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About Us
Presidential Politics 2004 - play nice!
Well, the Republican National Convention has ended after President George W. Bush's acceptance speech and I have forced myself to stay up to watch the unprecedented rebuttal to it by Democratic challengers, Senators John Kerry and John Edwards from the stage of their campaign stop in Springfield, Ohio. Amy couldn't take it any more and went to bed, more upset than I've seen her in a very long time.
It wasn't anything we said to each other or that was said on the TV by the candidates, their supporters, their detractors, or the army of reporters and commentators that has us feeling so profoundly sad this evening. It's the way our friends and family and strangers are acting out, to us and to each other, because of their strong feelings - especially fear - about who should be the President of the United States of America for the next term.
I'll give you an example: Yesterday, we stopped by a longtime friend's house before leaving on our trip to New York City to attend a high tea party at the Fifth Avenue store of the very upscale British jewelry, clothing and accessories store, Asprey, given in honor of the women of the Republican National Convention and hosted by our new friend Monica Crowley, a very talented talk show host on the WABC talk radio network. Come to think of it, our longtime friend was also a radio host and, like Monica, has blond hair and is very fit and attractive. But, unfortunately, on that day, that was where their similarities stopped.
We love people, all people. We know how hard it is to be alive and face death and suffering and longing and it makes us profoundly compassionate to all people, those we agree with and those we disagree with, the rich and the poor, the old and the young, the tolerant and the intolerant. Even those doing things we disagree with, all the way up to unspeakable criminal acts, must be loved as much as they must be dealt with and corrected. We're all just people, after all.
Like us, our longtime friend has alway prided herself on being open-minded and tolerant. Until yesterday, I had always thought her to be one of the least pretentious and prejudiced persons I've ever known. But when we told her where we were going, she allowed her fears to get the better of her and expressed her disgust with Republicans in general and President Bush in particular. She swore to leave the country if he got re-elected, something I remember myself saying about President Nixon, but I was 24 years old when I said it, less than half our longtime friend's age. It is her right to think all of these things and maybe even to state them forcefully to people who are going to attend a meeting of people who support the man she despises. But then she made a terrible, terrible statement, inquiring if we were bringing a bomb! A joke? Sure, but in the poorest of taste.
We were stunned and so disappointed in her insensitivity to the fact that we were going into the armed camp that was New York City during the convention, a city whose people and police were poised on the razor's edge of the fight against terrorism. The situation in NYC is that of a most unique kind of rational fear of bombs and other horrors because everyone there knows that the whole city was Ground Zero during the RNC.
Of course when things get weird, see rule number one: We love people and of course we forgive our friend for this outburst of insensitivity. If I was not forgiven for all of my own stupid outbursts, Amy and I would not have enjoyed these almost thirty years together. But it inspired this blog, nonetheless.
For the most part, Amy and I are not afraid of such things and not just because when you are afraid, you let the terrorists win. We are not afraid partially because we believe that where we go (and especially when we go together) such things will not happen - it's not in our astrological charts! Maybe it is also because I am big and strong and I've been a bodyguard and grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and I've been in my share of fights and difficult situations and I've not been found wanting. Maybe it is because I was in the Civil Air Patrol (the civilian auxiliary of the Air Force) and a Location Manager in the movie business and so I always carry a Spyderench multi-tool, a lighter, and a flashlight (since this last NYC blackout, I also carry two spare batteries!) Or maybe it is because we carry our lucky coins!?
The main reason we are not afraid is that all of our work on ourselves, the fruit of which you see in all of the work we share with you on our website, is about dealing with fear and we practice what we preach. When you are in harmony with yourself, your partner, and everyone you meet, you have little to fear. Of course, if you run into a mad dog you will have to put distance or other barriers between you and it or kill it, but usually being aware of your surroundings and any potential dangers therein, being prepared to act if things get crazy, and a friendly and fearless attitude based on spiritual centeredness will keep you out of the path of mad dogs, both the four and the two-legged kind - at least that is what has worked for me SO FAR!
It is fear that has so many people acting so thoughtlessly toward each other. There is a glaring, overarching lack of compassion that perverts the whole political scene in our area and around the country. I wish that I could say that we see and feel the aggression born of this fear and lack of compassion coming in equal measure from all three of the political parties, but I cannot. In our experience it is undoubtedly the Democratic supporters of John Kerry who are acting abominably toward the supporters of President Bush and Ralph Nader, two men who, like John Kerry, have served this nation in war and peace. As people who have most often voted for Democrats and who did vote for Ralph Nader in the 2000 election, we find this very disappointing.
We have experienced nothing but respect and civility from the supporters of President Bush, even from those who are Born Again Christians, people to whom most if not all of our metaphysical practices are the work of the "devil." We have come to realize that many people, including close friends, whom we thought understood that the basis of our work is to increase accuracy of intuition and decision making, don't understand our work or take us seriously at all. The lack of respect for the depth of our research that has informed our decision making has been very sobering. Our psychic gifts and skills with divination are not the only things informing our decisions. As is our usual practice, we have read and read and read things written by all sides in this matter and only then did we combine all of our research to arrive at our conclusions. I wish I could say the same of everyone I meet and have to listen to.
So many of our Democratic friends who claim to be for John Kerry and for peace and equality and justice for all and to hate prejudice have expressed the most amazing level of almost violent hate and prejudice against Ralph Nader and President Bush and to a lessor extent their supporters that it disgusts us that these otherwise wonderful people are not aware of their double standard.
Even worse, many of them are strongly against having a President of Lebanese descent or of devout Christian faith, yet Amy and I are always glad to meet anyone who is a sincere spiritual seeker in any modality, even though they may disagree with our beliefs. This is the way of compassion. This is the compassion exemplified by the Dalai Lama, a personage that so many of these strident, overly aggressive and intolerant spiritual seekers claim to admire above all others. Though they admire the Dalai Lama, they seem to have forgotten he is who he is because he is the embodiment of compassion and you cannot choose to whom you should be compassionate; you are either compassionate to everyone or you cannot say that you are compassionate.
I don't hate the mosquitoes that I kill, but I have to protect myself and those I care about from West Nile Virus and other problems and so I kill them. You don't have to hate the people you disagree with, no matter if your failure to convince them to change their vote may result in you having a President that you don't want to have.
Even if you feel that the President's policies are wrong or dangerous, there is no justification for acting uncivil and not sending all people love and compassion and forgiveness. How else are we going to change the world for the better? There is no excuse for unconscious, knee-jerk reactionism. ALL actions and ALL decisions should be the result of examining ALL available information with an open mind, certainly not with a fear-filled mind!
We are all afraid of terrorism because terrorism is designed to spread terror and to that end it works. We are all infected with this fear but what distinguishes who is going to be made sick by it from those who are going to be made better by it is how we choose to handle our fears. The first thing to do is to admit that we are afraid, even those of us with good astrology charts, multi-tools, and lucky coins. The next thing to do is to be aware when your fears are getting the better of you and to take measures - like compassion toward yourself and others - to deal with it. And the third thing to do is to take action to protect yourself and those you care about in some way, either by working a job, volunteering for the military or otherwise contributing in some way, or by voting for the person you think will do the job best.
Why should we fight among ourselves just because we have differences in approaches? Why must people be so prejudiced and mean to each other? It is the Islamist terrorists who are our mortal enemies and whom we must stop in every way possible. Why must people project their fears and hatred against these Islamist terrorists who threaten civilization itself onto the leaders that are doing their best to deal with it? and the candidates who may have a better way? Why be angry at your candidate's opponents when you can best support your candidate by channeling that energy by changing other people's minds by being rational, compassionate, and tolerant of other people's opinions? Why shouldn't there be three parties in the United States of America? Or four or five or more? We've got to respect the fact that other people are entitled to their opinion and to be treated in a calm and courteous manner.
Amy and I know a thing or two about being misunderstood and having people direct irrational hatred toward us. You can say things against people who believe in tarot and astrology and divination and no one will stop you, though if you said the same things about other people of other minorities you would be fined or jailed or censured in some way. We see that happening now to all three candidates and it makes us ill. Worse than that, it makes our nation ill.
So STOP IT, ALL OF YOU! You know who you are! Stop hating even though you think you have a right to hate because what is being done is so wrong! If you really want to change people's minds, then play nice! Be compassionate!! You will be amazed at how people will listen to those they admire and how differently you will feel when you rid yourself of prejudice. And if you pride yourself on being an open minded person, be open minded to ALL points of view and respect differing points of view! Don't let this rudeness become the norm in politics and personal interactions.
We have no quarrel with any of the candidates (although we wish there was a woman or two running who didn't have to do it with her husband as the figurehead!) They are obviously deeply committed to their cause and to serving the United States to the best of their ability. The nation has survived many things and it will survive this election. What we are worried about is otherwise sane people acting crazy toward each other and causing friendships to be strained and broken by judgment and prejudice and rudeness and anger. Play nice! |
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