- Just Another Broken Record ...

New Freedom At The Berlin Wall

The title is imperative today. You see, we’re raising an entire generation that’s never heard of vinyl records, let alone actually seen one up close & personal. Right before our eyes, a generation of young people, that will one day be responsible for law & foreign policy will have never been to the “Record Store”; & if music has defined you, in the same way it’s defined me, then that is a profound thought.

“Profound”, (adj.) very great, or intense.

“Thought”, (noun) an idea or opinion produced by, or occurring suddenly; in the mind.

An idea or mental picture imagined or contemplated.

I take the time to define these for a very specific reason. Consider that at a time in history when this very generation I speak of has access to more knowledge & information then ever imagined, many more of them, (then ever before), are beginning to question. Now I don’t know about you, but that gets me excited! It makes me damn near giddy inside! Any scenario that sees teachers, parents, government agencies & public officials put on the spot & questioned, makes me want to jump out of my seat, & cheer.

I’m deeply moved by the idea that so many of our youth are making the time; to allow literature and classrooms, to inspire these “profound thoughts”. To let your child go, so that a coach or a teacher can inspire them is; without question, a painful, yet rewarding experience that only a parent can comprehend. I should take the time to note here that this is also, a very important, reason why, we should be fighting governments that would take away rights from our teachers and educators. They are an intrinsic resource and should be celebrated & protected. I digress …

While I find myself excited by the notion that so many of our youth are far more intellectual then at any other moment in history, I fear that I need to point out a very real and tragic trend. There still seems to be this, almost viral bent in some thinking.

This is where the rubber meets the road for me, & its my hope you’ll pause to see it as well. For every one that will never see a record player, or get to smell the inside of “Sam the Record Man”; we must recognize that these may never know of the Jim Jones, or the Marshall Applewhite’s of the world.  You may think I’m a little over the top here, but I’d then suggest that for every free-thinker we turn loose upon this world; there will be one less adult tortured by the bondage so many of us now carry to the grave. There’s your profound thought for the day.

A Quote to Ponder:

The un-philosophical majority among men are the ones most helplessly dependent on their era’s dominant ideas. In times of crises these men need the guidance of some kind of theory; but, being unfamiliar with the field of ideas, they do not know that alternatives to the popular theories are possible. They know only what they have always been taught.

(Leonard Peikoff)

I think one of the most powerful aspects of the law, especially in our time, has been its ability to show the gritty angry parent that birthed it. For the educated among us, that recognize the flavor of truth for what it is, we can see philosophy’s ability to form & phrase an indisputable argument in those landmark moments when a supreme court must pause to imbue the masses w/ the freedoms they've always deserved. This is the place where philosophy wins the day every, single time. Philosophy teaches us that:

"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth".

(Marcus Aurelius)

With this line of thinking, what continues to confound me is the argument behind the idea that there can be no God. In truth, I can readily accept this as a firm possibility, yet to accuse religion, then becomes infantile, especially on the basis that one’s argument is academic in any way. This accusatory posture is finger pointing at its worst. Follow me here. If there is no God, then there can be “no religion”. To accept that there is, or ever has been a thing called “religion”, we must pre-suppose the existence of a God that these "religions" were then designed worship. To suggest anything less is argumentative & begins a circular discussion. What we’re, therefore left with, is that if said God does not & never has existed; than the worship of these perceived deities is the manufactured practice of men. Now, this noted, the ultimate incorporation of these practices was also the action of men, who then obviously recognized a monetary benefit.  Men exploiting men, this crime is as old as humanity, & individuals should be held accountable; not perceived institutions. To blame an imagined bogeyman is to remove guilt from those that deserve prosecution.

Now who can, or would, fault an individual for his or her desire to "give thanks" to the land & the rains for the bounty of a crop; from a plot of earth that has been less then forthcoming for years? An individual's behavior; as the result of personal experience, will always be suspect to those that would pass judgment. There are always those that choose to look w/ a slanted eye, at his fellow man. These will always see difference first, and find roadblocks to the very inclusiveness that grows by leaps & bounds; among men & women alike, today. 

For those of us that remember the Jim Jones, the Joseph Di Mambros & Marshall Applewhites; we also readily understand the difference between The Salvation Army & Scientology. We are the same that can recognize good works for what they are and be appreciative of the goodness in willing hearts. We also recognize controlling, manipulative brainwashing for what it is. From the alcoholic, addictive household to the Church of The Solar Temple, a manipulative personality, meets a submissive one ...

The Baptist Church at the end of the road & its individual membership will put Christmas under the tree of as many family’s as they can help next year. They will never ask me to “believe” anything, as a matter of fact, most of the community will never know who provided the help. Now the Jehovah’s Witnesses that knock on your door each Saturday won’t be doing any charity work. As a matter of fact, they prefer to remain "distant" from public view. Be assured though, they will most certainly expect you to buy into a very specific belief “system” that will eventually distance you from family & friends. One doesn't have to be a scientist to see obvious differences, but one surely can choose to be petty and argue them ad infinitum …

I offer these ideas today because I grew up on the Madeline Murray O'Hare's, the Christopher Hitchens, and the Richard Dawkins of the world. I remember, my horrified sister, in tears, calling my mother at work, after hearing O'Hare and her broken record, rant on Phil Donahue. They espouse great ideas. & Yes, we shouldn't have to pray a Christian prayer in school because our Government deems it a good & wholesome practice. We should have the freedom to learn, & then decide these things for ourselves; yet that’s their end game, to be married to that singular idea & it dead ends there. To be sure, these ideas gained them each a pulpit to preach from, (shameless reference) but that’s all it did, gave them a platform. Murray O’Hare ended up dismembered in a shallow grave, in a farmers woodlot, & is now survived by her Baptist Minister, son. Please, sing about that irony Ms. Morissette. My point is how will history remember these people? Iconoclasts tear down accepted religious symbols or, by extension, established dogma or conventions. These people have instead promoted accepted ideas, old arguments & tragically; passed out more "Silk Screened & Firmly Labelled T-shirts". The “Atheist” from the ‘70’s becomes the “Anti-theist” of today. The “Agnostic”, becomes the “Agnostic-theist”.

When asked: “what do you believe in”? Personally, I see far more value in responding with: “you, I believe in you”. When, that most difficult of days comes, & my children, my wife are asked: “what did he believe in”? I can assure you that they will respond: “me, he believed in me”.

We must never accept a label, because, phonetically, in that moment, it seems to suit the occasion. We must endure beyond that moment. We must query further. If we have questions, we must ask them, yet we cannot accept the most comfortable answer. To claim one is aligned to one form of thinking or, another is to submit to an accepted dogma. It feels to me like we are at a turning point in history and our most valuable resources are those young people and their passionate, inquisitive minds. With all of the access to information they enjoy today, we must never spare feelings while seeking truth. It is my sincerest hope that parents will fight this fight to their dying breath. Our youth must refuse to buy into the self-promoting speakers of the day. Rather than buy their books, ask them why they wouldn't offer this life changing knowledge for free, to all the masses, then wait for that answer. Ask the Oprah’s of the world why they need film crews to build houses in Africa, & when their answer, inevitably, is: "to bring attention to their plight”, call bullshit, cause we've known about it for years. Today the need is far more practical help & far less self-promotion.

Refuse to accept comfortable answers. "Theism", "Atheism" these constructs become too easy, & create more arguments then answers. These are old arguments. More of my generation, then you may be aware of, gave them up years ago. Any good philosophy student will tell you these are circular arguments that have been dumbed-down & fed to the masses to provide fodder while the rest of the world charges forward.

We are a better people today. We are far more intellectual, we are learned and wise. We have the benefit of inclusion, we have cultural savvy, & a unified front never before realized in history. Those in power should expect us. We remain Idle No More }:)

Know this: I Believe … In You !

Love; S.