Passion and society/culture
Passion and society/culture
Throughout time fads and cycles in society/culture have changed, and depending on where you live and the power structure, things will be different from place to place. I live in the US, so the things I talk about will stem from what is happening here, because it is what I know about most. That being said, I also live in the “deep south” region of the US. However, I am not your average “southerner”.
Let me explain the “deep south”, as much as it pains me. To be kind, I will approach this in aspects of extremism. Think of the “deep south”, as a melting pot of extreme fundamentalism on all levels- religion, prejudice, breed, and intelligence. That with a sprinkling of everything else, or so an outsider would think. Even if you live here and know the people, sometimes you would swear that was true. All the extremists would swear that’s the way it is. However, there are all of us, “sprinkles”, that no one knows about. We are in hiding from the hateful extremists. I would bet that if a honest, truthful survey of the area was done- it would be 3/4s not the norm extremists. That’s right people- the pagans, homosexual, bisexual, hippie, and liberals are here. Extremist push hate and fear, swearing that they are they majority (be afraid or the rednecks will beat your ass or burn you out). That’s why we hide. (Silent majority)
In the US, hate and fear are embedded in us everyday through cultural norms, media, and religious extremism. And we are becoming desensitized to more and more everyday. If you can read the news and are unaffected by it – this proves my point.
Now, on with the point of the blog. Depending on how and where you grew up and where you are now – what you are passionate about will be different.
For me, I am very passionate about:
Religious freedom. As a pagan, I feel strongly about having the right to be who I am and practice my faith without judgment.
Equal rights for all. (All men and woman are equal, regardless of religion or pedigree.)
Justice, resolving injustice, ending corruption. There is to much injustice in the world.
When money became valued over a human being- our life and society became corrupt.
If I see a man getting tried for something and there is no proof to back it up- I know something fishy is afoot. If I see a child/teenager/adult (of someone in a position of power) being a shit of a human being, and getting away with it on a daily basis- then they are involved in the court system, and it is someone else’s fault – I know there is something fishy afoot. We have to put a stop to corruption.
Compassion. Compassion is needed in this world. Without compassion we are robots. All beings and energy forms deserve compassion. People, animals, plants, waterways, land, our Earth- All have a divine connection that must be honored.
The right to eat and drink clean food and water or whatever I want. I don’t believe all the added chemicals and hormones in our food is necessary or good for us, but an attempt to keep the medical and pharma business rolling. But we all make our choices everyday. And If I choose to eat a piece of meat or cheese or a glass of milk once a week, that is my choice to make.
General Niceness. Regardless of what each of us believes, we have to keep a sense of niceness when dealing with each other. If we do that, we often learn from each other.
Now, recently there was a bit of a stink about people passionate about animal rights. They are no different than people passionate about people’s rights or civil rights or medical rights- it’s just there passion.
That being said, I welcome all my new friends (with the passion for speaking up for the animals when no one else will) with open arms.
I ask that my political blogging friends show the compassion we like to see. I ask the vegetarians and vegans and the meat eaters to all play nice on my blogs.
With much love and respect- many blessings 😀
Thank you! I really like this blog. Together with a friend, 1 have had to fight my way past the rednecks (am I allowed to say that? smack me!) on this site. You explain how that would seem to be necessary – the silent majority making more noise than the minority can stand. But as more people join we think that will settle down.
Tracy & I, who found ourselves in the midst of this storm are both English, and some of the problems might have been due to our not being used to the brashness of some of the Americans.
I agree with you that compassion is needed in this world, to all earthlings. Although I campaign for animal rights I also stand for human rights, and do not draw a line between them. They are inextricably bound together. So often abuse of other people starts with animal cruelty.
I have to say that I don’t expect everyone to accept everything I say with open arms. Animal rights is a touchy subject among meat eaters who are protected from knowledge of the reality of how their food is produced. And we do touch raw nerves when we try to open their eyes to these terrible facts.
I will certainly play nice on your blogs, and promise to try to do so on others too.
Much love & respect to you my pagan friend, many blessings!
Good sentiments.
8)
move out here to Cali. We are known as a “liberal” state but there are just as many rednecks out here. they are more the “silent minority”. They keep quite about gay rights etc, but when it is time to vote on it, they come out of the closet. 9/11 really brought out the rednecks because they took advantage of the right to say, “we told you so. People who aren’t white and Christian are terrorists.” I think prejudice exists wherever you go. It’s in our instinct to think tribally and fight the “outsiders.” We are lucky to live in a country where people who are different can live side by side but it still doesn’t hide the fact that most people still let their ignorance overpower the very important passions you listed above. I think most good people think like you. Unfortunately, the rest live in fear, a very sad place to be.
I love this! I really can think of nothing to add.
Kudos!!!
Living in the south is very hard indeed. It doesn’t take much to get singled out or targeted by fundamentalists and local good-ole-boy clans.
I often think of it as living on the front lines of the socio-political battlefield. The ACLU practically lives down here in Mississippi. Sometimes I think they’re the only thing keeping witch hunts and lynchings from becoming publicly endorsed events again. Yet we still have some pretty gruesome prejudice motivated murders from time to time.
Contrary to popular belief, Mississippi hasn’t quit burning yet. 🙁
Where the heck in the south do you people live? It is not hard to live in the south. Extremist live everywhere. It is not a southern thing. Jerks, bigots and bullies and all the bad that goes along with them are a world wide problem. Maybe you all are hanging out with the wrong rednecks.
Ah justice. Great thing about justice in this country. Each of us is entitled to as much justice as we can afford. If you can’t afford any justice a Sentencing Facilitator (public defender) will be appointed to you…
I buck y’all’s trend and call it ‘the southeast’.
People see racism as the disease – I don’t see it that way; I see it as a symptom. Add all the other groups people have hysterias against as symptoms.
If true, what is the disease?
😉 Your list is a great list. It is difficult to understand why everyone would not want those same things.