My readers understand the question of motive. Often, why we act as we
do is far more important than what we actually do. It has been understood in
every age that unjust laws are made to be broken, committing a crime to
stop a larger crime from being committed is a proven tenet of law. We have historic accounts that some laws are made to be broken. I cannot disagree with any
of these because I have been brought up in a culture with far too many
laws and many have either ceased to be needed or are so willfully
disregarded that they have no power to improve or protect our quality of
life in any real sense. There are laws on the books in Madison, Wisconsin, our state
capital, that make it a crime to tie your horse up to a parking meter. Most cities require you to clean up horse "apples" that fall onto roads
or sidewalks, but for some reason the mounted police are not required to
do so. Similarly, pickpockets are not allowed to ply their trade, but
when a business imposes additional fees or raises their prices without
warning, or recourse, they are protected. Some of us are obliged to follow the rules,
while others are forgiven, or at least given another chance, for the same exact actions.
The obligation that may be required of some is waived for others and expectations frequently depend on such arbitrary factors as your skin color, family status, sexuality, size, sex and most insidiously, for me, one's economic status. These make-believe obligations created and perpetrated by human beings upon one another pale in comparison to what I wish to write about in this post. I have always understood that there are obligations that are far more important than those imposed by law or social expectation. Some claim that their "moral code" and indeed the privileges that flow from having it, place them in good stead with Creator. I have found many prohibitions and/or edicts and admonitions regarding behavior, made by holy texts, are denied or ignored willfully by the very same people who want to quote said books chapter and verse. The human mind is malleable and making a rigid system of laws only assures that some people will operate outside the law. What we do and how we go about it will always be a function of personal choice, (although there are serious scientists who claim that free will is a myth) however, we are often obliged to behave in ways that are sanctioned by laws, or at least in ways that do not run afoul of the law.
Some relatively easy ways to remember the laws that are most important requires us to get back to basics. Most people will determine the big three to be "First, do no harm.", "Always clean up your mess" and "Treat others as you would like to be treated." Medical doctors have helped to popularize the first one, yet in my country, more people die each year from iatrogenic (doctor caused) disease and illness than die in automobile accidents. If I were to walk around my property, I would find many items that constitute other folks' mess and chances are that when I go forth into the world, I will find several people who will treat me in ways that they would detest if the same were done to them. If we truly were obliged to follow even these three relatively well-established rules, conditions world wide would be improved instantly.
Are we not obliged to understand the true state of affairs before we advocate policy? here are some numbers to give perspective. Gun deaths are one factor that almost always tip me off to how out of balance our lives have become. The U.S. has about ten gun deaths per year per hundred thousand people (that is 32 thousand individuals each year) and there are 88 privately-owned guns for every hundred people. Automobiles account for another category of death frequently attributable to either people thinking that their needs outweigh those of others, or that they are invincible. Violating the universal law of driving often results in death. What is this universal law? You may ask; it is that on the roadways, we all can "win" if we are all alive at the end of the day. Life out of balance makes many far too willing to drive fast and take chances. (This number represents 35 thousand loved-ones each year) Eventually, people we love are going to lose at that lottery. In my country, nearly fifty percent more people die behind the wheel as go by gun. To put all this violent death into perspective, a quick look at doctor caused death bears special attention. Seven to eight times as many people die because of doctor mistakes as we lose to guns each year. Estimates range between 70 and 80 deaths per hundred thousand. (fully 225,000 to 250,000 needless lives lost) Some other interesting facts about our most expensive medical system on the planet: COMPARED TO 13 OTHER "DEVELOPED" NATIONS, the U.S. ranks
The quarter million or so victims of doctor caused death only rate as the third highest killer of U.S. citizens. Even though it is four times the rate of car accident and gun death combined, more die from cancer and heart disease. cancer claims about 2.5 million and heart disease claims nearly 2 million more. The stress and tension of living in the "modern world", combined with our toxic environment certainly have their costs, but if you want to pile on as a single issue person, you have every right to pick on guns and autos. Every life is sacred and for my issues, I'm focusing on ones with the biggest impacts. If you want or need assistance understanding herbal healing, finding the right natural foods for you, just give me a ring. I am available for consultation on a sliding fee scale.
It would seem that we have some obligation to teaching and learning the truth about issues that we face daily, however this is not currently the case. Trumped up charges and hearsay seem to win the day more often than not in our current system. The media certainly feels no obligation to speak truthfully or plainly about the issues they "cover". When I studied journalism, we learned the maxim: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. This went a long way to pre-editing our stories, making sure that the simple things were not overlooked. Now, it is possible to read, hear or see news that has two and sometimes three things from that list missing ,or omissions of the why portion because we are supposed to know already what to feel about the story. It gets even more terrible when you realize that some of those elements in the story are fiction. One of the great lies that are being told to gullible people now is that human-rights protesters that are rallying all around our nation are being paid to stand up for human rights. I'm not sure who benefits from the "Hands-up, Don't Shoot" rallies or the "I Can't Breathe" protests that are sweeping the nation, but this is not a follow the money issue. It is more of a follow the long trail of dead bodies leading to the local police department sort of issue. These are not Anti-police rallies, they are pro human rights rallies. Many "organizers" of these protests are being jailed, so if they were paying people to rally, a simple look into the finances of these "masterminds" would be enough to prove the allegations. However, that would take some time and actually make sense. Leveling the charge is enough to prove to the ignorant that they know enough already. Through millions of tiny assumptions we are led astray from facts that need to be considered if we are to make a path forward into a possible future.
Over fifty percent of black males (20-30 years old) in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin are serving jail time, "on paper" (serving probation or parole) or they are in prison, most for non-violent drug crimes. More on this in a minute. That means that the youth, especially black young people are living without fathers, brothers, uncles and mentors. A generation growing up with half of their male role models. What they have to base their ideas upon is the reality that they are surrounded by, I'm pretty sure that in their situation, you would not have to pay me to get me to put my life on the line for a chance to simply be heard. Now that rich white guys in suits have found ways to make tons of cash from legal pot, the competition has been taken out of the equation for them by stealing the liberty of millions of black men. The entrepreneurial folks who were relatively small-time dealers are put away for decades, but the exact same activity is now sanctioned because the ruling class has found a way to make sure that the profits flow to folks who look just like them. Wasps. (White Anglo Saxon Protestants)
My obligation is to point out these and other facts, sometimes to those who are uncomfortable hearing them. I feel obliged to tell my friends in Russia that the ongoing tensions in Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea and the shooting down of the airliner last summer are perfect examples of how the leadership of your nation flagrantly violates human rights of innocent human beings. Pussy Riot are heroes in my book, as are the Solidarity Singers who are still protesting at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Don't think that I am trying to make any other nation out to be without fault, on the contrary, our nation continues to jail blacks at disproportionate rates and the killings of ,mostly black, innocent people happen here routinely, that is why we protest. Believe me, we're not doing it for the money. I can point out that there have been waves of protests in Russia, but understanding that the police have different tools there than ours do here is an important first step to understanding some of the differences between protesters here and protesters there. Human rights violations know no political boundary, they are based on an old view that some of us are better than others and that the thugs all look, or act a certain way. The acts of detaining, charging, jailing or killing these freedom fighters, these people just trying to be heard, these sacred and innocent individuals who just want love, truth and justice to prevail; painting them with a broad brush of thugs is morally wrong and we are all obliged to stand up against these veiled threats and accusations. Give Peace a Chance is not just a catchy phrase, whose time has come and gone, it is possibly the only thing that can stop our species from self-destruction.
What is beginning to become clear to everyone is that the oligarchs have hired the best security staff on the planet and outfitted them with weaponry capable of subduing even the largest crowds. Whatever means necessary are routinely utilized to terrorize our own people, whether the final result is that the young child or fetus is going to continue to be made ill by industrial emissions, or that the young mother will continue drinking nitrates from her well, the result is the same. It is an attack on those incapable of fighting back. We routinely see human rights violations, whether they are the result of directly being killed by police or their corporate overlords who may have mistakenly felt threatened or that an extra burden needs to be placed on the rape victim who has to travel to another state for an abortion. That the child who is deemed to be "in need of drugs" by their teachers is just as much a victim of terrorism as the child waved into adult court so the powers that be can revoke any sense of obligation to rehabilitate them. One is made to be afraid of themselves, the other is made to fear others. These protests that we see around the world are pro life, pro liberty, pro human rights. Those who put us against anything are only trying to blame the victims.
If we intend to improve conditions on the ground for our fellow human beings, we must all take a stand for truth, justice and democratic principles. Not capitalistic ideas, not communistic ideas, not even socialist approaches will work if we focus on them exclusively. What we need is a good dose of humanity. We need to evidence this new awareness through action, making better decisions in the future than we have in the past. We need bold new actions in every field of human endeavor. it needs to reflect an ethic, an idea, that human rights are non-negotiable. We are obliged to understand whom it is that we serve and to withdraw our support from those who would wantonly gun us down for standing up for the rights of others to live free and unmolested, even if that means standing up and speaking out against our own inhumane leaders.
The obligation that may be required of some is waived for others and expectations frequently depend on such arbitrary factors as your skin color, family status, sexuality, size, sex and most insidiously, for me, one's economic status. These make-believe obligations created and perpetrated by human beings upon one another pale in comparison to what I wish to write about in this post. I have always understood that there are obligations that are far more important than those imposed by law or social expectation. Some claim that their "moral code" and indeed the privileges that flow from having it, place them in good stead with Creator. I have found many prohibitions and/or edicts and admonitions regarding behavior, made by holy texts, are denied or ignored willfully by the very same people who want to quote said books chapter and verse. The human mind is malleable and making a rigid system of laws only assures that some people will operate outside the law. What we do and how we go about it will always be a function of personal choice, (although there are serious scientists who claim that free will is a myth) however, we are often obliged to behave in ways that are sanctioned by laws, or at least in ways that do not run afoul of the law.
Some relatively easy ways to remember the laws that are most important requires us to get back to basics. Most people will determine the big three to be "First, do no harm.", "Always clean up your mess" and "Treat others as you would like to be treated." Medical doctors have helped to popularize the first one, yet in my country, more people die each year from iatrogenic (doctor caused) disease and illness than die in automobile accidents. If I were to walk around my property, I would find many items that constitute other folks' mess and chances are that when I go forth into the world, I will find several people who will treat me in ways that they would detest if the same were done to them. If we truly were obliged to follow even these three relatively well-established rules, conditions world wide would be improved instantly.
Are we not obliged to understand the true state of affairs before we advocate policy? here are some numbers to give perspective. Gun deaths are one factor that almost always tip me off to how out of balance our lives have become. The U.S. has about ten gun deaths per year per hundred thousand people (that is 32 thousand individuals each year) and there are 88 privately-owned guns for every hundred people. Automobiles account for another category of death frequently attributable to either people thinking that their needs outweigh those of others, or that they are invincible. Violating the universal law of driving often results in death. What is this universal law? You may ask; it is that on the roadways, we all can "win" if we are all alive at the end of the day. Life out of balance makes many far too willing to drive fast and take chances. (This number represents 35 thousand loved-ones each year) Eventually, people we love are going to lose at that lottery. In my country, nearly fifty percent more people die behind the wheel as go by gun. To put all this violent death into perspective, a quick look at doctor caused death bears special attention. Seven to eight times as many people die because of doctor mistakes as we lose to guns each year. Estimates range between 70 and 80 deaths per hundred thousand. (fully 225,000 to 250,000 needless lives lost) Some other interesting facts about our most expensive medical system on the planet: COMPARED TO 13 OTHER "DEVELOPED" NATIONS, the U.S. ranks
- 13th (last) for low-birth-weight percentages
- 13th for neonatal mortality and infant mortality overall
- 11th for postneonatal mortality
- 13th for years of potential life lost (excluding external causes)
- 11th for life expectancy at 1 year for females, 12th for males
- 10th for life expectancy at 15 years for females, 12th for males
- 10th for life expectancy at 40 years for females, 9th for males
- 7th for life expectancy at 65 years for females, 7th for males
- 3rd for life expectancy at 80 years for females, 3rd for males
- 10th for age-adjusted mortality
The quarter million or so victims of doctor caused death only rate as the third highest killer of U.S. citizens. Even though it is four times the rate of car accident and gun death combined, more die from cancer and heart disease. cancer claims about 2.5 million and heart disease claims nearly 2 million more. The stress and tension of living in the "modern world", combined with our toxic environment certainly have their costs, but if you want to pile on as a single issue person, you have every right to pick on guns and autos. Every life is sacred and for my issues, I'm focusing on ones with the biggest impacts. If you want or need assistance understanding herbal healing, finding the right natural foods for you, just give me a ring. I am available for consultation on a sliding fee scale.
It would seem that we have some obligation to teaching and learning the truth about issues that we face daily, however this is not currently the case. Trumped up charges and hearsay seem to win the day more often than not in our current system. The media certainly feels no obligation to speak truthfully or plainly about the issues they "cover". When I studied journalism, we learned the maxim: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. This went a long way to pre-editing our stories, making sure that the simple things were not overlooked. Now, it is possible to read, hear or see news that has two and sometimes three things from that list missing ,or omissions of the why portion because we are supposed to know already what to feel about the story. It gets even more terrible when you realize that some of those elements in the story are fiction. One of the great lies that are being told to gullible people now is that human-rights protesters that are rallying all around our nation are being paid to stand up for human rights. I'm not sure who benefits from the "Hands-up, Don't Shoot" rallies or the "I Can't Breathe" protests that are sweeping the nation, but this is not a follow the money issue. It is more of a follow the long trail of dead bodies leading to the local police department sort of issue. These are not Anti-police rallies, they are pro human rights rallies. Many "organizers" of these protests are being jailed, so if they were paying people to rally, a simple look into the finances of these "masterminds" would be enough to prove the allegations. However, that would take some time and actually make sense. Leveling the charge is enough to prove to the ignorant that they know enough already. Through millions of tiny assumptions we are led astray from facts that need to be considered if we are to make a path forward into a possible future.
Over fifty percent of black males (20-30 years old) in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin are serving jail time, "on paper" (serving probation or parole) or they are in prison, most for non-violent drug crimes. More on this in a minute. That means that the youth, especially black young people are living without fathers, brothers, uncles and mentors. A generation growing up with half of their male role models. What they have to base their ideas upon is the reality that they are surrounded by, I'm pretty sure that in their situation, you would not have to pay me to get me to put my life on the line for a chance to simply be heard. Now that rich white guys in suits have found ways to make tons of cash from legal pot, the competition has been taken out of the equation for them by stealing the liberty of millions of black men. The entrepreneurial folks who were relatively small-time dealers are put away for decades, but the exact same activity is now sanctioned because the ruling class has found a way to make sure that the profits flow to folks who look just like them. Wasps. (White Anglo Saxon Protestants)
My obligation is to point out these and other facts, sometimes to those who are uncomfortable hearing them. I feel obliged to tell my friends in Russia that the ongoing tensions in Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea and the shooting down of the airliner last summer are perfect examples of how the leadership of your nation flagrantly violates human rights of innocent human beings. Pussy Riot are heroes in my book, as are the Solidarity Singers who are still protesting at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Don't think that I am trying to make any other nation out to be without fault, on the contrary, our nation continues to jail blacks at disproportionate rates and the killings of ,mostly black, innocent people happen here routinely, that is why we protest. Believe me, we're not doing it for the money. I can point out that there have been waves of protests in Russia, but understanding that the police have different tools there than ours do here is an important first step to understanding some of the differences between protesters here and protesters there. Human rights violations know no political boundary, they are based on an old view that some of us are better than others and that the thugs all look, or act a certain way. The acts of detaining, charging, jailing or killing these freedom fighters, these people just trying to be heard, these sacred and innocent individuals who just want love, truth and justice to prevail; painting them with a broad brush of thugs is morally wrong and we are all obliged to stand up against these veiled threats and accusations. Give Peace a Chance is not just a catchy phrase, whose time has come and gone, it is possibly the only thing that can stop our species from self-destruction.
What is beginning to become clear to everyone is that the oligarchs have hired the best security staff on the planet and outfitted them with weaponry capable of subduing even the largest crowds. Whatever means necessary are routinely utilized to terrorize our own people, whether the final result is that the young child or fetus is going to continue to be made ill by industrial emissions, or that the young mother will continue drinking nitrates from her well, the result is the same. It is an attack on those incapable of fighting back. We routinely see human rights violations, whether they are the result of directly being killed by police or their corporate overlords who may have mistakenly felt threatened or that an extra burden needs to be placed on the rape victim who has to travel to another state for an abortion. That the child who is deemed to be "in need of drugs" by their teachers is just as much a victim of terrorism as the child waved into adult court so the powers that be can revoke any sense of obligation to rehabilitate them. One is made to be afraid of themselves, the other is made to fear others. These protests that we see around the world are pro life, pro liberty, pro human rights. Those who put us against anything are only trying to blame the victims.
If we intend to improve conditions on the ground for our fellow human beings, we must all take a stand for truth, justice and democratic principles. Not capitalistic ideas, not communistic ideas, not even socialist approaches will work if we focus on them exclusively. What we need is a good dose of humanity. We need to evidence this new awareness through action, making better decisions in the future than we have in the past. We need bold new actions in every field of human endeavor. it needs to reflect an ethic, an idea, that human rights are non-negotiable. We are obliged to understand whom it is that we serve and to withdraw our support from those who would wantonly gun us down for standing up for the rights of others to live free and unmolested, even if that means standing up and speaking out against our own inhumane leaders.
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