Balancing Views

Ideas collide. So do ideologies. Especially ideologies. That’s because they are loaded down with emotions of fear, defensiveness, winning and losing, all the things that make us edgy about outcomes. While we are worrying about those things, while we are struggling to live lives day to day, we tend to lose sight of things that truly matter to us. Let us look at a few of those.

Franklin D. Roosevelt gave us this quote:

“The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism – ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by an other controlling private power.”

Might we be near that point today in mid-2013? Military-industrial business complex funneling vast sums of money into congress to win their approval for yet another contract or defense system. All in the name of jobs and economic development? Of whose region? No, it is about defending our nation from external attack. Is it? How much is enough. How much is good and sufficient?

What about ideologues who claim to be protectors of the ‘faith’ or nation or history of our forefathers, only to learn that they are dealing below the surface for influence and power so their business interests are kept whole?

Helen Thomas, recently deceased journalist, stated:

“If we care about the children, the grandchildren, future generations, we need to make sure that they not become the cannon fodder of the future.”

With defense systems, shouldn't we use them? Prove they are needed? Start banging swords and shields in place of diplomacy so that wars can happen, like they said they would from time to time? Why not re-capture the goal of peace? Without the fighting. With smarts and human inter-connectivity? Like moms and dads protecting their kids from harm? How about refocusing on that for a change?

Robert Swan reminds us,

            “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”

Whether through war and its horrors or through neglect and misuse of the planet, we can damage our ecology beyond the point of no return if we proceed blindly. If there is a conscience about this, let it be me or you to remember and work together to halt the senseless waste of beauty and self sustainability.

Richard Bach challenges us:

“I do not exist to impress the world. I exist to live my life in a way that will make me happy.”

Too much of that, however, destroys happiness for others. It cannot be all about me. Or if it is, we must recognized that you and yours are part of my happiness. If I’m to be happy then your happiness must be protected by me and others as well. We are not islands. Yes I am responsible for myself, but not at your expense.

Jocelyn Elders, former Surgeon General of the United States, provided this wisdom:

“We really need to get over this love affair with the fetus and start worrying about children.”

Sound harsh and unreasonable? It wasn't meant to be. Elders merely reminds us that quality of life of the living is very important. Especially for children. They cannot do for themselves; only we can nurture them and help them become all that they can be. Quality of life is the result of commitment to care for others and make good things happen.  If poverty, disease and crime shoulder out quality of life, then the children will suffer enormously.  The fetus is the hope of the future, yes; but so are the children who already exist. Let us commit to doing a great job with them before pressing forward to bring new life to our community. Let every child be wanted and loved.

Birth control may appear to be about fetus destruction via abortion; it is not. It is about the outcome of lives birthed to the light of the sun. How well are we doing with this task?

Harsh views. In competition with each other. Which one is better? Which one makes more sense? How well balanced can the become? How hard to we try to bring forth that balance?

August 1, 2013