August 16, 2011

Remedies

One of our political activists is such a bully that my wishful thinking leads to thoughts of ways to marginalize his attacks. I’m not thinking anything too serious, but laryngitis, job transfer or a doctor imposed quarantine might all offer a reprieve. Lately this particular activist has uncharacteristically missed some local meetings, so a few of us were asking one another, “So where’s Waldo?” Would you believe it…God, with His sense of humor, sent him on a three week vacation.

1 comment:

Steve Corey said...

Gail;

-----Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.” Many people presume, “I think, therefore it is,” mistaking their thinking and perceptions for actual reality. In fact, few people consider the differences between personal knowledge and actual reality. Highly complex systems like society and the economy are usually far different than most people think. Each of us can bring a piece of personal knowledge about ourselves to these processes, but none of us can bring knowledge of all the generalities and particulars of the whole thing itself. So how is it we can be sure we have the fixes for complicated issues? Sometimes a political activist has a real fix for a problem and can show you the evidence for it. But more often there is little evidence that a political activist’s thinking has much bearing at all upon any reality, therefore they can only resort to bullying.
-----Bullying itself is an important evidence. People who are genuinely concerned for the other folks of the community and for all the processes which make their lives work care because they value other folks actually being happy and ok. It doesn’t take much thinking to realize that different people are happy with different things and are best ok when they can run their own lives the ways they know how. People who truly desire others to be happy and ok by their own volition truly love others. Even if an activist’s point of view is correct, bullying is not an act of love. It is an act of seizing and possessing, conquering and controlling. It is an evidence of pure self-interest, if not ideologically, then at least strategically. “’Knowledge’ puffs up, but love builds up. If any one imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him.” (I Cor 8:1b-3)


Love you all,
Steve Corey