Perspective @ MindSay

WATCH THIS:

Think of this guy the next time you're thinking that your life sucks!

He's one hell of a man! 

 

http://www.surkes.citymaker.com/f/claydyer_espn2.wmv

In light of the fact that my daughter is active Army, it shouldn't surprise you to know I am one of many who actually support G.W. and the Iraqi Freedom action.  It is a hard fact that throughout history, freedom has come with a price, a blood sacrifice.  Nevertheless, it is reality,  AND most past wars, by the standard of those who call our present involvement illegal, have also been illegal and ruthless ... started by selfish, power-hungry men.  That's the point!  One man, obsessed and power-hungry though charismatic charmed hundreds of thousands into blatant hatred of Jews half a century ago.  We (the US) turned a blind eye, until Japan - for a whole separate bunch of issues, attacked the US at Pearl Harbor.  If that hadn't happened, would the US have continued to ignore Hitler?  Guess we'll never know. 

 

Starting with the "conflict" in Viet Nam, the press has played an under-estimated role on public opinion, and therefore, gov't responses.  By bombarding Americans with horrific images of brutality and inhumanity, the media manipulated an unsuspecting public into a rage that remains an abomination – the way we treated our returning service men and women was a dark chapter in our short history. They're repeating this now, in our midst, and it is heart-wrenching. We swore we would never let it happen again, and yet ... it is happening. Not just our servicemen/women but now our hatred is aimed at those in Washington, and even ... to our neighbors. The media evokes this hatred and we don't quite see it for what it is. Neither do we know how to manage it, so ... we let it go where THEY tell us to ... Hate President Bush. Hate those who are different ... Hate those from foreign lands ... Hate those who worship differently ... Hate the Republicans. Hate the Democrats ... Pity Brittany, shun the religious, embrace the “gangster” mentality, and the list of false images goes on ... controlled by a media accountable to no one!

If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it.

We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation.

Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented.

In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.

I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided.

It will become all one thing or all the other.

Either the opponents of slavery, will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new -- North as well as South.  ~ Abraham Lincoln

One of the things that we sometimes forget runs hand in hand with FREEDOM is ... responsibility, a word many find distasteful these days. Like it or not, as a free people, we DO have more knowledge of global events and are therefore, responsible to act on behalf of those savagely oppressed in other places. Although I do not believe we should put a price-tag on our assistance, can't ignore the Husseins or Hitlers that find their way to power! The same people that are incensed about Iraq, are the ones crying out for US involvement in Tibet or Sudan. I have stated in my blog before that it is my opinion that we, as finite human beings, are not equipped emotionally or mentally, to deal with the horrendous events that occur daily in the US and abroad.  Man's inhumanity to man is beyond comprehension to "decent" people, so ... when we see and/or hear what our sensationalist commercial media broadcast, we cannot help but respond emotionally.  The problem is, they're in it for $$$$$$$ ... BIG BUCKS!  You and I know this, right?  So ... why are we so eager to buy their lies?  their composite images of horror and blood?  The media today has become a "gladiator" sport, and they control what you and I believe about ourselves, our nation, and our world far more than we understand. To whom is the media in general accountable? 

 

In regards to the Iraqi War, I hear & read how deceptive the present administration has been, and how we should never have gone in the first place ... yada, yada, yada, but would you have the gov't outline in detail our plan of attack in public? For those who believe G.W is behind 9/11 ... how can he be both the "most idiotic" president we have had AND still mastermind the most devastating attack on US soil?  But I digress ...

 

Below is a list of current death toll stats for the leading killers of Americans.  We cry that our young men and women are being killed in Iraq illegally, but if you look at the truth, significantly more of our young people are killed daily by drunk drivers (an average of 36 fatalities occurred per day on America’s roadways as a result of crashes involving an alcohol impaired driver, and that was 2 years ago! NHTSA )  The media has convinced many Americans that the sacrifice of our young men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan is needless, that their issues are none of our business.  At the same time, the media's lack of attention on other "issues" ... the carnage in various places in Africa, for example, leaves us out of balance in our global view and emotionally charged in opposition to what we do not understand because our information is limited and biased. The only thing that can make our involvement in Iraq useless is to pull out now and nullify the progress our men and women have purchased for the inhabitants of Iraq with their lives.

 

Maybe we should spend a bit more emotion on the top killers on the list below ... ? Just a thought!

 

 

Death Toll
January 1, 2008 - April 12, 2008 (1:18 pm)
United States of America

 

There's nothing like a dose of perspective to kick your ass into line.

I admit, I've been kind of on the down side of my depression cycle, lately.  Not going to go into why or anything, because it doesn't really matter. 

And y'know, it's not like I don't see people every single day who are far worse off than I am.  I mean, I live in Sacramento, after all.  We've got homeless people out the wazoo.  Not a day goes by that I don't walk past several of them. 

But I don't know these people.  And while I can feel sorry for them, their personal plights don't really hit me that hard.  Sad to say, but it's true.

Tonight, though, I had a late date with Lilith.  And during the course of our dinner conversation, I asked how her health was.  Lilith, you see, was diagnosed with relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis back in November.  At that time, she had no brain lesions.  As of two weeks ago, she had two.

Her doctor said that this is not uncommon... that many M.S. sufferers will rapidly acquire lesions, then go for a long time with no growth... it cycles.  On the other hand, sometimes this quick progression indicates a rapid degeneration.  It's too early to tell which it is, yet.

She's still able to jog.  Her doc says that when she can't, anymore, then he'll change her diagnosis accordingly.  Meaning, from relapsing/remitting to progressive.

Lilith is twenty-nine years old.  She has two young children and the promise of a great life ahead of her.

Provided this disease doesn't fuck that up for her.

Yeah.  I've got no cause to gripe.