In a message dated 10/8/01 7:09:01 AM, GMCoffey writes:
Rhio:
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts during the recent {National} tragedy.
They are much appreciated.
I have voiced similar, if far less adroitly, refrains that seem to pretty much fall on deaf ears in this area {Alabama). In fact when I was talking with one usually outspoken American critic from Canada and I told her I didn't think the "suicide squad" was any less courageous than the firefighters, police or soldiers who took an oath to sacrifice their lives, if necessary, in the pursuit of their vocation, she started screaming at me to "Shut your mouth! Don't let anyone hear you say that!"
Dear Gerry,
Even though some will not be able to hear, we must keep speaking out. Principles mean nothing if they are discarded when it becomes inconvenient and as you know it is now very inconvenient to speak out for truth and peace and taking a hard look at our government's foreign policies, not to mention all the civil liberties that are in jeopardy of being lost right here in the USA. We will help each other be courageous enough to do it.
As far as the "suicide squad", yes they had the courage to follow through on their beliefs, as misguided and horrible as those beliefs are. And while I do not condone any type of violence, when somebody blows themselves up for their beliefs they do have courage and those who fail to recognize that do not understand the meaning of the word. From the Random House Dictionary: "to act in accordance with one's beliefs, especially inspite of criticism. . . the quality of mind . . . that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc. without fear."
We usually think of courage and bravery as qualities representative of all the "good" values we love and cherish. But desperate and fanatically programmed people can also have these traits in service for their brand of terror.
Gerry responds: Having lived in Southeast Asia for a number of years and witnessed a number of coup d e'tats with tanks plowing down the streets and a city of 4 million plunged into darkness for over a week, I am not ignorant of the many blessings we take for granted in this country, and I suspect I am far more patriotic than most. However, I know we (the U.S.) are not guiltfree in this event. And that people across the ocean living in hovels without electricity or plumbing hardly hate us for our way of life or because we are free. They are too busy living from hand to mouth to wonder about anything but their immediate needs.
Rhio: That's right you were (and are) a reporter so you've been in those situations. Wow! Not easy for sure.
Don't let anyone tell you that you are not patriotic because you exercise the principles granted to us in the Bil of Rights and the Constitution. Freedom to speak above all, without anyone telling us to shut up, or without being harrassed, detained or imprisoned for it. People in other countries don't hate us for our freedom or way of life. The American media repeats this prevarication over and over like a mantra. It's said that if you repeat a lie often enough, people start to believe it. And of course, people are manipulated by the media all the time, as we know from our efforts to get alternative health information covered.
At my website, in the Articles section, I have a category called NewsMedia and in it are some articles showing how censored the media really is. The only little trace of truth in the phrase they "hate us for our way of life" is that our way of life uses a disproportionate amount of the riches of this world and there is not a fair equity for others, especially the disenfranchised in Third World Countries, but also applies right here in the US.
The rich are just too rich and powerful and the poor are just too poor and don't have any power at all, except for their powerful spirit which enables them to congregate, petition, march and protest, agitate and advocate for change and for justice.
And as you know, the multinational corporations are going into third world countries and stealing the indigenous people's knowledge of thousands of years and patenting it. These are the types of injustices that have to be addressed. But you don't hear any of these discussions in the mainstream media.
Gerry: If nothing else is accomplished by the massive coverage of the Press, hopefully it will enlighten them to the plight of the masses in countries many of which they've never, ever knew existed.
Rhio: I wish I could concur with you on this but people are being lied to.
The food drop that they're doing on the border is pitiful and all the international aid agencies say that it is practically worthless. It's just PR – it sounds good to say that they've dropped food in. It sounds like we're doing something good, but it does nothing. The aid agencies have pleaded with the US to establish a safe zone, a corridor where they can take the food in and make sure basic humanitarian needs are attended to, especially before the advent of severe winter temperatures, but it's been denied.
On the Tv today, a reporter asked Rumsfeld about the food drop and whether it was adequate to meet the needs of the people on the border. The reporter said that 37,000 packets of food with millions of people sitting on the border doesn't sound like it's meeting the needs. And then Rumsfeld said that to people who are starving and some of them get the food they should be grateful to have it. And then the reporter shut up but what he should have said was "Well, since the USA pressured Pakistan into closing the borders and by so doing created this potential genocide, don't we have a responsibility to do more than just PR tokenism? After all, these millions of civilians (now refugees) have no ties with Osama Bin Laden and his group of criminal terrorists."
But perhaps the reporter would no longer be allowed in to ask any kind of questions if he had asked that one. We may just have come to that kind of repression in our country's sudden freefall towards totalitarianism, but that's all the more reason to keep speaking up.
Gerry: How to address this problem: During the last Presidential Campaign, being against Nuclear Energy and G.E. foods, among other things, I learned of Natural Law Party Candidate Dr. John Hagelin. (www.hagelin.org) If you're not familiar with him, a brief description: Dr. Hagelin has a PhD from Harvard, is a Nuclear Physicist who is against Nuclear Energy, and has been compared to Einstein for his work in Quantum Physics; Has been recommended for a Nobel Prize and was President of Mahareshi University and taught at Stanford. He established an Institute for Public Policy which invites top thinkers from around the world to take part in providing solutions to world problems. In the past he led a group of 3,000 Meditators at Washington Monument to meditate on reducing crime and violence in area prisons. They were able to document that hostility and violence was reduced by 40% (Don't recall the figures exactly).
After looking into his background I became his Alabama Coordinator and took part in the National Convention as a Delegate. It was superb! The people in his campaign are mostly all peace loving and well-educated individuals who practice daily meditation. One of the professionals I met through the campaign is Dr. David Leffler. When you have a few minutes, I hope you will check out his website as listed below when I sent a message to CNN.
Rhio: Yes I have heard about John Hagelin and I'm trying to learn more. I'm really interested in the peace meditation and those figures of reduction in violence and hostility that you mention. Can you direct me to more information on that. That's really interesting.
Jessie Jackson did something like that once. I forget who was president (I think Carter) and the President couldn't get some hostages out and Jackson went there with a group of people and in a hotel room they were praying and visualizing the outcome and Jackson came home with the hostages. Do you remember that incident?
R: I'll check out Hagelin's website. Keep the faith, keep strong.
Love,
Rhio