It seems as though what we call civilization is spiraling downward into total chaos. The Catholic church has been caught after decades of abusing children and women. Now, its leaders are trying to silence their victims with money and bully their opposition with threats. Civil wars bring death, rape and destruction to countries whose governments are already on the brink of collapse. AIDS! Hunger! Addiction! Teen pregnancy! Our children come out of school unable to read. Bomb Iraq! Katrina! Prison rape! Homelessness! Our young adults are confused and afraid. 9/11! Domestic violence! Female genital mutilation! Political corruption! Our old people are disrespected in the streets. And, we all wonder how we can change the direction in which we are heading.
In the spirit of Sankofa, which means go back and get what was lost, I believe that we must go back and learn from the past before we can begin to think about how to change our future. Otherwise, just as Sankofa implies and history has proven, we are doomed to make a different version of the same mistakes over and over. Given this, I must wonder when we, as a people, changed? When did we begin seeing each other as adversaries in our efforts to obtain more wealth, and stop seeing each other as allies in our efforts to overcome oppression. When did wearing professional attire become white, and speaking broken English become black? How did buying our babies one-hundred dollar sneakers before we have opened their bank accounts start to make sense to us? Who said that black people are so intolerant that many of us who are lesbian and gay are forced to live in silence?
These are difficult questions, with no simple answers. I invite you to join in discussions about the issues raised in this piece and issues that are on your mind as well.
1 comment:
As a Catholic, I'm told that I cannot "support gay culture", which I guess means that I cannot be friends w/my 2 very dear, very gay and lifelong male friends (I've been friends w/them since 4th grade and 10th grade). I am also told that I cannot vote for a pro-choice candidate, but that I can vote for a pro-death penalty/ pro-war/ anti-poor & middle class citizen candidate. If that is the case, then the Church and Pope Benny can forget my presence/ my money at the parish. I will not be told that Jesus was pro-war, pro-state death penalty, and pro-wealthy. The Bible that I have read does not reveal that Jesus to me. The words that I have read attributed to Jesus say not 1 single word about abortion or homosexuality... but His words say more than enough about divorce, greed, intolerance, and hatred. And I'm willing to bet that The Prince of Peace would not support the illegal war in Iraq, the push for legislating hatred against gays, minorities, and other targets of the Religious Fright, and I bet He would throw a whole lot of modern day Pharisees out of the temple if He went to Washington and into the hate-spewing/ the "real" gospel of God = your personal financial riches & wealth churches of today.
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