"They Knew"
Today's headlines include titles such as: "Bush: Congress knew about spy plan" and "Europe's Governments knew of CIA torture flights." The implicite message is: since these other people "knew" about these activities, yet said nothing and did nothing to prevent them even though they had the power to, then they approved of them. It is also possible however that they didn't approve of the activities, and still did nothing about it.
It is strange how change slowly slips by us until one day we wonder how some atrocity ever could have occured. We let some tiny word pass by or we think as long as we know the difference or don't cross a certain line, some practice is okay. Then others allow the same things, but they don't know the lines that were drawn, or the original intent of a word. They interpret from their own view, then make other allowances. The cycle goes on until the end result of a tiny pebble on the road becomes a great and deadly tower blocking the way. We look at it and say how did THAT get there? It started with a pebble, then a stone, then a rock... People step around these things and walk by them as long as they can. There is a tower in the road? What tower? Hey! Cool tower! I think I'll carve a face on it, maybe add some more rocks, maybe ornaments too. Ugh! What a road block, I guess I'll turn around and go back. There are many responses to the thing humanity constructs. There are many excuses, justifications, denials. Yet the tower remains. Its presence persists. Eventually, humans become enslaved by their own creation living life around the tower, for the tower, and in fear of the tower.
Of course there are people who know what is going on. Some of them might even have been able to do something about it. But the fact remains that something is in the road. Looking at it and finger pointing isn't going to make it go away. So, what can we do? I guess that might depend on how much you know, and how much power you have. But, just as these things often start as a pebble dropped in the road, so can their end begin with a pebble thrown away.
It is strange how change slowly slips by us until one day we wonder how some atrocity ever could have occured. We let some tiny word pass by or we think as long as we know the difference or don't cross a certain line, some practice is okay. Then others allow the same things, but they don't know the lines that were drawn, or the original intent of a word. They interpret from their own view, then make other allowances. The cycle goes on until the end result of a tiny pebble on the road becomes a great and deadly tower blocking the way. We look at it and say how did THAT get there? It started with a pebble, then a stone, then a rock... People step around these things and walk by them as long as they can. There is a tower in the road? What tower? Hey! Cool tower! I think I'll carve a face on it, maybe add some more rocks, maybe ornaments too. Ugh! What a road block, I guess I'll turn around and go back. There are many responses to the thing humanity constructs. There are many excuses, justifications, denials. Yet the tower remains. Its presence persists. Eventually, humans become enslaved by their own creation living life around the tower, for the tower, and in fear of the tower.
Of course there are people who know what is going on. Some of them might even have been able to do something about it. But the fact remains that something is in the road. Looking at it and finger pointing isn't going to make it go away. So, what can we do? I guess that might depend on how much you know, and how much power you have. But, just as these things often start as a pebble dropped in the road, so can their end begin with a pebble thrown away.
posted by fencekicker | 5:11 PM
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