Jon Stewart, Arianna Huffington, and Me?

[kambriel]

I know a lot of people don't like to talk politics, and indeed, when I was young, my parents taught me that you're never supposed to talk about religion or politics at the dinner table, etc... Even as a child though, I disagreed (inside my head rather than aloud since I would have been whipped had I voiced disagreement against my father). I thought such talks could often be the base of vibrant, enthusiastic and thoughtful discussion, and to me, it would only became a "bad" thing if people didn't make an effort to communicate *well* with eachother... keeping an open mind and respectful of other's opinions.

Anyway, having a business, I know I often must tone down what I say. I would keep silent altogether, but that goes against the essence of my spirit, so I'll choose to go with "tone it down" ;)

On the eve of the war with Iraq, I put up an "Arabian Nights" page dedicated to wishing peace and safety to ~everyone~ who was going to be involved in the situation that was about to begin. Not just "our" side, not just "theirs", but ~everyone~. I got several supportive emails, and one from a guy who said he would never order from my business again. I wrote him back, saying that I was genuinely interested in what it was he was offended by, but he never answered. I just chalked it up to heightened emotions and that he must have somehow misinterpreted what I was trying to get across when he put it through his own personal filter.

So yesterday, after my lj post about "Jericho", I got an email titled "I could not keep silent", and thought, hmmm... what's this going to be? The first sentence began with them saying they were a former customer, and I though, oh geez, again? Happily, they quickly added, that they only said former because of their financial situation and were looking forward to that improving so they'd be able to order again in the future.

Anyway, she quoted something I said to a friend in the post, and said that she was so happy that someone else felt the way she did because she always felt completely alone in that philosophy.

This is what I said in the post:

I used to be very scared of nuclear war when I was a child. I read "Hiroshima" when I was in elementary school. Now, I care more about how the planet will do, because frankly, if the human species is ever either annihilated due to war, or just fizzles itself up over greed and global warming, either way we earned our fate. I just want to know that the planet will be able to in the very long run, get itself back on it's feet and start over and re-create nature and other gentler creatures without us.

To which her (edited) reply was:

I honestly had no idea anyone else felt that way. All day today, all I've been able to think is how I read somewhere that humans are Nature's grand experiment in whether the opposable thumb is a good idea or not...and though it saddens me to say it, we seem to be proving we are to this planet what cancer is to the human body.

It does seem the planet would be better off WITHOUT opposable thumbs....but while Jon Stewart, Arianna Huffington, several NY Times Op-Ed columnists, and Kambriel still draw breath, all is not yet lost! : )

While I certainly am not afflicted with any kind of grandiose complex of self-importance, how sweet is that? And does this mean I should run for President or settle for Mayor of Halloweentown? ;)

Comments

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

The lady who wrote this ~ she lives where the Sturgis rally is held, and they just had 5 bikers killed in a "gang" fight, and another guy stabbed to death in the neck for spilling his beer... Understanding this background, combined with worldwide current events all over the airwaves, you can easily understand why she was in such a disconcerted frame of mind. Poor girl!

It would be nice if we as humans could really just *advance*, wouldn't it? We tend to think of ourselves as having been primitive and working our way up over the centuries, but in some ways, I think we peaked in manners and propriety a while ago. When I was a kid, my mom would make me read Emily Post's books on good manners. I can't imagine that is done much anymore... Then you consider shows like "Fear Factor" ~ that would never have been aired on network tv in the past. People wouldn't have stood for it, and now it's seen as entertainment. We have even reached a point where showing intelligence can be seen as a downside... Like when Kerry was running for president and had to be told to stop speaking French to ummm, French people!

[lady-amaranth.livejournal.com]

only the pumpkin queen would do!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Alright. I guess I can settle for Queen since we just voted a woman as the new mayor of Salem recently :)

Does this mean you'll become Empress of Shadows?

[lady-amaranth.livejournal.com]

If the Queen would bestow such a title on me, I will serve with it diligently. Oh what a realm we will have! And the lovey letter writer can come sit in our tower too :)

[mystress.livejournal.com]

GIRL, YOU ROCK!

[obsequious.livejournal.com]

I don't feel humans are a cancer to the planet. We aren't even a skin rash. But we are likely cancer to ourselves. The planet has nothing to fear from us. We should be terrified of ourselves. Or a bit ashamed, perhaps.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. I'm so grateful that there are *different* kinds of people to help balance things out. We just need to figure out how this counterbalance can have as big of an impact as those who do harm. I feel like those who try to care for the Earth do it in smaller, more personal ways, while those who don't have it's health in mind often work in big, sweeping gestures. We need to find a sustaining balance.

[panzerkunst.livejournal.com]

Bill Hicks still said it best, we're nothing more than a virus with shoes.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Always mutating, and building up a resistance ;)

[spangle-kitten.livejournal.com]

when I was young, my parents taught me that you're never supposed to talk about religion or politics at the dinner table

My parents said the same...but when one is a minister and the other is a political philosopher it's a bit hard ;p

It's always a good thing to be in the same sentence as Jon Stewart!