Monday, May 21, 2007

"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.

Darfur, Darfur...

I think it's great that people our stating how they really feel about this project as a whole, so I'll do the same thing.

I think that this project is a lot more interesting than anything else we can do academically, and I'm not complaining at all. The reason that people are trying to complain about the project is probably because they can, and that it requires our own motivation in order to do this. However, I would hate having to learn more facts about wars, genocides, conflicts, or anything historically if it wasn't going to make a difference. Of course, it would be considered academic if it was that way. But jeez, come on, why are we learning about these things? So we can apply them to out lives! This is getting straight to the point.

Even though I'm not really inspired by these activists, I think it's easy enough to help people. And the attitude that you can't make a difference is very limiting; it kind of shows that people don't want to be bothered when they themselves are fortunate to even have food and shelter. I'm not worried about other people's indifference or whatever, I just want to say what I would prefer to do in my situation. If I didn't care to help needy people like those in Darfur, what else do I really have to do? It's not that hard, just write a couple of letters. Tell people about this problem in Africa. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue my effort to prevent war in Darfur, but I'm willing to help nevertheless.

What I'm going to continue doing is not trying to disturb anyone's lives around me. I want to get inner peace first, because working towards outer peace will not work if you don't have the inner first. Hopefully others realize this is the only true way to stop genocide once and for all. This is the most benefiting thing for the world. It is also important to help others only if you plan to help everyone. Otherwise, there will always be conflicts.

Well, that's all I have to say.