Over the weekend, Michelle and I went and protested the Shriner circus that came to town. For those that don't know, circuses are notorious for mistreating their animals, using pain as a means to control and train them. Elephants, tigers, and lions belong in the wild, not cooped up in cages and trucked across the country for the amusement of us Westerners. Needless to say, a lot of people don't agree with that assessment, and so there were three of us holding signs at the protest while hundreds of circus goers passed by us. We were definitely accosted by a few people of them, but the real harassment came from a clown that literally cursed at Michelle in front of children, and a Shriner that called the cops on us (the cops, however, did not respond to the call)
I think the biggest success of the protest is that we stood our ground and remained peaceful and non confrontational. I felt that was the most important part of the action, as we were able to get a message across in a way that did not escalate the situation into anger, although we did have to focus our energy into transforming what started as an argument into something closer to a discussion. Being in a situation where you are openly disagreeing with those that are around you and being in a clear minority is not a comfortable situation to be in, but I believe it can be a good experience for learning how to nonviolently handle conflict. In this light, I feel performing such actions are extremely valuable, regardless of whether or not they convince anyone of anything.
Strangely, several people told us they agreed with what we were doing, and then bought tickets anyway. I'm not sure what this says about our society, but perhaps it will be the last time they go to the circus.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
My Message To Revolution Muslim
A lot of attention has been given to the group Revolution Muslim who has decried South Park's Matt Stone and Trey Parker for their (censored) depiction of the prophet Muhammad, and likened them to Theo Van Gogh who was killed by Muslim extremists who found his video depicting Muslim mistreatment of women insulting. It's worth taking a look at their website and responding to their open invitation for discussion. They do make some good points which can set the context for this following quote, which most Westerners will object to:
"There is no difference of opinion from those with any degree of a reputation that the punishment is death. Ibn Taymiyyah a great scholar of Islam says, “Whoever curses the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) -a Muslim or a non Muslim- then he must be killed…and this is the opinion of the general body of Islamic scholars.”
Likewise Ibn Mundhir, another classical scholar, said, “It is the consensus (ijma’) of our scholars that the one who curses the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) should be executed!”
This is also the opinion of Imams Malik, al-Laith, Ahmed, Ishaq, Shafi’i, and Numan Abu Haneefah.
This shows that taking this stance is virtually obligatory, but it does not mean that our taking this stance is in some way an absolute call toward the requirement that the creators of South Park must be killed, nor a deliberate attempt at incitement, it is only to declare the truth regardless of consequence and to offer an awareness in the mind of Westerners when they consider doing the same thing."
Here's my response to Revolution Muslim's sentiments, which I sent to their page:
"I also strongly detest what Western culture has done and is doing to the spiritual livelihoods of all mankind as well as the Muslim people. I feel we are all in deep crisis. However, I've found that faith in God inspires peace, not a willingness or need to kill or justify killing.
If someone insults God, I find it reveals their lack of understanding and the likelihood of their own tormented or condemned state. It does nothing to tarnish God or the representatives of God, as the God that I believe in, and anyone awakened by that God, is beyond these things. For me, showing the way that I remain spiritually unthreatened and unaffected by such insults better demonstrates the steadiness of my faith.
Could, however, such insults corrupt a [Western] culture? Perhaps, but perhaps they reveal corruption that was already there, and when an insulted person acts on that corruption violently, the next reaction only leads to more hatred, violence, puppet governments, and thus further corruptions and distortions. I would respectfully suggest that perhaps the perpetrators of these insults [curses] in fact could NOT be insulting [cursing] Mohamed in an essential sense, because they do not know who he is. Their words are a breeze of ignorance and hatred directed toward a false reality they have created, and so they are actually degrading their own soul while they are potentially inciting physical threats to both themselves and the Muslim people.
In my opinion it is those who take to arms as a result, not God or his prophets, that have become scathed by the words of morally corrupt individuals, and so the responsibility lies with them as to how they choose to respond. As faith in God for me in practice has been a force for interpersonal transformation and nonviolent social engagement (but not a method for submission to corruption), a violent reaction would indicate to me more of a kinship with the original transgression, and further enslavement by the military industrial mind.
I also know there is a very real ongoing use of military force and economic sanctions that cannot be easily separated from these insulting words/depictions, but perhaps they need to be, as even one passage you cite in the Koran differentiates between words, deeds, and feelings."
"There is no difference of opinion from those with any degree of a reputation that the punishment is death. Ibn Taymiyyah a great scholar of Islam says, “Whoever curses the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) -a Muslim or a non Muslim- then he must be killed…and this is the opinion of the general body of Islamic scholars.”
Likewise Ibn Mundhir, another classical scholar, said, “It is the consensus (ijma’) of our scholars that the one who curses the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) should be executed!”
This is also the opinion of Imams Malik, al-Laith, Ahmed, Ishaq, Shafi’i, and Numan Abu Haneefah.
This shows that taking this stance is virtually obligatory, but it does not mean that our taking this stance is in some way an absolute call toward the requirement that the creators of South Park must be killed, nor a deliberate attempt at incitement, it is only to declare the truth regardless of consequence and to offer an awareness in the mind of Westerners when they consider doing the same thing."
Here's my response to Revolution Muslim's sentiments, which I sent to their page:
"I also strongly detest what Western culture has done and is doing to the spiritual livelihoods of all mankind as well as the Muslim people. I feel we are all in deep crisis. However, I've found that faith in God inspires peace, not a willingness or need to kill or justify killing.
If someone insults God, I find it reveals their lack of understanding and the likelihood of their own tormented or condemned state. It does nothing to tarnish God or the representatives of God, as the God that I believe in, and anyone awakened by that God, is beyond these things. For me, showing the way that I remain spiritually unthreatened and unaffected by such insults better demonstrates the steadiness of my faith.
Could, however, such insults corrupt a [Western] culture? Perhaps, but perhaps they reveal corruption that was already there, and when an insulted person acts on that corruption violently, the next reaction only leads to more hatred, violence, puppet governments, and thus further corruptions and distortions. I would respectfully suggest that perhaps the perpetrators of these insults [curses] in fact could NOT be insulting [cursing] Mohamed in an essential sense, because they do not know who he is. Their words are a breeze of ignorance and hatred directed toward a false reality they have created, and so they are actually degrading their own soul while they are potentially inciting physical threats to both themselves and the Muslim people.
In my opinion it is those who take to arms as a result, not God or his prophets, that have become scathed by the words of morally corrupt individuals, and so the responsibility lies with them as to how they choose to respond. As faith in God for me in practice has been a force for interpersonal transformation and nonviolent social engagement (but not a method for submission to corruption), a violent reaction would indicate to me more of a kinship with the original transgression, and further enslavement by the military industrial mind.
I also know there is a very real ongoing use of military force and economic sanctions that cannot be easily separated from these insulting words/depictions, but perhaps they need to be, as even one passage you cite in the Koran differentiates between words, deeds, and feelings."
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
D-mannose and chronic UTI's
Right now my girlfriend is suffering from debilitating side effects from the drugs Nitrofurantoin (Macrobid) and Ciprofloxin (Cipro). The Macrobid is responsible for chronic joint pain and loss of function, which has seriously compromised her physical activity. The Cipro is now causing her extreme nervousness/anxiety, shakiness, insomnia, tingling/ stinging nerve sensations, abnormal thoughts, painful teeth, diarrhea, nausea, lack of appetite and weight loss, and memory issues/ confusion. Many of these side effects may be permanent, and from what we've read, there are no treatments within Western medicine that will reverse them. Both of these drugs were prescribed to her for urinary tract infections (UTI). They are potent antibiotics and the doctors could have very easily prescribed her a less potentially harmful antibiotic, such as Ampicillan, but more potent antibiotics, which eliminate the bacteria more rapidly, and I'm guessing are not yet widely resisted by bacteria, are a more preferred option. The result for my girlfriend has been devastating, and I urge you to use effective, natural remedies whenever you can so that you don't have to go through what she is going through. In the case of UTI's, d-mannose is a powerful tool in preventing and curing the infection.
If you, someone you know, or even your pet, are suffering from a bladder infection, please take a look at my girlfriend's personal account of how she discovered d-mannose after unnecessarily suffering great harm from Macrobid. D-mannose has been for her a natural preventative and treatment for her urinary tract infections and has kept her UTI free for over a year. She has links to several different brands of d-mannose, which she has used and had success with.
Unfortunately, one day she forgot to take her d-mannose, and she was unable to control the onset of a UTI. The result was a doctor prescribing her the Cipro, and now she is suffering horribly from the side effects. Please educate yourself on d-mannose, the potential harms of antibiotics, and decide for yourself the best approach for you.
If you, someone you know, or even your pet, are suffering from a bladder infection, please take a look at my girlfriend's personal account of how she discovered d-mannose after unnecessarily suffering great harm from Macrobid. D-mannose has been for her a natural preventative and treatment for her urinary tract infections and has kept her UTI free for over a year. She has links to several different brands of d-mannose, which she has used and had success with.
Unfortunately, one day she forgot to take her d-mannose, and she was unable to control the onset of a UTI. The result was a doctor prescribing her the Cipro, and now she is suffering horribly from the side effects. Please educate yourself on d-mannose, the potential harms of antibiotics, and decide for yourself the best approach for you.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Vegetarian Resources
Transforming our world will involve transforming ourselves. A major part of this for me has been living a vegetarian lifestyle, which I have been following since about 1996. When I switched over to vegetarianism in high school, I wasn't even aware of the environmental implications of our diets. But with the inefficient usage of resources, climate change, and massive deforestation taking place today, now more than ever it is important that people transform their lives by becoming vegetarian or vegan.
In the spirit of this self transformation, I have created a Vegetarian/Vegan bumper sticker site , which links to my waking minds web page as well as providing links to vegetarian resources. Basically I wanted to sell some cool bumper stickers about vegetarianism, animal rights, veganism that people probably haven't seen before. My hope is that the messages on these stickers are strong enough and unique enough to get people thinking more about a meat free diet. If you feel passionately about animals not suffering and want to help spread the vegetarian and vegan movement, please consider taking a look at these bumper stickers.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Backyard Gardening Projects
We spend a lot of time in the backyard on our gardening projects. During this process, I am putting together a page about backyard gardening projects, ideas, and links that can increase backyard gardening efficiency. Getting the vegetable garden is of course the first step. And that can take years to perfect, as one learns the best methods for growing your own food. I hope to update my garden projects page as time goes by.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Backyard Gardening
Knowing that the transitions we will have to make as individuals, as a society, and as a globe, are great, I put together a few informational pages that I hope can foster those needed changes. If you are to tune into any alternative media outlet you will no doubt get the sense that the list of problems this country faces are great. I feel that one basic solution that is really quite powerful and cuts across the political spectrum is the act of growing your own food. In that vein, I have established some resources on reasons why we should be creating productive backyard, apartment complex, and urban gardens, as well as some project ideas for making those current and future gardens more intensive and productive.
I feel really strongly that we need to continue to pique people's interests in this area, as food independence is one of the most important goals anyone can achieve, not only for themselves, but as a society. This is because one backyard garden in a sea of suburban manicured lawns will not do much to improve the environment or serve as a social pressure release valve for economic instability or eroding freedoms. If we have a culture of empowered backyard and urban gardeners, however, we will see a shift toward a citizenry that is more unified, more proactive in their own lives and communities, more knowledgeable of the land and environment, more able to support themselves and their families, and more engaged and effective in the political sphere no matter what their beliefs. A neighborhood full of gardeners is more than the sum of its parts, in that the knowledge of each individual can lead to greater efficiencies, shared secrets, local barter economies, and neighborhood trust building. Take a look at these bumper stickers and consider them the beginning of a growing dialogue.
I feel really strongly that we need to continue to pique people's interests in this area, as food independence is one of the most important goals anyone can achieve, not only for themselves, but as a society. This is because one backyard garden in a sea of suburban manicured lawns will not do much to improve the environment or serve as a social pressure release valve for economic instability or eroding freedoms. If we have a culture of empowered backyard and urban gardeners, however, we will see a shift toward a citizenry that is more unified, more proactive in their own lives and communities, more knowledgeable of the land and environment, more able to support themselves and their families, and more engaged and effective in the political sphere no matter what their beliefs. A neighborhood full of gardeners is more than the sum of its parts, in that the knowledge of each individual can lead to greater efficiencies, shared secrets, local barter economies, and neighborhood trust building. Take a look at these bumper stickers and consider them the beginning of a growing dialogue.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
re: peace through superior firepower
Yesterday at the farmer's market, where my girlfriend and I sell arts and crafts that we make, we had an unusual encounter. A man walked by our booth, looking at our hand made peace symbol magnets, and said they would be better with a set of guns on them. He then said something like, "peace through power," or "peace through superior firepower" or something to that effect. Usually in times like that I don't have anything to say. This situation wasn't any different in that particular regard. What was different was that I didn't experience that normal jolt that I get when I am shocked by a person's statement that is a direct affront to me. I just watched him go by, and we made definite eye contact, but I truly felt no malice toward him, or any need to prove my point by saying anything to him. He really didn't give me much opportunity to either, as he made his statement and kept going, really allowing no time for response. One thing I did notice, however, was that he seemed to experience a bit of a physical jolt in response to me. I'd like to attribute that to the way I remained open yet somehow unaffected by his comments. On an energetic level, I believe I was holding up a mirror to him, and that to me gives me some hope that there are ways of turning things around in people. I also saw a few other things happening that I think are worth taking a look at.
One was that his speedy, walk by comment, was very much like a violent act in and of itself. Instead of making a pro aggression statement in the face of our pro peace magnets, he could have shot me with a gun. In a subtle way he was demonstrating his reality to me. No dialogue, just hit and run. But as he said "peace through power," he was walking away from me, while at the same time we maintained our shop front and watched him go on his way. He was not powerful at all. Not only was he unable to change our minds, he was also unable to elicit a verbal argument from us, or even a sign of disapproval, shock, or dismay. It was us, who in this sense were unarmed of insult and a need to prove we were better than him, who ended up having the power in the situation. If anyone was more affected by the other, it was him by either what we were doing or not doing in response. And I think that manifested itself as the visible jolt that I saw in him, and which I normally feel in situations like that when I allow myself to be affected by someone hurling insults at me. I believe this occurrence was a result of a practice of meditation and energy work. I hope we can all find ways to tap into our source of strength in order to nonviolently empower ourselves.
It is that kind of presence that I embodied at that moment, which I believe has the ability to disarm people of their violence. I don't think we can go out into the world and do a "care bear stare" at an army and expect them to throw down their weapons, but I do think if we can cultivate something around this, there may be ways to transform societies and even other cultures beyond our borders, that will have the effect of deescalating our violent, chaotic world.
One was that his speedy, walk by comment, was very much like a violent act in and of itself. Instead of making a pro aggression statement in the face of our pro peace magnets, he could have shot me with a gun. In a subtle way he was demonstrating his reality to me. No dialogue, just hit and run. But as he said "peace through power," he was walking away from me, while at the same time we maintained our shop front and watched him go on his way. He was not powerful at all. Not only was he unable to change our minds, he was also unable to elicit a verbal argument from us, or even a sign of disapproval, shock, or dismay. It was us, who in this sense were unarmed of insult and a need to prove we were better than him, who ended up having the power in the situation. If anyone was more affected by the other, it was him by either what we were doing or not doing in response. And I think that manifested itself as the visible jolt that I saw in him, and which I normally feel in situations like that when I allow myself to be affected by someone hurling insults at me. I believe this occurrence was a result of a practice of meditation and energy work. I hope we can all find ways to tap into our source of strength in order to nonviolently empower ourselves.
It is that kind of presence that I embodied at that moment, which I believe has the ability to disarm people of their violence. I don't think we can go out into the world and do a "care bear stare" at an army and expect them to throw down their weapons, but I do think if we can cultivate something around this, there may be ways to transform societies and even other cultures beyond our borders, that will have the effect of deescalating our violent, chaotic world.
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