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5.06.2004
Friday, May 7, 2004
"WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security."
- The Declaration of Independence
Thursday, May 6, 2004
"The weakest of all weak things is a virtue that has not been tested in the fire."
- Mark Twain
5.04.2004
Wednesday, May 5th, 2004
"All men wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king,
And the king ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything.
I wanna to go out tonight, and find out what I've got.
Talk about a dream, try to make it real,
You wake up in the night, with a fear so real,
You'll spend you're life waitin' for a moment
That just don't come.
Well don't waste your time waitin'
Badlands, you gotta live it every day
Let the broken heart stand as the
Price you gotta pay
Keep pushin' 'til it's understood and
These badlands start treatin' us good."
Bruce Springsteen, "Badlands"
Tuesday, May 4, 2004
I'm an achievement addict. It is a horrible affliction, to have trouble simply being - to be living always in the hope of the next achievement, or in the despair that I am not in the midst of one. Really it prevents living. It prevents breathing. It obscures my eyesight - literally. Many times it can take an hour on a hike before I actually see a tree. The trees are there, mind you, it's just that my head is so busy planning the next achievement or lamenting the last one lost that it cannot see them. It is as if there is a movie playing on an opaque screen that covers my eyes and prevents me from seeing reality.
I wonder about the drive for achievement that motivates people to run for President or build social movements. Is this fulfilling a destiny or enabling a pathology? There is a kind of violence in the energy it takes to muster up a great achievement - often even an achievement to try and make the world better. The pursuit of grand plans can stir something inside of us, but they can also stir up something that was otherwise at peace.
No answers tonight. But these are good inquiries.
Monday, May 3, 2004
If ever you think that God has no place for you in this world, remember that you are not alone. We all feel that way from time to time. Or many of us, I should say. There are some people who douse their fears and insecurities with distractions and false confidences. But do not dwell in that sense of abandonment for long. Do not make the mistake of thinking that God only chose a few, and has no use for the rest of us. Have faith. Have faith when it is hardest to have faith. This is the true test of faith. When it is easy to have faith it isn't really faith. Have faith. Never let go of the belief that God loves you and has a purpose for you, no matter how thin the thread that holds it. Faith will be rewarded. It will absolutely be rewarded.
5.02.2004
Sunday, May 2nd, 2004
America must let go its fear of its destiny. America has the potential to be a great nation again, revered, respected and loved by all the people of the world. But it will not achieve this by frightening the world. It will not achieve this by ignoring the plight of the starving and the diseased around the globe. For America to accept its destiny we must explore the far reaches of compassion. We must take it upon ourselves to organize the end of world hunger. We must unite the world in an effort to find homes for all the little orphans of the planet. We must organize the eradication of AIDS. We must use our vast resources for the good of all humanity, not for the protection of our little patch of earth. If America is to be a great nation, it must extend its vision of responsibility around the globe and inside the dark crevices of its own inner cities. It must liberate the masses from the shackles of poverty and hunger and disease. These are the dictators that strike fear into the hearts of the world's poor - the majority of people on the earth. No Saddam Hussein ever frightened a young mother the way that diphtheria and whooping cough and AIDS has.
America has chosen militarism over compassion because we fear our own greatness. This is the simple truth with which we must come to grips.
Saturday, May 1st, 2004
If an alcoholic can learn to stop drinking, then a nation can learn to stop fearing. If an alcoholic can make ammends to the people he has harmed, then a nation can as well. If an alcoholic can stop being prideful and start being humble, then a nation can as well. If an alcoholic can learn to stop infecting those around him with his pathology, then a nation can do the same. Admitting the problem is the first step. This is the path to greatness.
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