Well, contrary to what some committed environmentalists would say, my answer is no. I do not believe that it is possible for inanimate objects to be evil. So, this begs the question…are the people who create them (the company) and/or the people who create the market for Hummers (drivers) evil?
Although evil does exist in the world, I do believe in the inherent good of the vast majority of the earth’s people. So, it is decidedly unfair and unloving to arbitrarily classify a group of people to be evil or even lesser based on their choice of transportation. And, if we classified Hummer drivers to be evil, logic would require us to classify other low-mileage and unnecessary vehicles to be evil. There are a lot of people I truly love, respect and enjoy who drive low mileage luxury vehicles. I do not have the stomach for this type of classification and those living in glass houses should not throw stones (I am far from perfect in the manner in which I use energy and other resources).
So the question introspective people might ask themselves is not whether driving these types of vehicles is good or evil, but is it fair? Is it fair to earth’s current inhabitants? Is it fair to unborn generations?
Regardless of your position on global warming or other environmental issues, oil and consumption/allocation of natural resources is a national security issue. It is a global security issue. Maybe you don’t believe Al Gore and his “Inconvenient Truth,” there are certainly compelling arguments both for and against his positions and facts. However, America is currently and for millennia mankind has warred over access to and control of natural resources. Our current battle of choice is oil; very soon it will be water.
So, the question is…even though my neighbor is a really great guy, does he have the right to contribute to prolonged warfare and battling over the globe’s limited resources? Do I have the right to do the same to my neighbor?
Even though I drive a high-mileage vehicle, does my neighbor have the right to be disappointed in the fact that I forget to turn off extra lights or make other decisions that do not make great use of our shared resources? I contend that he does have a right to be upset by this. And, he does have a right to say something to me. He certainly has the right to participate in movements that have the purpose of pressuring me to do the right thing (peer pressure can be a positive thing).
Our decisions as individuals combine to form national decisions. What we think and how we behave as individuals combines and will determine the world we hand to our children.
At some point, could fashion, status and caring for each other and future generations combine? Could it be one and the same? I have enough faith in the inherent goodness of humanity that some day, yes, I believe it could be.
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Social Media Is Changing the World
This is an absolutely incredible moment in history. Unlike many of the political discussions on Facebook and other social media forums, discussions regarding the Iranian protests are important and are having/will have an impact. While much of the political discussion on Facebook and other sites can become hateful and disrespectful quickly ultimately accomplishing nothing, this issue is quite different.
The Iranian people, knowing that their government would restrict or prohibit international journalists from covering their protests are telling us their story themselves. Tweets on Twitter, blogs, Facebook posts, YouTube videos and other social media entries are sharing a story with the world that the Iranian government has been working actively and violently to repress.
For decades the Iranian government and other extremists governments have used anti-American politics and policies as a very powerful political tool. Think about it...if you did not did not know anything about America or Americans and your government kept telling you how awful and evil Americans are, there is a good shot you would buy into the message. Our government has also given Middle Eastern extremists ample material for their stories of hate and violence. Then we had an American President who for eight years used very strong and divisive language . This posturing strongly supported the anti-American messaging of the extremist Middle Eastern leaders.
The absolutely incredible part of the Iranian Protests tragedy is that there is now a global understanding that people (common people) of the world can talk to each other. Individuals talking to each other and better understanding each other can change the world tiny bits at a time. Masses of common people crying out to other masses of common people for help and support can change the world very quickly.
It is fun to think about an idealistic, yet realistic vision of this power. Let's say, hypothetically, that the German government implemented a policy that caused a negative situation for American citizens. American and German citizens could communicate, exchange their respective views on the situation. German citizens, if so moved, based on their new understanding of the position of American citizens (not the formal position of the U.S. government) could pressure their own government to reverse the policy.
I believe in my heart that 99.9% of people around the world want to live in peace, raise their families, educate their children, provide for their families, etc. It is the one tenth of one percent of very powerful people in the world (government leaders and in some cases very powerful business people) who often do tremendous harm or in some cases tremendous good.
When people, everyday people, can take power back by simply talking to each other, global leaders will be forced to fall in line and govern in ways that has the interests of their people more in mind. This holds true in Iran and it holds true in America.
My heart goes out to the Iranian people and I am praying for them. The good that is coming from this is that the Iranian people have truly changed the world.
We are in a unique point in history in that doing what does not seem like much...sending messages on discussion boards, finding ways to get your well wishes to someone in Tehran, participating in peaceful vigils will go a long way to helping to destabilize an extremist government.
Iranian people seeing American citizens standing beside them means that the anti-American politics will no longer work in Iran and in other extremist Muslim governments. Keeping their citizens fearful of American aggression was a key political tool for these governments and our current President and us as individual Americans are talking that away.
Despite the rhetoric of some who seem to believe that acknowledging a larger world makes us less American, we ALL are global citizens. We all live on one planet and are bound together by nature and the health of our planet. We are also all tied together by economic markets and the cross-pollination of our cultures.
Yes, we as Americans are one people and I am proud to be an American. However, the most patriotic thing we can do as Americans, in my opinion, is to do what little we can when given the opportunity to try to advance peace in our time and for future generations.
So....participate in a local vigil. I think most of us, regardless of our specific political views, can agree that people should have the rights of freedom of speech and peaceful protest. From my understanding vigils are being organized around the world this Friday and have been going on for the last week or so. The Iranian people need to see pictures of millions of Americans and other global citizens standing with them.
Photos of these events will make there way to Tehran via facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.
The Iranian people, knowing that their government would restrict or prohibit international journalists from covering their protests are telling us their story themselves. Tweets on Twitter, blogs, Facebook posts, YouTube videos and other social media entries are sharing a story with the world that the Iranian government has been working actively and violently to repress.
For decades the Iranian government and other extremists governments have used anti-American politics and policies as a very powerful political tool. Think about it...if you did not did not know anything about America or Americans and your government kept telling you how awful and evil Americans are, there is a good shot you would buy into the message. Our government has also given Middle Eastern extremists ample material for their stories of hate and violence. Then we had an American President who for eight years used very strong and divisive language . This posturing strongly supported the anti-American messaging of the extremist Middle Eastern leaders.
The absolutely incredible part of the Iranian Protests tragedy is that there is now a global understanding that people (common people) of the world can talk to each other. Individuals talking to each other and better understanding each other can change the world tiny bits at a time. Masses of common people crying out to other masses of common people for help and support can change the world very quickly.
It is fun to think about an idealistic, yet realistic vision of this power. Let's say, hypothetically, that the German government implemented a policy that caused a negative situation for American citizens. American and German citizens could communicate, exchange their respective views on the situation. German citizens, if so moved, based on their new understanding of the position of American citizens (not the formal position of the U.S. government) could pressure their own government to reverse the policy.
I believe in my heart that 99.9% of people around the world want to live in peace, raise their families, educate their children, provide for their families, etc. It is the one tenth of one percent of very powerful people in the world (government leaders and in some cases very powerful business people) who often do tremendous harm or in some cases tremendous good.
When people, everyday people, can take power back by simply talking to each other, global leaders will be forced to fall in line and govern in ways that has the interests of their people more in mind. This holds true in Iran and it holds true in America.
My heart goes out to the Iranian people and I am praying for them. The good that is coming from this is that the Iranian people have truly changed the world.
We are in a unique point in history in that doing what does not seem like much...sending messages on discussion boards, finding ways to get your well wishes to someone in Tehran, participating in peaceful vigils will go a long way to helping to destabilize an extremist government.
Iranian people seeing American citizens standing beside them means that the anti-American politics will no longer work in Iran and in other extremist Muslim governments. Keeping their citizens fearful of American aggression was a key political tool for these governments and our current President and us as individual Americans are talking that away.
Despite the rhetoric of some who seem to believe that acknowledging a larger world makes us less American, we ALL are global citizens. We all live on one planet and are bound together by nature and the health of our planet. We are also all tied together by economic markets and the cross-pollination of our cultures.
Yes, we as Americans are one people and I am proud to be an American. However, the most patriotic thing we can do as Americans, in my opinion, is to do what little we can when given the opportunity to try to advance peace in our time and for future generations.
So....participate in a local vigil. I think most of us, regardless of our specific political views, can agree that people should have the rights of freedom of speech and peaceful protest. From my understanding vigils are being organized around the world this Friday and have been going on for the last week or so. The Iranian people need to see pictures of millions of Americans and other global citizens standing with them.
Photos of these events will make there way to Tehran via facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
