"Not On Our Watch": Chapters 7-9

INDIFFERENCE AND ACTIVISM

I think this whole movement is great, and that it should be focused on more than the lives of celebrities. I thought it was interesting how celebrities are talked about sixty-five times as much as situations like Darfur have been discussed. I realize that America has a long ways to go.

I can't stand things that serve as life-wasting. We still have are problems everyday if we sit in front of the TV and stare at the screen. Seven years of life are wasted on average watching TV. Our joy and happiness shouldn't depend on worldly things. If we must watch something, let's at least put things that have relative significance on the screen. Darfur is a good example.

But for me, I don't think that how these activists live their lives is how I want to live mine. I don't want to be angry with something, in the same way as the "Overcoming Indifference" prayer in the book prays to be outraged. Non-acceptance of how things are will make it so you never actually accept how things are. We will be restless our whole lives. Yes, the activists might be accepting once the problem in Darfur is solved, but there will be unlimited amounts of future genocides waiting for them. So, what's the point in making a difference if it never stops?

Activists are like people who get hurt all the time and complain about it. They need their band-aids in their back pocket all the time. They keep on falling down and getting gashes and cuts on their arms and legs (which resembles genocides and wars) and then they cry about it. They make sure that they make are upset about it every time (Overcoming Indifference Prayer) and they use their quick band-aid treatment every time as well(techniques to stop genocide). This happens over and over and over again, as seen with all the genocides and wars in history. So, what's the solution? Stop falling down! That's it! You don't need band-aids in your back pocket anymore! You are free from all troubles!

That is the reason why I don't like the world's techniques to stop world conflicts. My focus, instead of using the band-aid, is to stop falling down and getting hurt. How do we do that? Acceptance of every present situation. Fear, anger, outrage, stress, etc. have never worked and never will. Those are used if you like problems, like falling down and getting hurt. They even have an Oprah quote in the book, and it says "You get from the world what you give to the world." Alright, so they say they are giving peace. But outrage is not peace! Why are we praying to be outraged? Pray for peace! Live peacefully! Then you will get peace from the world.