Monday, May 23, 2011

My Apologies

I want to apologize, in advance, for the tenor of this blog. And its' contents.

I am sure to offend some people who will feel diferently from the way I do.

That said...here goes.

I don't care.

Now, I will immediately amend that statement to say that I care very much.

I do care about what happens to my fellow man (meaning, of course, man and woman, but let's not quibble...at least not yet)

I care about the Middle East and the Arab Spring and the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Pakistan. Chechnya, Chiapas, Northern Ireland and every other place on this little orb where people are at odds with one another.

But, bottom line, I care more about my family, my friends, my neighbors, my community and my country than I do about strangers hundreds and thousands of miles away.

And I especially don't care about the plight of people half way around the world who seem to be hell bent on killing me and my family and my friends and my neighbors and my community and my country.

I understand that the individual citizens of these countries may not be responsible for the actions of their despotic leaders so they get a pass but...on the other hand...they are responsible and all passes are, forthwith, cancelled.

They enable those actions by allowing those people to stay in power.

"But they would be killed if they protested", you say.

"Yes, they might", I respond. "But what about the American, French and Russian Revolutions? What about the Resistance during World War II? What about Lech Walesa and Soldarity. What about the Romanians and Ceausescu? And what about Tunisia and Egypt?"

Those people all said "No!" to the kings and dictators and oppressors that had taken their freedoms and killed and tortured their brethren and countrymen.

We are all responsible for what happens in our lives. It is all too convenient to blame others and to sit by, passively, while events unfold around us that alter our way of life forever and not take action to create a different outcome.

The street vendor in Tunisia said "Basta!" and took responsibility. Mother Teresa said "Basta! and took responsibility. Mohandas Gandhi said "Basta! and took responsibilty. And so did Nelson Mandela and countless other true heroes who refused to be imprisoned by their own inaction, by their own fear, by their own laissez-faire attitude.

They did what had to be done to create change. They didn't talk about it. They did it.

So, ultimately, I don't care about people who refuse to take responsibility. If I am in the soup it is my fault, not yours.

The Nike slogan sums it up pretty well.

"Just DO it!!"

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