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| thoughts on gitmoYes, I have been a great sluggard and slacker of a blogger. It's been crazy lately. The new job at Auto-Owners is starting to feel good. I enjoy what I do, and lori and I are starting to adjust to the new schedule with me working full-time. The last few weeks have been especially crazy. Lori's grandma passed away the Sunday before Thanksgiving, so we were out to South Dakota from Sunday until Wednesday. Then we came back, because lori's mom was supposed to visiting us from SD for Thanksgiving. It was kinda funny because she dropped us off on Wednesday to head from SD to Lansing, and then we picked her up in Flint on Thursday and went to two family Thanksgivings, went shopping on Friday, and hung out around the house with lori's mom the rest of the weekend. All of this was generally a good time, but it's been stressful for lori. Between the running around and all the emotional processing, she's been had a full plate.
In other news, we signed up for a membership at the YMCA. They have this sweet facility about 10 minutes from us that was built in 2003. We've really enjoyed being able to work out there, since we aren't going to be as active outside as we were in the nicer weather months.
I read an article from the BBC News about the guy at Guantanamo who tried to slit his throat with his own sharpened fingernail. Reports say that he has been confined there for 6 years without charges brought against him. I forget exactly who, but one of the military folks in charge at Gitmo told the BBC that these inmates make these attempts to hurt themselves in order to discredit the US military and goverment. Now that is about the stupidest and vilest thing I have hear in a long time. Stupid because I find it hard to imagine that folks commit suicide just to discredit anything or anyone. That, at best, is only a partial explanation of the pain, anguish, and misery that must go into such a decision, if it is any explanation at all. It is vile because it dehumanizes the person who has injured themselves. This man's comment took an action which undoubtedly was far more complex and human than just an attempt to discredit the US.
If we would like to continue to fight battles of anger, hate, and misunderstanding, against people who will bear the same things towards us, then I think that this man's comments are an excellent strategy. Unfortunately, I think we have seen the results throughout history of these kinds of conflicts: blood, famine, suffering, enslavement, rape, pillage, and misery.
I believe that there is a different path. It may sound like pussyfooting, or ignoring danger, but I think that the most effective path to end these conflicts is to appreciate others in their full humanity, even if they don't appreciate themselves. If we dehumanize these folks, then we encourage them by our view of them, to continue to act inhumanely. If we give them a gift of understanding that feeds and nourishes their deeper seeds of humanity, then we will encourage those seeds to grow instead of hate and anger. I believe that all terrorists and enemies should be extended this love and understanding. I believe that by doing this we have the greatest potential to disarm their anger and their hatred, and because of our love and understanding in doing so, turn them, and future generations of their kin, into friends and allies. It may seem easier to overpower and destroy them, but that will not destroy the anger and hatred. It will grow anger and hatred in us, as we act on those seeds in ourselves. It will also encourage the growth of anger and hatred in our enemies, likely turning those that we keep under our thumbs, or the friends and kindred of those we destroy into enemies. There is only one way to peace, and that is through practicing peace. You cannot make lemonade with oranges, and you cannot expect to squeeze a lemon and get orange juice. If we seek peace, then we must seek and act on the peace within ourselves in order to achieve it. We must also realize that if we seek and use the anger and hatred within ourselves, we will reap anger and hatred.
So yeah, when I hear things like that guy said it really upsets me. I grieve for the dehumanizing treatment of a human being, no matter what they have done or been accused of doing. I grieve that our country plants seeds of hatred, anger, and fear. I grieve that we continue to act on our own hatred, anger, and fear. I also read this and realize that I need to practice what I preach. This military man and his hand-waving comments make me angry. And yet, if I stop that anger and try to understand why he would say such a thing, I might see differently. I wonder if he is afraid. Has he met this man before? What has their interaction been like? Is he disgusted by him, annoyed by him, or afraid of him? I wonder what he afraid he will lose because of terrorists acts of hatred and anger. What is it about the US that he loves and is afraid could be discredited by this man's actions? Is he afraid that he will lose his job if we treat his prisoners as I have suggested? What does he feel pressured to accomplish in his position at Gitmo? What superiors does he have to answer to and how does that effect how he regards his prisoners? I guess I won't get answers to those questions without the opportunity to talk to this fellow. I am glad I have done the exercise of asking the questions, though. My anger has less power now; I can feel the change. Instead, I do feel a desire to understand this man, to hope that by doing so, I can allow him to transform his own negative seeds and treat his prisoners more humanely. | | |
| Yeah, it's been a crazy four weeksSo, it's been a little crazy in the last month. One September 20, Jeff, for whom I had done personal care for 4 years and 4 months, passed away. It wasn't entirely unexpected, but it was pretty sudden and shocking. I'm still kind of reeling from that. I've never had someone that close to me pass away, and I'm still realizing what it means to me.
Since then, I've done a bit of job searching, as I'm mostly unemployed. I'm also still working at Chipotle, usually daytimes, which I much prefer to closing (I'm closing tomorrow night and not looking forward to it . . . grrr). I have an interview a week from today at Auto-Owners Insurance, where Lori currently works. I'm pretty excited about that. I also have an application in for a position as Academic Staff at MSU, with the Youth Farmstand Project. It would be incredible if I got either position.
It also happens that my brother knocked up his girlfriend. Gol'darn virile youngsters. He's a senior in high school. She's a freshman in college. So that's been another mess. Woo-hoo!
In good news, lori and I are going with a group of folks from MSU to Bioneers in Traverse City. Both of us are super excited about it. If you don't know what is, google Great Lakes Bioneers. Basically, it's environmentalist, progressive, community-oriented, inovatively-motivated group of people that get together to talk about how to make the world a better place. It should be a great time.
In bad news, today is the last day of vegetable pick-up from our CSA share. Very sad :(. No more weekly vegetables.
More later, I guess . . . | Currently Listening
OK Computer
By Radiohead
Actually, it's the new album, "In Rainbows," but since Amazon doesn't sell it, I couldn't pick it
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| Peace in the Middle EastCondi says that President Bush will be making ending the Palestinian/Israeli conflict a top priority. Personally, I wish that he would make ending the conflicts that we are involved in a top priority. Something about speck of sawdust and log comes to mind. | | |
| I'll get better at itSo, with all of the crap going on in my life lately, I've been feeling depressed on and off. I was telling lori this yesterday and that I don't much like feeling depressed. She chimes in, "Oh, don't worry, you'll get better at it." Thanks, lori, thanks. | | |
| Political Correctness and a life updateFor the record, I find political correctness to be really annoying and pretentious. The newest example of why it is pointless that I have stumbled across was on a handout for a high school Spanish class. It was about what to expect from a 'world language' learning process. Now what was wrong with the phrase 'foreign language?' When you learn a language that is not your own, does the word 'foreign' not apply? What does changing that word to 'world' do for us? It gives us a vague, meaningless phrase. As if someone could learn a non-worldly language?
Now, I understand that there are lots of people that have serious xenophobic issues and I have little doubt that all of us have our stereotyping racist/sexist/classist/etc. tendencies. But changing the terminology is not going to magically change our prejudices. In fact, I think it allows them to continue to exist, because we use this meaningless language, instead of recognizing that when we see something foreign we have a strong tendency to label it as bad. Why not instead continue calling foreign languages foreign, but make a serious campaign to realize that something can be foreign and very enjoyable. And even if it's foreign and we don't enjoy it, we don't have to label it as bad. We can just recognize that it is not for us. Perhaps, I'm asking too much, but too much or not, I just don't see how changing the terminology because we are afraid of certain people's prejudices associated with that word, is going to help the situation.
In personal notes, Sunday night, I felt really comfortable at Chipotle for the first time. It just seemed like I knew a lot better what I was doing and didn't have to think as hard to remember stuff. I'm sure I'll feel more and more loose as the stuff becomes habit. I think it's a bit of a social shock, too, that I'm getting used to. I'm right back in the middle of college culture working there. It's really fun in a lot of ways. Sometimes it can be frustrating, though, because, my schedule and life don't really fit a lot of 'college life' anymore. I closed last night, which also went well. I'm closing again tonite and Thursday night. I'm going to be tired by the end of this.
To cap it all off, lori and I are leaving at 5am on Friday morning to go hike around on South Manitou Island. Fortunately, lori will be able to go to bed early on Thursday night, and she'll drive most of the 4 hours up to Leland. I'll basically just crawl out of bed at 4:55 am, throw something resembling clothing on and then crawl into the back of the Vibe to sleep for at least a good part of the trip.
I'm actually really excited about SMI. We're going to be hiking about 2 miles from where we get dropped off by the ferry, then setting up camp and day hiking. That means, we don't have to try to pack super light and we can cover a lot of ground in a day, and hike later, since camp will be already set up and waiting for us. From all appearances, it looks like the island is amazingly beautiful. Look for pictures on my Picasa site (picasaweb.google.com/bioethicsman) sometime early next week. | | |
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