“never talk politics at the dinner table”
Sunday, July 4th, 2010
The Swiss bankers and the Roman Catholic Church were complicit in the Nazi regime. These were not terrible people. They were normal people. They closed their eyes to evil or justified it, for the sake of peace or gain or national loyalty. I sometimes wonder (and fear) whether I would have done the same if I had been in that society at that time. It is so easy not to see, not to hear, not to understand, when one’s own peace or prosperity is involved. There have been times, after all, when I have allowed blatantly racist statements to pass unchallenged in the name of good manners, or of just keeping the peace. For so little of one’s soul, or at least a little piece of it, is on the auction block.”
The Reverend Kathleen Damewood Korb
I have been distressed lately by the volatile nature of conversations, especially conversations involving our president. Some of us, did not vote for him or voted for him reluctantly, some wholeheartedly, and some voted for him due to his apparent superiority over his opponent. I find myself defending him and a few friendships have been strained. I cherish those friendships and find that coming here is often the needed release. So what is the right thing to do? Stop talking, stop listening, stop reading, stop caring?
Cap and Trade is one issue that causes heated exchanges to surface. If manufacturing moves to another country that values economy more so than the planet, then what we have achieved is a worsening of the global warming process. Those giant ships that bring our stuff across the oceans are spewing more toxins than the plants that made the stuff in the first place. What is the solution? Some believe we need to drive a stake into our evil president’s heart. I believe we need to stop subsidizing fossil fuels and instead subsidize the retooling of manufacturing plants so they’ll stay here and get green and give tax incentives for doing so. Even if you don’t believe that climate change is caused by human intervention, the climate is changing and we need to keep this little planet as clean and pristine as possible.
Certain persons in the media have made Mephistophelean bargains for power and fame using fear and greed as their catalyst. A few of them have marketed themselves as chosen. Chosen to teach us what God wants us to do. People blindly believe their utterances and it is becoming impossible to sit idly by or “close my eyes for the sake of peace”.
My mother raised us to never talk politics or religion at the dinner table. I have adhered to that rule and have enjoyed many a peaceful dinner with friends who I know don’t agree with my politics or my religion. Once the plates are cleared and the wine and chocolates or coffee and cheesecake starts a few fists have pounded the table. There are times when it needs to be talked about though. Not informing ourselves, not talking at all is useful for the “owners”, as George Carlin referred to the media and the companies that pay them to tell us what they want us to know.
The economy and what is best for the economy isn’t always the best solution, still, it is the solution “the owners” love. They create or enhance or close their eyes to hate in order to improve their own economy.
It is always important to challenge hate; challenge it’s source and find it’s solution. When you don’t like the way things are, there is always a chance for a different outcome. Our conversations need to look at all sides and possible outcomes. Are we better off doing nothing vs doing things differently?
When fists are pounding or all capital letters are being typed, chances are a point is being made. Hopefully the point is to liberate us from hate.
