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Down The Middle - Nov 9, 2004 - Printable Version
- "Goin’ Up North...Fo’ Freedom" and "Religion or Spirituality?"
by Down the Middle and To the Left
By: Down the Middle
Nov. 9, 2004
My daughter has been talking “Canada”, almost since the day Bush took office, four years ago but I, myself, have always been a warm weather person. She has assured me, “It’s a different kind of cold, up there” and I have assured her, “If it’s thirty below zero, I don’t give a damn what kind of cold it is.”
With the reelection of Bush, the “talk” of Canada is taking on new life with family, friends and quite frankly, people from all across America. Even a couple of states, notably California and New Hampshire, are said to be quietly fantasizing about succession, again and the idea of joining up with the “Ca-nooks”. {I have studied the American Civil War and, believe me, if this were any more than loose talk around the water cooler, you’d have martial law imposed by Federal Troops and the state governments arrested and jailed.}
In recent days, our neighbors to the North have been inundated with “hits” from U.S. citizens, on their main immigration Web site, although there has been no noticeable increase in visa applications,...so far. Ottawa, alone, is hoping to welcome almost a quarter of a million immigrants, next year! Having noticed Bush’s left eyebrow began heading North, some time ago...maybe, I should be reconsidering my options, too.
Just yesterday, I had a conversation with a single mother of a sixteen year old son who, of course, would be eligible for a reinstated draft in two years, if such legislation was adopted. {I always liked the way they use the term “eligible”. It sounds so upbeat, as if it were, somehow, like you were “eligible” to win an all expense paid vacation. I guess, it would be about the same thing, IF you had always wanted to see the Middle East...and maybe, pop off a few rounds, while you were there!} This poor woman was very upset with the reelection of “our” President, as she understands the perpetual war plans of these “neo-cons” {I really don’t think they’re much further right than Mussolini, myself.} and, as any parent with half a brain and any heart, at all, she is truly afraid for her son’s life. It seems, neither one of us was too enthused with the thought of our children dying for oil.
I told her, “For me, Canada was too cold and Mexico was too hot.” {Somehow, that sentence made me feel like a little girl with long, blonde curls, tasting soup.} Anyway, I reminded her of “the house that DtM built”, out on God’s little acre, overlooking the creek and how my blood, sweat and tears {not to mention my first two border collies, which I loved so deeply and Elvis, the cool black cat we rescued from a “second chance” pet adoption group.} were all buried in the soil, there.
Knowing the attachment I have for my “little villa on the prairie”, {not to mention, this year, for the first time, I picked apples, peaches, plums and nectarines from trees that were planted with my own hands}, she realized I still had some of that “stand and fight attitude” running in my veins, so she posed the question, “...but would you want your daughter to stand {and possibly fall} with you? My answer was, “No! I would do anything to help her get to Canada.”
Is this my reward? Is this what I get, after “doing the right thing” for twenty-five years? {Believe me, it wasn’t always that way.} After finally, finally getting to some place I can call “home”, some place where I thought I might find a moment of solace and peace, some place I could grow a garden and listen to the gentle rain fall upon it, some place to hear the “crack” of the burning logs in the fireplace and watch the sparks fly up the chimney while my thoughts drift like wood smoke, this locker room “towel popper” comes along and starts screwing things up.
I know, it’s just a small piece of land {It is the land, Scarlet} but it’s also my home...and now, it seems, I could be put into the position where, “to save my daughter, I must lose my daughter” or give it all up {home AND country} to go North, with her.
Damn them all! Damn them for their greed and damn them for their lust of conquest! Damn them for their arrogance and damn them for destroying the principals for which my country has stood for, since it’s conception...and damn them, damn them, damn them for separating me from my land or even worse...from my only child!
I was out strolling today with my two surviving border collies, enjoying the red oaks and the various maples I had planted, all of them ablaze with a beautiful array of fall colors, when the “honking” of seventy plus Canadian geese drew my attention skyward. They were headed South for the winter and I wondered, how many of us would they be taking back home with them, in the Spring?
I don’t want to give up my home {More flower bulbs and a pear tree being delivered, this month.} and I should hope, we would all “stand and fight” for what we believe in AND for what’s ours.
Today, I refuse to abandon my country, my land and my daughter! I don’t have to make that disheartening decision, today, so I won’t...but what about tomorrow.....what about tomorrow?
By: To The Left
Nov. 6, 2004
Well, the election is now over and Bush is still in the White House. I was really disappointed when, even though I was convinced that it wouldn't happen again, it did. I was one of the strongest supporters for "anyone but Bush" and had been since the beginning of his first term. Not only was his re-election a bummer, but also now there is even more Republican control in the Congress!
The Bush Administration rallied the "Religious Right" and it was all over! I live right in the middle of the "Bible Belt" and supporters like myself are few and far between. I definitely felt like I was in the wrong place, but it's always been home to me. Because of my lifetime decisions, I have dwelt in evil through drug addiction, and I have come back to become almost like the Prodigal Son. I didn't go to church much when I was young, but I have been saved and baptized.
When I fought my greatest battle with "crank" addiction, my local preacher was there for me. I lived in a small community and the word had been "out" on me for several years about what I was up to. The county law was always trying to get me, but I was always two steps away from them. I went to a drug treatment center for a while, but left without the proper tools to keep me straight. About that time, the preacher showed up at my door. I really wanted to change my life, so I followed his direction.
I went to the small community church for quite sometime. The people were happy to see me there, as far as I could see. The only thing that "got" me was that any time the preacher would say anything about drugs, about half the congregation would turn to look at me. I was in a lonely state during that time also. I had to get rid (actually they left themselves) of my old friends and had hardly anyone that really supported me in the community. I spent a lot of time with the preacher going on his hospital stops to see people and their families in traumatic situations, which humbled me. I sometimes felt that I was just a trophy on the wall at the church. I remember one incident, after a church luncheon, when I showed an older church member a magic trick I had learned in the treatment center. It really freaked out the old man and he said, "that's just the devil himself coming out of you!"
Well, a few months later, I just couldn't hold up to the agenda and I twisted off again. This time I had to live with the guilt that I had now let Jesus Christ down! Well, after a couple more years of using, I finally went to another treatment center and got the tools necessary to control my life. By the way, next week I expect to begin my new career as a certified drug and alcohol counselor in a treatment center that I used to visit back in the dark days!
I used to hear a lot about "God fearing people" when I was young. Why do I need to be afraid of God if he is my redeemer? I was taught to listen and not make any judgments about Christianity. Well, when I began my college education, I learned a few things in world history about the various religions of the world. I found that, in early times, most traumatic events were blamed on upsetting the various, unforgiving gods. Christianity came along and this god was a forgiving god. I have studied what I can on the history of who wrote the Bible and have found that it has been edited, sometimes for the convenience of a certain few, throughout history. One of the most important finds is the findings of the lost scrolls of the Gnostic branch of Christianity, found in the area of the Dead Sea Scrolls (I think). Anyway, it was found, which told of an almost lost and forgotten branch of the Christian faith. The Gnostics believed that God was within the person rather than out there somewhere.
These are just my own opinions and I am just searching for peace in my own life, so don't be pissed off at me! The one thing that has really set me free is through the psychology courses I've taken in the last year. You see, many of the students in class are young and still have most of their life ahead of them. I'm a lot older and have seen and been through a lot of experiences that few have gone through. I have walked out of some classes totally amazed about how it all comes together. I have learned to forgive myself and feel like a much wiser person.
I had an old friend call me up since the election. He is a very strong Fundamentalist Christian. He told me that the reason Bush won the election is because all the American Christians realized that he was the one to follow and the liberals were all going to Hell. He said if you weren't a Christian, you would go to Hell! I asked him what the other religions of the world would think of that. He said that they didn‚t matter and they were all going to Hell. I asked him if they weren't probably thinking the same about the Christians. The thing is, are we supposed to draw a line in the sand and destroy all the others that don't agree?
Many a person has died in the name of God, no matter what religion. When you can't find another reason to hate, you can always say "because of their God". I'm now taking a course in cross cultural psychology and it has really opened my eyes about stereotyping and discrimination. A couple of weeks ago, I watched a video in class on suicide bombers and their ideals. The Islamic culture teach their children, as soon as they are able to communicate, that the shortest way to paradise is to become a martyr. These people don't value life as much as we do and martyrdom is very important to them. Most of these martyrs have experienced at least one traumatic event when they were younger.
I asked my friend what he thought about the Iraq war. He thought that as Christians, it was necessary that we change the ideals of the people in Iraq. I told him that recently I had seen an estimate that at least 100,000 people in Iraq had died from the "war". He said that they were killing each other and it was their own fault. I was astonished! Each death is a traumatic event for probably at least five others living. Imagine, a half million martyrs, or suicide bombers on our ass for at least another generation! If you ask me, it's not for Christians, WAKE UP, it's for power, oil, and wealth!
Anyway, I am not a religious person, but I am a deeply spiritual person. Whatever works, use it, but don't let it affect the next person. We have no right to judge, or try to control anyone else in the world. But Freud said, the primary motive for all mankind is to "kill all and take all". We must always realize this and be intelligent enough to get beyond this, or WE WILL DESTROY ALL OF US IN THE END. Remember what John Lennon said in "Imagine".
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