had experience with the song. Aren't moms great!
A Recap of Saturday Evening's Music
Carmaig de Forest - Strangely enough, it was probably Carmaig's presence on the bill and one too many beers that was responsible for me ending up at the Starry Plough. I've been a fan of strange music, e.g., Frank Zappa, the Dead Milkmen, and the Violent Femmes. Carmaig's website heralds his having toured with the Violent Femmes and the fact of his playing the ukulele. Once they started, I wasn't disappointed in the least. Carmaig had recruited two of my dear Naked Barbie boys to play with him, cute Danny on his little standup drum thingie and Evan on the bass. I've just gotta love a whiny, liberal, political muscian who performs songs like "George Bush Lies" and lyrics like "...over by the eucalyptus tree I felt up michelle..."
posted by Drew King 1:19:11 PM | link to this post
My Latest Fave Rave
A friend described to me a burrito at El Sombrero. I'd seen the item on the menu before, but because it was a chile relleno listed under the burrito menu, I presumed it was just an a la carte chile relleno. I have now been enlightened. It is, in fact, a burrito with a chile relleno inside of it. And it's soooo good!
posted by Drew King 1:16:17 PM | link to this post
Quote of the Moment
It's so easy to hide in the TV, so easy to drown out every little thing In the volume of those alien voices, sending out their significant messages to Buy like them, be like them It's so easy to drown out every little thing When you are melting into the screen In the volume of those alien voices, sending out their significant messages to Buy like them, be like them
---- Valerie Esway, Ramona the Pest
Flattered, Tattered and Scattered
I am flattered to be invited to attend "The Gay Bay Blog Day" tomorrow in Oakland. Here's who I understand will be there: 8leggeddj, mermaniac, little yellow different, contrasts, prosaic, reese's world, outage, Philo, ultramundane/artfag, bellelogic, querylily, Stumble, DeviousBi, and allaboutgeorge. I've been to almost all of their blogs at one point or another, usually jumping from a link on East/West or Mermaniac.For some slightly demented, not clearly defined reason, I've spent a chunk of the day trying to watch colllege football. I'm sitting here now trying to decide between heading down to the Starry Plough tonight or taking in two movies at the Fine Arts Cinema. The two movies tonight are After Life and Night of the Hunter. The bands on the bill for the Starry Plough tonight are Ramona the Pest, Hoarhound and Carmaig de Forest.
Abundance Gathering
I saw a poster this afternoon for a music festival and "Abundance Gathering" in Big Sur next Sunday. Hmmmm.
posted by Drew King 5:43:07 PM | link to this post
I am an orphan ... no, make that ... cover girl
What can one make of Gillian Welch showing up on the cover of the Bay Guardian last week and then showing up in my mailbox yesterday on the cover of No Depression? It would appear that her time is here.I went with Stacey to listen and watch as Gillian played the Fillmore Wednesday night. It was my first trip to the Fillmore. I found just being in the Fillmore to be overwhelming. As I looked at the posters, I kept wondering to myself "How could I have missed all of that wonderful music?!" Yep, I was a big ol' hick wandering around the place."The girls all dance with the boys from the city and they don't care to dance with me...."The show was strong and sound phenomenal! It was crowded and hot and tiresome standing all night long after a long day, but worth it. I'm still trying to figure out why it's all about Gillian. Dare I mention his name? David Rawlings was engaging and real damn cute up there with her, as always.
I'm not sure I'm in my most buddhist (enlightened) state, but I was really happy to pick up my first, free Fillmore poster at the end of the show.
Quote of the Moment
"Drive all blames into one" is saying, instead of always blaming the other, own the feeling of blame, own the anger, own the loneliness, and make friends with it. Use the tonglen practice to see how you can place the anger or the fear or the loneliness in a cradle of loving-kindness; use tonglen to learn how to be gentle to all that stuff. In order to be gentle and create an atmosphere of compassion for yourself, it's necessary to stop talking to yourself about how wrong everything is - or how right everything is, for that matter.I challenge you to experiment with dropping the object of your emotion, doing tonglen, and seeing if in fact the intensity of the so-called poison lessens....
Pema Chodron
I just can't believe that where you keep dharma books on your bookshelf or how you turn the pages of the teachings matters. I think it matters where and how you keep the dharma in your life in this life. I'm not too worried about being "reborn" in hell. I just don't find that to be relevant. It feels like just so much man-imposed hokum. I don't mean to be disrespectful. I will, of course, respect their wishes and traditions within their sangha, center and programs. And perhaps most importantly, I hope to not be distracted by things like this to the point of not being able to hear, learn and practice the dharma.
Aside from my encounter with the "etiquette" of the dharma, I liked the place and the teachings they have scheduled over the next few months. I think I'll engage them, if they'll have me. I'll also work on my tonglen practice to check my attitude.
I also discovered LamRim.com, Tibetan Buddhist Radio. They have audio archives of lots of teachings including The Heart of Wisdom Training that I attended in May. I was streaming audio of chanting this afternoon while doing work.
"Abandon any hope of fruition"
Okay, here's another example of why I think organized religions are a crock of shit and just generally miss the point of their teachings. I found my way to Tse Chen Ling Center today in San Francisco. I was having an interesting time browsing through their books in their library and in their bookstore and checking out their alter, when I read their posted note about "Dharma Etiquette." My favorite part of it was where it quoted some rinpoche saying something like, if I moisten my fingers from my mouth in order to turn the pages of a book of dharma I'll be reborn in some second level hell. (I'm not sure if this is Texas or Florida or somewhere in the Central Valley.) This all sounds very southern baptist to me. I don't need this! It's not even like christians saying I shouldn't moisten my fingers to turn the pages of the bible. It's like saying that I shouldn't moisten my fingers with spit to turn the pages of a book by Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson or I'll go to hell.
I'm Going to Burn in Buddhist Second Level Hell
posted by Drew King 8:45:15 PM | link to this post
"O" Shit
I went to see the movie O last week. After watching the climactic, violent, tragic ending, I headed down Shattuck towards my apartment. Along the way, I passed some kid on a skateboard trying to sell a jewelry box for $10. I laughed as he went passed, thinking does this fool think I'm gonna buy a jewelry box from kid on the street. As the kid passed, he made some comment about "killing that laughing faggot." It took every bit of restraint I could muster not to go and pummel the little bastard. I couldn't believe how angry I was. A couple of days later, I started to connect the dots between my acknowledging my anger in the past and it re-emerging as I "look at my dark side."
posted by Drew King 7:28:56 PM | link to this post
No Great Ideas
I still haven't come up with any wonderful approach to execute.
When in Doubt Sublimate
The Sutra on the Eight Realizations of the Great Beings
A Plan?
Who needs a fuckin' date/girlfriend?!
posted by Drew King 8:31:59 PM | link to this post
So, how to start anew. I've been "single" for two years plus with very little active effort on my part toward engaging a new relationship. I've been much more drawn toward women during that time than men. Should I pursue some strategy similar to what I did in the past to get myself more confidentally and comfortably dating? I'm supposed to have a plan for Wednesday.
Here's a list of "reasons" I haven't been dating lately:
Therapy Homework
In therapy last week, "we" somehow came to the conclusion that it would be a good thing for me to push myself a little harder into dating. I recounted for my therapist how I had "worked" on my shyness (fear) about dating in the past. Before I met Bill, I committed myself to meeting and asking out and going out with at least one new human each month, if it didn't feel like I was dating someone with long-term potential. That wasn't a maximum but rather a minimum. Most months I went out on at least three dates with at least one being initiated by me. In the course of things, I established a couple of relationships that I went to frequently, but without any expectation of long-term compatibility - fuck dates. I didn't count these in my plan towards building my self confidence. Anyway, eventually this strategy lead me to Bill. My relationship with Bill was and continues to be a very good thing in my life.All the women I'm around regularly are too young.
Okay, I'm suppressing a lot of things I wanna write, maybe it's a good time to move on to a plan.
I don't know where to find women my age.
Most women won't be interested in me because of my bisexuality.
Most people won't be interested in my because of my "simple" lifestyle.
I'm not young and cute anymore.
Most women "out there" my age are out there.
posted by Drew King 7:56:56 PM | link to this post
Let me see. My decrease in externalized anger has been matched with an increase in internalized anger.
Dharma Days
I had a conversation with a friend the other day that took me back to days when I struggled with my "irrational anger." For a long time, I wondered why I would get so angry so fast and with so little provocation. Over time, I've noted my ability to control and move away from my anger. During that same time, I've increasingly struggled with "irrational depression."
posted by Drew King 7:29:29 PM | link to this post
Quote of the Next Moment
While I ran around in Florida for 10 or 11 days, I gave myself permission to stray from my vegetarian diet and consume fish/seafood. I had lots of fish and seafood. In the current issue of Mandala Magazine, I read a brief essay by a 10-year-old monk on being a monk. He lives in New Zealand and still lives with his family and attends a Maori school, but took rabjung vows last December. This is how the essay ended.Sometimes at school being a Buddhist monk does not fit. When they go away to stay on the marae (meeting place) for a school trip I cannot go because they will go fishing and get seafood to eat, and I do not want to kill anything. I really like being a monk though and I want to be a monk for the rest of my life. --- Tsondru
posted by Drew King 10:59:36 AM | link to this post
Quote of the Moment
From the Music Issue of Oxford American Magazine:This was said about Pensacola, but it reflects my experience of North Florida in particular and the South in general.It's a beautiful, quiet, cheap place to live, but it's very conservative, and it's got its hands around the neck of life, and it's just slowly choking you, and you don't really notice it when you first get there 'cause they're such pretty hands....You're just thinking...what pretty hands...and you know what? They're around my neck!" --- Jim White
Anita Bonita
One of my favorite former, co-workers from Florida e-mailed me yesterday after having passed through my website. Ana and I worked together for a couple of years trying to help teen parents (mostly mothers) and their kids. Ana was one of the first people that helped me realize how important it is for each of us to use our inclinations and our interests for self-expression. Okay, let me explain what that means. Ana is an artist. I mean she is really an artist. When I worked with her she was an artist working in a large state-run bureaucracy doing good work to help teen moms. Ana was not always happy. I saw her frustrated with the level of paperwork and bureaucratic crap that her job entailed. (One of my favorite images of Ana is her sitting at her desk with her legs up, her keyboard in her lap and her right index finger moving from alignment with her shoulder/chin down to the keyboard to enter a letter or number into the computer at a pace of maybe five or six keystrokes per minute.) When I spoke with Ana about what makes her happy, she talked about her family, but then she spoke about her art. At the time, she indicated that she hadn't been drawing or painting for some time and she felt her expression had been frustrated. Shortly afterward, I saw her brighten and endure her work with a new found energy. When I asked, she indicated that she had begun drawing and she showed me what she had been working on. To me, it was clear that drawing and painting and creating was like breathing for Ana. It was how she got out (expressed) her feelings and emotions. Since then, I've partially applied the principle of prioritizing doing what is creatively expressive to my own life. I've noted that need in friends who write, do drag, design buildings, play music, blog.... Thanks Ana!
Boy Interrupted
I was trying to write a little more about my experiences in Florida and at Atalntic Shores in particular, but my other web log tool is experiencing some technical difficulties. I'll resume writing over the long weekend.
posted by Drew King 7:09:50 AM | link to this post
naked buddha
I started writing a little about my Florida experiences. It's just the beginning. Perhaps there will be some accompanying photos.
Lots of Sun, Lots of Heat and a Little Nipping
I'll have lots to write about when I find my way home and back to my computer. I'm in North Florida (Jax) now. I had an interesting trip to the Dry Tortugas and an encounter with biting bugs and rashes. (I'm feeling a bit like that young woman on the first Survivor series whose legs were scarred by her bug encounters. Please note that I "survived" approximately 3 1/2 hours on this sub-tropical island.)Things are good. I'm hanging out with family, but driving around way too much. Gainesville is full of pretty, suntanned students wearing little other than their parent's credit cards as they swamp the various superstores getting their apartments set up.
In the couple of days I've been in North Florida, sharks have "nipped" six surfers in Daytona area beaches, a little (200 lb 12 year-old) girl was rescued from the jaws of an alligator by her now best friend, the West Nile virus has shown up in a person, a horse and bunch of birds, a greyhound bus was hit by lightning approaching Jacksonville, another surfer was "nipped" by a shark at a Daytona area beach, and it just keeps going on. But everything will be okay 'cause we've got air conditioning, Hooters, Starbucks, McDonalds, Walmart and Bushes in the Governor's Mansion and Whitehouse.
Okay, He's Naked
Alright, it took me 'til today to do it, but I shed my outerwear and sunbathed sans suit at Atlantic Shores with a bunch of other folks. I used lots of sunscreen. Hopefully, I won't have any little problems. Tomorrw, I'm heading out to the Dry Tortugas. I just had a wonderful time sampling mojitos at a local establishment and chatting away with a local bartender. Last night, we had dinner with a guy who is helping us plan for our Cuba trip. Today's paper had a story about the State Department's crack down on people traveling to Cuba illegally. I'd thought the fine as capped at $7,500, but I learned that that's the average. The max is apparently $55,000. I'll think I'll go ahead and make sure we get the license.
Visiting Florida
I'm heading down to Florida next week for a few days of vacationing and visiting family and friends. My nephew will be starting at the University of Florida, so I suppose that means I'll spend a few days over in Gainesville seeing if I can annoy him.I've got this insane plan to fly into Jacksonville and then drive with a friend down to the keys overnight. I suspect we may end up checking into some bad motel along the way in the middle of the night. My trip to Key West will apparently fall neatly in-between the Round the Clock Shark/Swordfish Tournament and the Women in the Outdoors Festival. We'll be staying at Atlantic Shores. I fear this may be a bit of a scary experience for me. Watch for my naked ass on the live cam. For the week after Labor Day, it seems that Key West is the place to be, if your lesbian.
Hmmmm
I'm not sure precisely why, but I just haven't had much energy for writing online lately. A lot has been going on and I've been directing a good bit more energy into meditating and reading/studying sutras. I haven't been very engaged with my computer.
posted by Drew King 10:43:16 AM | link to this post
Bill's NY Pix
Lots of white guys with short hair.
Great Being?
8th Realization of the Great Beings
The eighth realization is the awareness that the fire of birth and death is raging, causing endless suffering everywhere. We should take the Great Vow to help everyone, to suffer with everyone, and to guide all beings to the realm of great joy.
I was saddened this morning to realize that the young woman who has been missing on the peninsula was found hanging from a tree. She apparently hung herself.
posted by Drew King 10:49:00 AM | link to this post
3rd Realization of the Great Beings
The third realization is that the human mind is always searching for possessions and never feels fulfilled. This causes impure actions to ever increase. Bodhisattvas however, always remember the principle of having few desires. They live a simple life in peace in order to practice the Way, and consider the realization of perfect understanding as their only career.
posted by Drew King 10:47:06 AM | link to this post
Abstinence Only Sex Ed
These interesting bits of information from a sidebar in a Village Voice article about the federal government's funding for abstinence only sex education.The Graham cracker: In an 1834 lecture on chastity, health reformer Sylvester Graham recommended cold baths and bland food—including a cracker he made for that purpose—as means of staving off sexual excitement.The Kellogg approach: Meanwhile, another culinary innovator, John Harvey Kellogg (as in the breakfast cereal), recommended tying together young boys' hands and covering their genitals with metal cages to prevent masturbation. For women, Kellogg recommended applying carbolic acid to the clitoris.
"I don't know if it's any more unusual than him wearing a dress," he says.
Mr. Giuliani was, of course, the first New York City mayor to don full drag to perform at the annual Inner Circle show. And now, just as the national debate over same-sex marriage is revving up again, he has become, as far as I can determine, the first marquee politician in America to openly bunk in a gay household. If this sounds like a sitcom premise, it actually has been one — two years ago, on the series "Spin City."
From One Giuliani to Another
This morning the New York Times has a column about the Mayor (of New York City) being a frequent houseguest of a gay couple.
I ask Mr. Koeppel: Is it unexpected that Rudolph Giuliani would be staying with an openly gay couple?
posted by Drew King 7:16:20 AM | link to this post
I Get Feedback
I returned this evening from the conference on Militarization and the Planet to find this e-mail in my mail box about my Genoa post.Listen, anyguy who attacks a van full of armed police officers,
while wearing a mask, and being part of a violent group of protestors,
and while wielding a deadly weapon...
He -deserves- to get shot and killed. The kid was a moron! The
people you should be yelling at are the bastards to hyped him
up and sent him out there to die. Do you honestly think that
anyone in their right mind wouldn't have shot that kid? -I-
would have, and -you- would have too.That group of people wanted someone to get killed, or rather
whoever is leading that group did. This was no Kent State,
this was no group of innocents. This was a group of violent
deadly idiots trying to become martyrs.And don't dump on capitalism so hard. This is still the only
country with free speech.I respond
I am a pacifist. I wouldn't have been sitting around in a paramilitary vehicle with automatic weapons and body armor trying to keep people from being able to speak freely about their objections to what their government representatives were doing. So no, I can safely and confidently say that I would not have killed someone for coming towards my lightly armored vehicle with a fire extinguisher. I probably would have offered him my vehicle. If they were going to use force, I would have preferred that several of the thousands of police and paramilitary forces that were there restrain him and place him under arrest. If brandishing a fire extinguisher is a capital offense in Italy, I'd be surprised."That group?" Do you mean the anarchists, who were largely responsible for the violence at the G7+1 and Seattle and Quebec City? I think by and large they march to their own, minority beat, and it would probably be inaccurate to characterize them as a group, perhaps a bunch of small groups and individuals pretty much doing as they please. As a pacifist, I find their violent actions toward people reprehensible.
If by "that group," you mean me and people like me who object to the integrity of our democracies (and our rights as human beings) being subverted by forces of monopolistic capitalism, you're wrong. We didn't need Carlo Giuliani to be a martyr, global corporate capitalism kills loads of people everyday. (I think I made that point in my previous post.) Capitalism is not democracy. Our government is supposed to be a democracy, not a capitalocracy. I agree that the relative freedom of speech we enjoy in our country is a wonderful thing. (I disagree that we are the only country with "free speech.")
In Peace,"The good and just society is neither the thesis of capitalism nor the antithesis of Communism, but a socially conscious democracy which reconciles the truths of individualism and collectivism." - ML King, Jr."When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Drew
Respire Profundo
Today and tomorrow I'll be going to the Institute for Deep Ecology's conference on "The Military and the Planet: Redefining Security from Global Militarization to Earth Justice."
posted by Drew King 6:14:27 AM | link to this post
Quote of the Moment
"Stop referencin' your prick and stuff!
It's an icicle cold world and you need to zipper your stick up"from OFF THE HOOK (ampu/gaddis) © 2000 Deep Dickollective, LLC
Mugged by the Chronicle
A couple of days ago, I was walking past my least favorite gringo taco establishment and my least favorite coffee place and my most favorite sidewalk artist, when a little kid jumped out of a group of kids and told me he wanted me to stop and buy the Chronicle. I told him I wasn't interested. He then jumped in front of me and grabbed me and told me I was going to fill out the form. I kept walking. He got in front of me again and shoved his forearm into my ribs. I stopped myself from grabbing him by the throat and throttling him. I was aided by an adult that had been standing with the group of kids who yelled at him. If the kid hadn't been African-American, I'd say he has a bright future as a CEO of an energy company or something.I don't buy the paper often. Today, I bought a San Jose Mercury News.
