I'd like to write something about these events as well, but I won't post them unless I consider them worthwhile - even if only in the context of Sunday night's meditation.
It does seem that the process was flawed from a legal point of view, in that the accused was allowed to give evidence, which it seems is not supposed to happen, and the matter has been run as a de facto jury trial, but without the protections and requirements of that process (e.g., cross examination). Some of the initial comments on the Wild Hunt post talked of the flaws of the US Grand Jury process in a couple of instances. On the other hand, there are claims that African-American witnesses backed up the police version of events.
Those claims have not been tested in a court of law, so we will never know for sure.
More broadly, there are issues around that part of justice which is that it must not only be done, but be seen to be done. On that aspect, there has been a failure - of spirit, if not letter of law, and that failure is, in my opinion, related to endemic racism. This is related to something I recall reading that the great Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., begged the government of the time to do, which is to give some sign of progress to reassure coloured people in the USA that better days were happening. When that didn't happen, the Watts Riots did.
I can understand that lashing out as a result of not being listened to - or worse: it is something almost every trans person goes through at some stage, and it can be bad enough to drive people to commit suicide.
The also great Nelson Mandela also understood this. I have a copy of Mr Mandela's "I am prepared to die" speech, and in that he makes clear that there was a move away from nonviolence for a range of reasons, including a desire to try and direct, or minimise the damage from, the violence that was an inevitable response to those circumstances.
The also great "Mahatma" Gandhi is renowned for leading a movement built around peaceful noncooperation, which was effective because the entire system in India at that time depended on Indians. In South Africa and the USA, the victims of discrimination have been important to some sectors of the economy, but I suspect were not as crucial as the Indians in India were - and, in any case, Gandhi had to fast to the point of death several times to stop the violence. I also think there were some signs of progress that gave hope in India (for instance, Gandhi's success in South Africa, and the support from some sections of the English) that weren't present in the other instances.
I would like to provide a few quotes, now.
First, Mr Mandela:
"Our problem was not whether to fight, but was how to continue the fight.
...
It must not be forgotten that by this time violence had, in fact, become a feature of the South African political scene.
...
As far as the ANC was concerned, it formed a clear view which can be summarized as follows:
...
- It was a mass political organization with a political function to fulfil. Its members had joined on the express policy of non-violence.
- Because of all this, it could not and would not undertake violence. This must be stressed. One cannot turn such a body into the small, closely knit organization required for sabotage. Nor would this be politically correct, because it would result in members ceasing to carry out this essential activity: political propaganda and organization. Nor was it permissible to change the whole nature of the organization.
- On the other hand, in view of this situation I have described, the ANC was prepared to depart from its fifty-year-old policy of non-violence to this extent that it would no longer disapprove of properly controlled violence. Hence members who undertook such activity would not be subject to disciplinary action by the ANC.
As a result of this decision, Umkhonto was formed in November 1961. When we took this decision, and subsequently formulated our plans, the ANC heritage of non-violence and racial harmony was very much with us. We felt that the country was drifting towards a civil war in which Blacks and Whites would fight each other. We viewed the situation with alarm. Civil war could mean the destruction of what the ANC stood for; with civil war, racial peace would be more difficult than ever to achieve. We already have examples in South African history of the results of war. It has taken more than fifty years for the scars of the South African War to disappear. How much longer would it take to eradicate the scars of inter-racial civil war, which could not be fought without a great loss of life on both sides?"Next, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. (from Morpheus Ravenna's post):
“It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.”
The minutiae of evidence and procedures for the Grand Jury in Ferguson are not the point: the point here is the failure to listen and the endemic racism that underlies that.
As it happens, I've been working on a post on the topic of racism in my own country, Australia, which has an appalling, notorious history on that matter, and a suggestion to address that problem. I am currently thinking about whether it makes sense to combine the two.
There are a few other issues as well, such as the militarisation of police, particularly in the USA, and their interpretations of "public order", which is the other, equal part of their their duty: to uphold the law and order. I think my post on changing the personality of oppressors might get a guernsey here ...
I'm going to leave this post at that - I've done more than I had planned anyway.
Post Script
For my part, I want to make it clear that I consider nonviolence generally preferable to violence. There are exceptions - for instance, I consider the war against Hitler and his thugs was justified, and unavoidable because of the violence of Germany. There may be other situations where violence is justified - for instance, if a criminal has a gun and is shooting people, the most important thing is to stop the harm, not consider the mood, happiness and general wellbeing of the shooter. The same applies to stopping some of the powerful uncooperatives who are doing massive harm through psychic means - although, in that instance, the conflict is psychic, not physical.
This situation comprises both the initial shooting, and the response to it.
Addressing the situation is flawed, because of the flawed management of the US Grand Jury process: if this had gone to a trial, it may well have had the same outcome, but the issue that justice must also be seen to be done would have been better addressed.
In terms of the response, this has been a trigger to the issue of racism, and the responses are not only violent riots and destruction of property - there are peaceful marches elsewhere, including in other nations, and discussions and education on the topic all over the planet. The rioting is an entirely predictable response to the ongoing, poorly responded to at a governmental level of racism. The situation also raises the issue of militarisation of police and the mind set that lies behind it, and why that is not appropriate to policing.
[2]
Please see here and my post "The
Death of Wikipedia" for the
reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of
h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as
extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather
engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to
the Galaxy").
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr,
Wéofodthegn
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix
Lux … aka Morinehtar
… Would-be drýicgan
or maga ... )
My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this site) is here, and my glossary/index is here.
I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me at 9 PM on Sunday, wherever you are, to meditate for peace), and here for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend learning how to flame, ground and shield, do alternate nostril breathing, work with colour, and see also here and be flexible.
- neither eloquence nor inarticulateness inherently indicates correctness;
- Gnwmythr's Stropping Strap: Occam's Razor only works if the simplest solution is actually recognised as being the simplest, rather than the one that best fits one's bigotries being labelled 'simplest'.
- Our entire life experience, with all the many wondrous and varied people, places and events in it, is too small a sample for statistical reliability about Life.
- May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
- Being accustomed to interacting via certain rules makes those rules neither right nor universal.
- Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master.
- The means shape the end.
- As words can kill, the right to freedom of speech comes with a DUTY to be as well-informed, objective and balanced as you can be.
- My favourite action movie of all time is "Gandhi", although I've recently come across "Invictus" and might put that one in to that category. However, I loathe the stereotypical action movie - and, for similar reasons, I loathe many dramas, which are often emotionally violent, more so in some cases than many war films.
- All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...
Human dignity
is the inherently cumulative holistic combination of human rights,
wellbeing and potential, and all actions or interaction which promote,
realise or facilitate same. The converse also applies: whatever
degrades, diminishes or robs humans of dignity, is inherently
undignified.
The “purpose” of spiritual evolution is not the attainment of “spiritual perfection” - not in the sense of not having to evolve further, at any rate, since there is no such thing. We need to evolve in order to grow - but we can take rest breaks (hopefully well earned :) ) along the way. No, the “purpose” of evolution is, rather, to perfect our ability to learn, and thus grow.
Jesus loves you. Odin wants you to grow up.
Gnwmythr
The “purpose” of spiritual evolution is not the attainment of “spiritual perfection” - not in the sense of not having to evolve further, at any rate, since there is no such thing. We need to evolve in order to grow - but we can take rest breaks (hopefully well earned :) ) along the way. No, the “purpose” of evolution is, rather, to perfect our ability to learn, and thus grow.
Gnwmythr
Jesus loves you. Odin wants you to grow up.
We make our decisions. And then our decisions turn around and make us.
F.W. Boreham
Females, get over 'cute'. Get competent. Get trained. Get capable. Get over 'cute'. And those of you who are called Patty and Debby and Suzy, get over that. Because we use those names to infantalise females – we keep females in their 'little girl' state by the names we use for them. Get over it. If you want to be taken seriously, get serious.
Jane Elliott
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing.
(based on
writing by) Edmund Burke
We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children
Antoine De Saint-Exupéry
True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
There are risks and costs to a program of
action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of
comfortable inaction.
John F. Kennedy
Tags:abuse of power, attitudes, discrimination, empathy, personal characteristics, racism, society, understanding, violence,
First published: Thorsdagr, 27nh November, 2014
Last edited (excluding fixing typo's and other minor matters): Friday, 28nh November, 2014 (added post script)
