Subject pique your curiosity? I have a major issue with Americans today. Probably since the early '50's we have had this strong desire to have everything we want and to have it now. We are the ultimate "instant gratification" society. This has been the main driving force in our downfall as a unified nation in my view. Our natural rainforests are decimated, our landfills are overflowing, our divorce rate is soaring, and still we want more. I suggest a retraining.
Christians are taught to have patience, but I am not sure how the other faiths approach this subject. I think the people of faith need to band together, Judiasm, Christianity, Muslim, Wicca, Hindu, and others. We need to come up with a game plan to retrain Americans to have patience, contentment, acceptance, and joy. We need to show them, by our words and actions that we don't need the disposables. We don't need anything but food, shelter and love. I am not saying that we should give everything up, just reduce what we consume, reduce what we strive to line our homes and pockets with, set the example.
We no longer need a disposable, do what feels good whenever you feel like it, drop th spouse when somehting more attractive comes along society. We need a society which loves each others differences, loves each others strengths, and just plain loves each other. What do you say? Interested? Offer some suggestions on how you can retrain people in your neighborhood.
Christians are taught to have patience, but I am not sure how the other faiths approach this subject. I think the people of faith need to band together, Judiasm, Christianity, Muslim, Wicca, Hindu, and others. We need to come up with a game plan to retrain Americans to have patience, contentment, acceptance, and joy. We need to show them, by our words and actions that we don't need the disposables. We don't need anything but food, shelter and love. I am not saying that we should give everything up, just reduce what we consume, reduce what we strive to line our homes and pockets with, set the example.
We no longer need a disposable, do what feels good whenever you feel like it, drop th spouse when somehting more attractive comes along society. We need a society which loves each others differences, loves each others strengths, and just plain loves each other. What do you say? Interested? Offer some suggestions on how you can retrain people in your neighborhood.
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Texas
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Re: Retraining America
Thu, June 28, 2007 - 2:37 PMWow, I can't believe not one person was interested in this. I guess that says more about America than I ever could.
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Re: Retraining America
Sat, July 7, 2007 - 8:03 AMHi Wendy. I have not been on Tribe for quite a while. Must admit, the subject did "pique" my curiosity!
I do think think this was a good post because there's so many truths in it. For me, most of it or even all of it points to the so called "American Dream." Everyone from almost all over the world wanted to go to America in pursuit of the "American Dream." Mexicans and many South American nationals are still doing it today. Also, the vision to create a beautiful mixed society has been perverted so much that races/religions almost hate each other.
You are right. America (and most of the world) needs to be retrained to accept, tolerate and respect each others differences. We should learn that difference can be such a wonderful and awesome thing, and most times has really beautiful qualities we can adopt into our own lifes. Being Christian I own a Bible like most do. I also own a copy of the Quran which was given to me by a christian man when I was 17. I hold strong Christian beliefs but I have lost nothing by opening the Quran and trying to understand their faith. No one says we should accept, but atleast try to understand how different others are. When you understand, you will realize its not so different from who you are. And when you speak to him/her you will realize, they hold the same goals, ambitions, visions you have for yourselves and your own (family, friends, loved ones). I believe this could make America a strong proud nation at home again. This is how America will also restore its name in the global arena again, because like they say... .... ...it starts at home.
As an African and media person i have seen the difference between life in some of the worst parts of Africa and Asia and East Europe...and then life in America. Most Americans do live good lives, yet still constantly complain. A survey showed more than half of America don't know where exactly Iraq is, but this is a country America invaded. Another one I saw recently said that Americans spend more on perfume than America spends on aid. The same amount was more than some countries GDP!
So yes, I agree with you, most of America should readopt the "old" values that seemed to have fallen away in its society. Family values, community and simply just respecting the next person regardless of his/her difference. And you are right, it should start at home. I said to a friend once...he is American..."I find it wierd that such a rich powerful country still have "projects."" Katrina is still a shock to me. Not that it happened, but how your government took its time to respond. America should really care more for its people. Americans should really care more for each other. Races and faiths should unite alike.
So yes I agree, America needs to be retrained and become more concious about what goes on around them...and abroad. More concious minds should come to the fore aswell. Not politicians...but more Marten Luther King's...activists and men/women who speak with a concious tongue all the time, and not only around voting time.
I just came from Accra Ghana where I attended the African Union Summit. I noticed Rev. Jesse Jackson and wondered what he was doing there. Someone said he hopes Jackson wasn't there "as a puppet of Bush." I really think Jackson could do more work for the black American society instead of becoming a politician in the global arena. Martin Luther King was never a politician...always the activist, always the concious tongue, at home.
Wow, a lot of rambling, I hope it makes sense. :)
Again, good post dear.
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Re: Retraining America
Sat, July 7, 2007 - 12:24 PMWow Fern, you really said a lot there. It feels good to know that others out there can see the same problems that I see. I do not have a copy of the Qu'ran but I have read two versions of it.
The best way to understand a different culture is to remember that yes, they have many similarities to us, but they also have VAST differences which came about as events unfolded in their own countries and among their own people for centuries. One simply cannot compare any other country in the world, even Britain, with America, because America is very young, was born out of rebellion and insurrection, and suffers from isolationism complex. We are comprised of every other country's inhabitants together, with one unifying document (the Constitution), and thousands of different cultural viewpoints. We are like an experiment. Can we get past this playground recess attitude and move on to a collegiate study hall mentality? -
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Re: Retraining America
Fri, July 13, 2007 - 12:11 AMI replied to your last post but for some reason it wasn’t saved! Ok, lemme see if I can remember all that again.
It's funny you know, I was in a convo recently where similar issues were raised. The argument was basically that “division” between race and religion had started in America, and then this moved into the rest of the world. A day or 2 ago I watched a news clip and an Iraqi man blamed America for the sectarian violence there. I must admit I believed what he said because the very same kind of violence (though on a lower scale) is taking place in Afghanistan. The American government chooses a side and then basically assists that person to be elected into the presidency. Because of that, the current Afgan president faces death on a daily basis. So much for democracy.
But back to America...
Look at what happened at that American university recently. The young Asian man that walked into a school shooting and killing fellow students?? Although an act of insanity, one cannot deny that there was a deep anger there. An anger that was ignored and still being ignored. He was seen as a maniac, but was the question ever asked what created that deep anger? What more will it take for authorities to wake up and see the reality of that and other similar situations? America has for years tried to create the perfect mixed country…the country of the world…but did not nurture that idea properly. Today, the black community and other minorities still feel marginalised and sometimes still oppressed. Muslim people feel harassed. All of that creates and breeds hate and deep anger. Instead of attending to important issues like that back home, America is too focused on fighting wars on another mans land.
Bush’s government has lost focus and touch with reality that is why I will yet again come back to what I had said earlier. Conscious minds, voices, leaders within communities need to take over and fill their communities (and America) with the morality and pride it once had. That is the only way I see America getting “past this playground recess attitude and move on to al collegiate hall mentality.” -
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Re: Retraining America
Fri, July 13, 2007 - 9:31 AMAbout America being to blame for division among people and religions, that is bunk. The middle easterners have been murdering each other for centuries. America is not that old. It is so easy to point fingers and blame, but who is the first country that every other struggling nation comes to when they are tired of the rebel forces and the ethnic cleansing and the religious "martyrdom" being performed? America. Almost every single country in the world owes America billions of dollars for various aid ranging from food to weapons. Brits weren't allowed to own guns, so during WWI private American citizen's sent their own guns to the Brits so they could fight off the enemy. Everyone claims to hate America, but they hold their hand out begging for money and protection at the same time. Even though we give them the money and the help, we still have to sit there and listen to the constant barrage of hate.
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