| | I had a thought driving home today while listening to the news on NPR. As usual, it was about the situation in Iraq. Every day is like the same thing - yet another suicide bombing or terrorist attack adding fuel to the flames of sectarian violence. Usually I don't write about political stuff because even though I do listen to the news on the radio...I guess I just don't feel exactly confident enough to talk about all the complexities. But anyways, it just struck me today that the way each side, Sunni and Shiite go back and forth "getting each other back" for the last attack is pretty much exactly like the bullying and teasing that goes on among the kids in my class. Granted kids aren't dying in my school or anything, but it really is almost like a microcosm of what is going on in the "grown up world".
It starts out with one kid who doesn't like another because of the way they act or the way they look or talk and teases a second kid. Perhaps first kid doesn't even mean to mean but has nothing better to do or was "just kidding because it's not a big deal" but in either case, second kid is internally hurt and lashes out by teasing back or doing something to annoy first kid. First kid either does something back again or go tells a teacher because his or her feelings were hurt. Any other kid that tries to step in to help an unpopular kid being teased winds up being dragged into the teasing and either starts teasing to maintain popularity or ends up getting teased themselves. In either case, it goes back and forth back and forth with kids on both sides getting back at the other because "that person annoyed me and I got mad". On top of that, when two kids try to call a truce (say a boy and a girl - and you know at least part of all the teasing flying around or so called "bullying" is stemming from misplaced raging hormones) other friends try re-kindling the flames of hate again by saying "Eeeww!! You're being nice to him? He's so weird. You like him or something?" etc etc. So the one side or the other will call off the truce to stay "cool" or whatever other stupid reason. Either that or the two truce people can't even trust each other - they get suspicious if the other side becomes too nice and so react harshly, once again fueling the flames.
There are times I want to just smack the kids up side the head and go "Why can't you just act right and get along dammit???!!" Sure everyone kids and adults can spout off about what is "the right thing to do" but how many of them - kids or adults actually go and do that? What ticks me off even more is the whole victim mentality of both kids and the people involved in war. It's always "I'm the victim. I was wronged. I DESERVE and DEMAND the right to get back at them. IT'S NOT MY FAULT". And sure, sometimes it really isn't your fault. But can you be bigger than your circumstances and move on without retaliation? There's never a thought to the other side or true forgiveness and a sincere attempt to work together. Can't people look beyond the faults of the other side and know that maybe yeah they screwed up again after proclaiming truce but to still try again despite it instead of retaliating? It's kinda like the Jackie Robinson story (we saw a play as a class this week) where Robinson, for the sake of gaining acceptance as the first black player in the major leagues had to put up with all kinds of shit and death threats without fighting back and always trying to do what is right by getting along with people no matter how much they hurt him. By his actions in this way, he was able to open up the doors for so many other people, not just ball players.
Seeing how my kids interact even on this small level - how petty it can all be and also how self-righteous each of them can feel about their own particular situation and how very ignorant and UNAWARE they are about their reality and actions makes me think "It's no wonder the world is the way it is." It really makes me think that the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq are really not so different than what is going on in our own backyard so to speak. Some of us may think the war is far removed from us, but really, we are all replaying the same situations as those fighting in Iraq - just on a different scale/degree.
There seems to be so much evil in the world spreading its seeds everywhere and pushing good people and good intentions out from positions of power. I am reminded of the manga I just finished that Jess has been trying to get me to read for awhile now. The archetypes in the story are pretty well...standard to say the least, but it is still soooo applicable to our lives today. Basic point of the story is that evil breeds evil - it starts out as little seeds and with each bad thing we do that seeds gets bigger and bigger until it consumes us. Evil also attracts evil and becomes stronger while good or light is forced to go into hiding. At the same time, small sparks of light representing the good in people and nature are trying to shine and fight their way through the darkness in the world. What it came down to is that each person has to find that light in themselves - and that people can help you find light in you and some can also lead you the opposite way. In the end it is still up to you though. One other lesson was that light and goodness can work like a pebble being dropped in a pool of water - its just a tiny plop, but it can create ripples that resonate through the entire pool of water and create a big change. We are all small and can only do so much, but because everyone no matter what side you are on are all connected, whatever actions we take can really add up. Question to each person in the world is - what kind of ripple do you want to cause?
On a separate note, I would like to start writing more seriously - like actually produce pieces worth reading (both expository and creative writing). And I want a forum or audience to read and enjoy and critique that writing. Any suggestions dear loyal readers (those that remain  )? I say this, and yet I probably won't get around to writing anything worthwhile until summer at the earliest, but just a thought. Maybe I should start looking up random contests or something.
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| | Posted 3/6/2007 9:55 PM - 35 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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