Since last Wednesday there has been an eruption of Muslim-Hindu violence in India that has claimed at least 500 lives so far and continues to escalate out of control. I just want to say to Anu and his family, who must still have many friends and family there, and to our other valued friends from India who have frequented this board, that I certainly hope no one they know has been directly affected by this awful carnage. And that my heart goes out to all those people in India who are suffering loss through this horrible tragedy. Hopefully, a resolution to the violence will soon be reached. And I apologize to Anu for having overlooked this situation amidst all the other sad distractions in the world which so greedily gnaw at our attention these days...and may the light of resolution soon be seen wherever the mask of death and hatred has been raised.
Gujarat, birthplace of Mohandas K. Gandhi.
The situation is very worrying and causes much concern for friends in India and for the people of all faiths.
One can only hope and pray for an end to the violence.
I believe that horrible violence anywhere touches us all, even if our attention is distracted, in the chaos theory sort of way. But I am ever hopeful that peace can be spread the same way, because we all deserve it.
>I have selfish concerns about the violence on the subcontinent as well.
So do I. My concerns started in the common holy lands and have become ever broader as the spiral of hate and inhumanity that has begun to suck the life out of understanding and compromise.
An 'eye for an eye' chants the business man in on the streets of Jerusalem, 'retaliation at all costs' cries the homeless militant in reply. And thus, hate feeds hate; death amounts to more death; the bodies pile up.
You can't fight fire with fire and you can't fight terror with war - because war is terror. We all know this, but most disregard it. It's the school boy's 'He started it' syndrome. Except this time it's our world, these boys are not playing with not their lunch break.
Those who have the power, be it the Indian police, the Israeli government, or the British and American governments - all condone this violence by their country against others, or within their own territories. The U.S. and U.K. politicians will even try to convince us that we, citizens of the country, and/or the world at large, that we are serviced by these acts of passive (selling of weapons) and active aggression and should support them their efforts. Not me. They are all too happy to watch the strong oppress the weak. Happily watch as mines, bombs, and guns are funnelled to places where they can abuse and ruin life. And this is just the start. Now the military machines are gearing up for an offensive on, well, on what? On evil? No, life's not black and white - as much as simpletons would like to have you believe. So a war on what then, on a shadowy figure of terror, only to leave in their wake another third world country devastated twice-over and rid of one tyrant to be replaced by another – how gratifying.
Be sure of this: the more that is attacked the more enemies will arise, and that is clearly the very goal of many in power. The U.S. government and those that stand beside are recruiting enemies all across the globe for a great showdown.
And why not, the world had a comparatively quiet fifty years or so. Things have been forgotten - so let's all take the plunge. WWIII is slowing rounding the corner and seemingly, most want it. After reading about the barbaric ways in which the violence in the subcontinent has been unfolding, this as the ultimate outcome seems rational. If ordinary humans can be so horribly ruthless in their violence without weapons, imagine what the outcome of years of astounding research into imaginative weapons and brainwashing soldiers will amount to.
Thank you. As usual, you speak the b'youthiful truth. It is, indeed, the lack of understanding and uncompromising opinions masked by an arrogance which seeks to impose its own sense of society... one that truly believes in its own version of survival of the fittest. The meek shall still inherit the earth, only, it may be a different species of humanoid after this.
I pray for our sweet Avy.
The meek shall still inherit the earth,
I pray for our sweet Avy.Avy was driven away on Sept. 23, and hasn't been heard from since.
For the circumstances, see
http://wordsmith.org/board/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=announcements&Number=41339
Well spoken/written BYouth ... amazingly there are many in the world who feel as you do, myself included. Sadly, the many who disagree do not have the "power" of those who think an attack on an ill-defined target (terrorism) is worthwhile.
I don't even know that contacting politicians is useful. When this "attack on terrorism" started, I wrote and begged the Australian Government to at least pause before committing troops, and consider the current Israel/Palestine crisis as an example of what WILL happen. It took them 4 months to reply, and the answer was the most organised bunch of propaganda and pat answers I've seen in a long time. I was extremely disappointed...
How can anyone make a difference in something like this (and this IS a serious question)?
Hev
In my view, W'ON set the right tone by simply noting, "My heart goes out to all those people in India who are suffering loss through this horrible tragedy."
Do we think it wise to instead get into a discussion of geopolitics?
> Do we think it wise to instead get into a discussion of geopolitics?
I don't think that is anyone's itention. It has been pointed out that this religious hate which has smoldered in India for so long has not sparked up again in a 'geopolitical' void. People know instantly what is happening to their family on the other side of the world nowadays and they are disturbed. The troubles which have arisen in India have much to do with the proposed building of a temple on the sight of a former mosque (sounds familiar). But to pin it solely to this cause is naive, to disregard cause and effect and the pass-the-parcel of hate, but most importantly to ignore each and every person's role in all of this is to make yourself powerless.
I don't know the people who have paid so terribly for violence someone else incurred, but they are nonetheless my brothers and sisters. I don't subscribe to any dogma, but I believe.
The innocence and freedom of youth is being poisoned by petty adults wrangling as to whose god a certain hill belongs to, while children intrinsically understand how we all stem from a common seed.
> Do we think it wise to instead get into a discussion of geopolitics?
>> I don't think that is anyone's itention.
OK. Unintended references to "Indian police, the Israeli government, or the British and American governments the U.S. and U.K. politicians" can then be mentally whited out, and we can revert to the tone W'ON set.
Avy was driven away on Sept. 23, and hasn't been heard from since.
For the circumstances, see... We certainly don't need a board history lesson, especially the way you're "re-writing" history (figuratively, of course).
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...and we can revert to the tone W'ON set.
Fine with me, as long as we don't continue with *your tone.
musick, rest assured that I did (per your prior good advice) check the board history, where Avy was told, "seriously Avy, you were really rude the these two guys and for no reason at all". That day was the last we heard from Avy.
So Max, you have no specific facts to point to, so you resort to vitriol -- and not very good vitriol at that?
I have noted the link, where the facts are quite clear. Ranting does not change them. You are capable of a higher level of dialogue.
Max, thanks for the update! It's good to know she's OK.
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...Avy was driven away...
...where the facts are quite clear...
I recant! The "literal rewritting of history" is the *accurate description.
(Nothing you might possibly quote will convince me of your interpretation of the above reality, so, Keiva, don't bother)