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Tom and Jeff were smart guys.
Jan. 20th, 2009 11:34 amPay attention to today. It's already an historical landmark, but don't let the Grand Show distract you from the details, from spontaneous change, from repercussions or from what may be happening behind the curtain.
Are you watching closely?
The new President of the U.S. was elected based on hope; it's no accident that he's a product of liberal values, of the success of the radical concept of equality of men ~ come to think of it, wasn't there something about that said at the beginning of this country? Jeff somebody...
In all seriousness, one would think that after two and a quarter centuries or so people would start understanding the truth of it:
One cannot have a trustworthy and functional government without integrity.
One cannot have integrity where all persons are not perceived to be of equal value, simply as human beings.
Thus, any entity, whether individual or institution, that elevates a specific group or type of person above others for any reason cannot govern honestly and effectively ~ and the more determined they are in their biased beliefs, the worse their government will be.
I think that Obama understands this; I certainly hope it's why he's having Warren at his Inauguration. If so, he's leading by example; there's no way every person in a country can ever agree on everything - we have to agree to disagree, as the old saying goes.
In other words, we need to relearn how to disagree with others while still including them.
Actually, I think something like that was said at the beginning of this country as well - That Jeff guy's friend, I think his name was Tommy...
It's like this: nobody can be the majority, the mainstream, that mythical person The Average American. What we need to do is choose to be a part of it, to include others, to be - believer it or not - uniters and not dividers.
Slippery concept, these days. The Fundies have half a grasp on it; that's that whole thing about the Moral Majority, back in the day, the one that's rattled along, gaining poisonous steam, and is killed much freedom these days. Of course, they were faking it, but even the fake was effective.
Imagine how potent the truth would be - imagine, for instance, if the LBGT Community whole-heartedly co-opted the mainstream right now. Today, for instance: Showing up at the inauguration to smile at Rev. Rick Warren, all the while wearing rainbow pins, sashes, hats, etcetera. Then threw Civil Rights celebrations, in honor of the Rev. MLK's Dream coming to fruition, embracing that battle because it was the forerunner of today's.
Another way of pointing out the importance of it is by looking at the Neochristian 'Culture War': yes, they are in a war, a war they created that will end up destroying them. Sound like something else you've heard in the last 8 years?
The Neochristians are insisting that they are the mainstream; but you cannot make the mainstream come to you, it's truly like a stream or river in that regard - flowing and moving through eddysome currents and riptides, you can't force it to follow in your footsteps. All you can do is dive in and swim, baby, and go with it.
Trying to stand against it will just get you drowned; with enough strategy and enough influence, you can last a while, maybe even get some control - but it won't last.
Because it causes a lack of integrity, which creates corruption, and no matter what else, you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time.
Another guy back in the day said that, not Jeff or Tom, though. Linc, I think it was.
And that, as they say, is where we came into this picture.
Be well... and have a good day.
The new President of the U.S. was elected based on hope; it's no accident that he's a product of liberal values, of the success of the radical concept of equality of men ~ come to think of it, wasn't there something about that said at the beginning of this country? Jeff somebody...
In all seriousness, one would think that after two and a quarter centuries or so people would start understanding the truth of it:
One cannot have a trustworthy and functional government without integrity.
One cannot have integrity where all persons are not perceived to be of equal value, simply as human beings.
Thus, any entity, whether individual or institution, that elevates a specific group or type of person above others for any reason cannot govern honestly and effectively ~ and the more determined they are in their biased beliefs, the worse their government will be.
I think that Obama understands this; I certainly hope it's why he's having Warren at his Inauguration. If so, he's leading by example; there's no way every person in a country can ever agree on everything - we have to agree to disagree, as the old saying goes.
In other words, we need to relearn how to disagree with others while still including them.
Actually, I think something like that was said at the beginning of this country as well - That Jeff guy's friend, I think his name was Tommy...
It's like this: nobody can be the majority, the mainstream, that mythical person The Average American. What we need to do is choose to be a part of it, to include others, to be - believer it or not - uniters and not dividers.
Slippery concept, these days. The Fundies have half a grasp on it; that's that whole thing about the Moral Majority, back in the day, the one that's rattled along, gaining poisonous steam, and is killed much freedom these days. Of course, they were faking it, but even the fake was effective.
Imagine how potent the truth would be - imagine, for instance, if the LBGT Community whole-heartedly co-opted the mainstream right now. Today, for instance: Showing up at the inauguration to smile at Rev. Rick Warren, all the while wearing rainbow pins, sashes, hats, etcetera. Then threw Civil Rights celebrations, in honor of the Rev. MLK's Dream coming to fruition, embracing that battle because it was the forerunner of today's.
Another way of pointing out the importance of it is by looking at the Neochristian 'Culture War': yes, they are in a war, a war they created that will end up destroying them. Sound like something else you've heard in the last 8 years?
The Neochristians are insisting that they are the mainstream; but you cannot make the mainstream come to you, it's truly like a stream or river in that regard - flowing and moving through eddysome currents and riptides, you can't force it to follow in your footsteps. All you can do is dive in and swim, baby, and go with it.
Trying to stand against it will just get you drowned; with enough strategy and enough influence, you can last a while, maybe even get some control - but it won't last.
Because it causes a lack of integrity, which creates corruption, and no matter what else, you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time.
Another guy back in the day said that, not Jeff or Tom, though. Linc, I think it was.
And that, as they say, is where we came into this picture.
Be well... and have a good day.
