Blame Game @ MindSay

"Well, now that Obama's been elected, I'm glad, 'cause now, you can't blame the white man. You can't hold blame against us."

I forced my teeth down against my tongue upon hearing this, working at the Deli, recently. If you, the reader, aren't shocked by this, perhaps I need to explain. If the person who said this believes what he speaks, then that says much of his character and beliefs.

For one, he hasn't any background information on Senator Obama. The reason I say that Obama is the whitest black politician to surface is because OF his background. Obama was raised with many privileges unavailable to most African Americans. This is how Obama is different than other black politicians, in that he does not rise from the black socialist civil rights movement. He was very appealing to the Capitalist class in America. Upon becoming another black conservative puppet for institutional racism, his seat in the White House was guaranteed.

This is falsifying history right before our very eyes, just as if Hillary were elected and the establishment media would proclaim "Sexism is Dead! Sexism is Dead!" Sexism would still be a terrible issue to women everywhere even if Hillary were elected. I will further that idea and say that it would be better if Hillary were elected. She at least represents women's interests in the nation, and intends to further measures to end the rampant sexism we see everywhere.

Barack Obama will not represent the interests of Black America, but will actually worsen their situation by giving conservative pundits the ammunition they need to wage a "race war," built upon Social Darwinism.

The person saying the quoted words does not recognize racism for what it is: a structural and institutional phenomenon that can be observed. It may not be the Aurora Borealis, but can be seen just as clearly when catching a glance at the facts and statistics.

I have lived long enough to have endured a few "scares".  When I was little, there was the Cuban Missile crisis that caused many people to construct bomb shelters in their backyards or basements.  Then came the whispers of a subtle Communist take-over ... rather than an open attack, they would quietly infiltrate the American landscape.  Where are we now?  Who is the "enemy"?  Dems v Reps?  Conservatives v Liberals?  Humanists v Christians? Muslims v Americans? 

 

I have to admit that it saddens me that we no longer see one another as fellow Americans, but more often, we are quick to label Dem or Rep, Liberal or Conservative etc. eager to divide! ...  After all, it is much easier than actually trying to understand one another.  Stick a label on it and file it appropriately.  So many are so filled with anger or hate and isolate themselves behind walls of mis-information.  What kind of life choice is this?  If we only have 70 - 80 years to walk this earth, why live them in anger?  Do we recognize that our response IS a choice?  Anger is a choice.  Fear is a choice.  Hatred is a choice.  Understanding is a choice.  Compassion is a choice.  Problem is, understanding is hard work.  It requires communication.  Is it more important to be right, or is it more important to have peace?  You are I are not responsible for the choices of others, but we are responsible for our own choices.

 

I was browsing the other day, and found the image that is now my header.  It was painted by a man named Frank Von Dongen.

 

After the horror of September 11, 2001, Dutch immigrant Frank van Dongen decided to put his creative talents to work in an American community unity project in which hundreds got to participate.  He painted a flag scene, on which was written the words: "America will stay strong."  He then made the painting available at numerous community events and schools, allowing people of all ages to sign their names and express a short thought.  The response was overwhelming, with a large portion of the signers'  thoughts mentioning pride in America, and hopes for love and peace; an expression of the community and its desire to react positively in the most negative of situations.  The painting is currently on display at Sierra Madre City Hall.

When a horrendous event occurs, either publicly or privately, we have a choice of not only how to perceive it, but how to respond.  We've had time to process the events of 9/11.  Some have theories of government cover-up.  The Democrats blame the Republicans, and the Reps blame the Dems ... The media sensationalizes whatever it can, most often (because it DOES sell) in a negative voice, feeding the unrest that already exists.  But what is the goal?  the purpose?

 

I fear I'm becoming redundant as I try to motivate myself and others to make positive life choices.  There is a familiar cliché that goes, "If life brings you lemons, make lemonade."  Bad things happen all the time ... to you, to me, to each of us as individuals, and to every group or nation.  The choice is ours to wallow in the sadness, anger, and blame-game mentality ... OR get past it and live a positive, productive life.

 

I admire this Mr. Von Dongen.  He used his creative talent for good, to bring a bit of healing to his community.  He didn't require any application, any pedigree, and age restriction, political affiliation. He helped his community process the emotions of that event in a positive way.

 

~ B

Sad excuses

and false hopes high

i saw this coming

still i don't know why

i let you in

 

 

so who do i blame for this? i blame you for just utterly giving up. i blame my parents for not letting me come home every weekend, though that probably wouldn't have made a difference. i blame myself for getting way too attatched, and thinking there was something there. i blame myself for letting you get inside my skin. but i stand by my policy of no regrets. did i know it was too good to be true? yes, but like erin's quote says, i believed in the impossible. "even though they know something is impossible, why do people still believe in it?"

 

who knows why we do. but anyway, i definetly thought this would make my bad day so much worse, but actually, i feel like it made my day, and i'm not sure why. kinda awkward i know. but i think it's mainly because i knew you gave up a long time ago, but realizing now that stressing over you wasn't because i was going crazy, but it's because you're so predictable that i read you. so now i know, i wasn't so crazy, i was just holding onto false hopes. :P :P lol okay so i cried until i almost got sick, for about a half hour. but now, i can't stop giggling and laughing. :P :P lol, it's like a breath of fresh air, and all the craziness is gone. sweet cheese.

 

well at least...okay, no at leasts, i'll probably be sad later or something, and i'm sure i'll think about how i miss you later, but right now, i don't care, and it's a bit scary. the only thing i wanna know, is if you actually cared at all this whole time. have some balls this time and let me know :P :P. i still like you, so don't think i hate you or i'm against you. i'm just angry with you right now. and i should be, but i'll get over it, just like the rest.

 

So take your empty words

your broken promises

and all the time you stole

cuz i am done with this

With the fifth annivesary of September 11th only minutes away, I've been thinking about then versus now.  Over the past month, we've been inundated with news, television programs, newspaper articles and magazine exposes.

And what does any of it mean?  If anything?  ABC had a program on claiming to be based on the 9/11 commission report, when, in fact, it's a docudrama based more on lies than truth.

The program is said to have put most of the blame of 9/11 on the Clinton administration.  First of all, Clinton is a Democrat, but in many ways, he was a very conservative president.  He was middle of the road, deciding on the issues instead of party.  And sure, his administration had a lot of missed opportunities.

But can we crucify him for a lack of imagination?  I would point to Bush Sr. and the failure to knock Sadam Hussein out of power.  But, magically on August 22, the Bush administration has decided it's going to be strong in that there was no connection between Iraq and 9/11.  On August 21, they claimed there was a connection.  And few people seem concerned that they either were then or are now lying.

I didn't watch the ABC program because I decided on watching Discovery's program headed up by Ted Koppel.  I watched the program because I felt it would be a politically neutral one, and it was.  Views of both Liberals and Conservatives were heard, and the point was made that we are all Republicans, all Democrats, all conservatives, all Liberals when it comes to terror.  We are all Americans.

One point that wasn't made and I wish ould be made is what is the point of all of this?  What purpose does the blame game serve?  Want to blame Clinton?  Want to blame Carter?  I don't care.  Bush isn't to blame for 9/11.  No president is.  Sure, he got memos, and he should've acted on the intelligence just like Clinton should have.  But we all lacked imagination that such an event could ever happen.

It's understandable that it's easier to just not believe.  And it happened.  Who's to blame?

Who cares?!?

What are the solutions?  What are we going to do?  We can't be secure.  Torturing prisoners is not the answer.  My criticism with the Bush administration isn't pre-9/11 but post 9/11.  We were all behind Afghanistan.  Iraq wasn't even connected, and they now concede that.

But, since Labor Day, 15 new prisoners have been taken to GITMO.  Prisoners are being interrogated, just this side of torture, and for what?

Muslims are not just Arabs, and the racial profiling going on is inconstitutional and provides no effective solution.  There are white and black Muslims, European Muslims.  What are we doing to protect against them?  Maybe we need to work on solutions, like foreign policy relations that don't piss off the world.

And what about on the home front?  What are we doing to protect ourselves?  I live in a town of 2,000 people, but do those of you who live in major metropolitan areas know your city's evacuation plan?  They probably don't have one.  Is there an emergency response task force that'll take over, coordinate all agencies to make sure as many lives are saved as possible – most importantly the first responders who suffered so many losses five years ago.

What's being done?  What are the solutions?  Who cares who's to blame.  Millenia of conflict and hundreds of years of Western politics have led up to where we are today.  Events of the last year, decade or century caused these attacks.

Let's focus on the solutions.  Let's find out how to make us no longer be a target for terrorism.  A recent poll showed that 54% of Americans think Iraq is huring the war on terror while 40% think it's helping.  I thik this is reasonable because we all feel conflicted about that topic.

But again, is that a solution?  Is the war in Iraq or ending it a solution?  That should be the topic of debate.  Civil liberties (or the lack thereof) should be the topic.  Our safety if/when another attack happens should be the topic.

Whose fault is it?  Of what benefit can that answer be?