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We live in increasingly difficult times. Options seem to be become fewer and fewer. Choices, for many of us, have been reduced to bad or worse. Sanity has left the building. Every day presents another onslaught of horror. It’s too much, we are too distracted, too exposed to it. We shut down. Turn off. Panic, fear, anger, worry, suffering, brutality, death- these have become the norm.So many of us have forgotten that, no matter our circumstance, there is one choice that can never be taken away- the choice to do what’s right.
Sometimes one of us can act for all of us. The person who runs into a burning building to save a life, the person who stands up to the bully, the person who finds him or herself in a situation where life has chosen them to be the eyes, the ears, the only hands, the only chance for the morally right choice to made. These are defining moments, both for the person who acts, and for all of us who hope we would do the same.We call these people heroes. We laud them, we praise them. We see ourselves in them, we see morality and principle made real in them and their actions.
Bradley Manning is a hero. Life gave him a situation. He was presented with a choice, to ignore the evil, or to do what was right. Although he was surrounded by others who saw what he saw, who knew what he knew, he alone ran into the burning building. He alone stood up to the bully.
The sociopaths who create war to profit from war have responded. He has been jailed and held in conditions that violate not only human standards of fair treatment, but ignore both domestic and international law. Bradley Manning has suffered for exposing the dark underbelly of America’s War On Terror. That sanitized media chatter that keeps the war hidden was silenced, for a moment.
Sometimes one of us can act for all of us.
Thank you, Bradley, for doing what I hope I would have done.
Sometimes all of us can act for one of us. When we come together in acts of charity, when many of us come forward to alleviate the suffering of one of us. It is in these moments when we see all of us in one of us. These are defining moments, too. Life has given us a situation. We are presented with a choice here, to ignore the evil being done, or to do what what is right.
The entire might of the government of The United States is focused on this young man. He stands very much alone. The sociopaths who create war to profit from war have rewritten, subverted or ignored our own law in order to make this young man an example for all of us. They will sacrifice him to send out a message, a warning: Ignore what we’re doing. Look the other way. Do your job. Don’t make waves. Don’t think. And don’t you dare do what is right.
It’s time to send a message back to them, these sociopaths.Yes, there has been outrage and anger. There have been any number of petitions, most of which begin with “Tell The President-, ” or “Tell Congress-.” The fact is that petitions do nothing. They are routinely ignored by those in power, these sociopaths. Yes, there have been protest rallies and vigils. The fact is that these actions, too, do nothing. They serve only to inform those already aware because the media, owned by sociopaths, ignores them.
So what can we do? We can take the message to the sociopaths. Call it an intervention.
The President and Congress- these are not the real target. They are the puppets, and one of their functions is to get between us and the real masters. Rage at them, bury them with letters and petitions, protest and hold vigils and chant until you’re weak. The President and Congress are there to take the heat, and they know it. They also know that they don’t answer to us, and they’ll respond by sending out their puppets, the police and The National Guard.
These people, these institutions, are not the real enemy.
A handful of billionaires are the enemy.
Truth.
Take the message to them. We know who they are, these sociopaths.
Bill Gates, according to Forbes Top 400 list, is the wealthiest man in America. As such he wields more personal power, and is in more contact with others in power, than millions of us. I suggest we all send him a letter, telling him how we feel about the treatment of Bradley Manning.
Why would we do that? Does that sound crazy?
I think it would be the first sane thing we’ve done for a long time.
Am I saying that Bill Gates is personally responsible for the government’s treatment of Bradley Manning? Yes. Yes I am. He is every bit as responsible as every one of us. It is our shared responsibility, isn’t it, for all of us step forward in the face of injustice and insanity?And life has given Mr. Gates the unique situation where he is capable of bringing more pressure to bare than millions of us united would not be able to do.
Here’s a sample letter. You can copy and paste it, or write down your own thoughts:
“Dear Mr. Gates,
I am writing to you to express my outrage at the treatment our government has given Bradley Manning. In my opinion this young man is a hero, but our government- yours and mine- has chosen to treat him as a criminal. Microsoft is a vast Empire. It has created great wealth for you, and great power. To whom much is given, much should be expected. You are in a unique position, Mr. Gates. You have the ability to draw world wide attention to this issue. You have the power that millions of Americans do not, to speak directly to President Obama about this. You have the power that millions of Americans do not, to call Congressional leaders directly. You have the power to summon the attention of the world media.I call on you, Mr. Gates, to do what is right. Millions of us call on you to do what is right. I, along with millions of my fellow Americans, are counting on you, and waiting for you, and hoping that you will add your voice to ours.Sincerely,”
Here’s the address:Bill Gates
Microsoft Corporate Office Headquarters:
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-7329
Send a letter.Or you can fax it:
Fax Number: 1-425-706-7329
Or you can call and leave a message for Mr. Gates:
Corporate Phone Number: 1-425-882-8080
Sometimes one of us can act for all of us. Sometimes all of us can act for one of us.
1 Comment
Very highly recommended.
An action I remember from the Bush/Iraq years was when people assembled at the estates of both Bush and Rumsfeld. We can look back on those times as ‘the good old days’ when it was possible to do this without being Guantanamoed. You can bet these confrontations sank into the consciousness and crumbs of conscience both these men have interred in the depths of their being. In that it was effective.
When actions become lifethreatening, or ineffective, we need to remind ourselves that whilst all of us may not be able to be heroes, all of us are in some way endowed by our Creator with creativity. This diary is a creative impulse whose spirit is uplifting. We may not wish to do exactly as it proposes, but it opens the door.
Long term, it has to become an unsatisfactory aim to aim to be too rich to fail. Like not wanting to be a movie star, for instance, because you lose any chance to be an ordinary person, incognito, which to the sensible is a grace all us unknowns should be hugely thankful for. So it must become for the mega rich.
Let’s start noticing them.