Raven's writing desk

As always I am never quite sure where one of these posts is going to lead me, whether into the waiting jaws of trolls and critics, or into a place where I am heard by peers and my words carry some weight. Lately I have found myself pulled in many directions as many different injustices are committed within my own country, let alone the world as a whole. And being the kind of person that I am, I have no tolerance for such things, but my words are so small in comparison to those that hold power that I feel they are drowned out at times. Nevertheless, I find myself sitting here at three in the morning, writing, hoping that something I say may bring some change in someone somewhere.

I recently read an article I would like to share with anyone willing to read it. My finding this article was due to yet another facebook argument. Something I detest. I still have an aversion to them, but I am no longer able to just keep my mouth shut. Someone had shared a news post that read that President Trump was going to change the definitions of mental illness and he believed that those with a mental illness should be forcibly contained to protect the public due to the recent mass shootings that took place here in the states. My response was simply..

“Okay, can I just ask, how much more dystopian does the world need to get before we recognize it as a dystopia?”

Again, I felt this to be harmless, just a question, however I had someone who said that this was needed to get “help” for the homeless and it was the right move to make. My response was that in essence what was being said here was that if the definition of mental illness was changed to include anxiety, depression, homosexuality, and even disagreeing with the words of those in power, that they could forcibly contain anyone at any time. This seemed dystopian, and while probably not how it would be intended to be used, it is still a huge policy shift, just as the shift to make abortions illegal, or the shift in immigration policy, or the shift when it came to the pipeline that went through Native American lands, or the shift to stop trying to find green energy to stop climate change. So many little shifts have happened, and I decided it was time to do some research, as I do. The following quote is from an article by a David Tollerton of the University of Exeter, the link to the article will be below.

“When it comes to an event as ultimately extreme and emotive as the Holocaust, we should of course be wary of blunt and counterproductive comparisons. In this regard Lipstadt’s article offers a powerful corrective. But this is not the end of our task.

It is the task of historians to draw parallels, however uncomfortable. Nazism didn’t immediately descend into fully fledged terror in the Germany of the 1930s, it came in a series of legal and policy shifts. There were those, in Germany as well as in the rest of the watching world – who strongly objected from the start to the laws that took away Jewish rights and protections and continued to oppose Hitler and his supporters as the nightmare unfolded. But there were also many people in whom Nazi rhetoric found all-too fertile ground.

A similar dynamic is in operation today. The gradual “othering” of migrants to the US – and, indeed, of refugees in Europe and elsewhere – has the same feeling of an incremental downward spiral in the public’s humanity, and it is here that historians have a duty to draw comparisons rather than simply seeking to police the border between historical events.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/comparisons-between-us-immigration-policy-and-the-nazi-period-may-not-be-helpful-but-they-are-hard-to-avoid-98879

This caught me off guard. I was doing my best to not correlate the events of today with nazi Germany, and while the events themselves are not the same, the fact that the parallels are there is terrifying. So what do we do when the world is falling down around us? Is this not something that could be seen in a dystopian novel by a notable author such as Phillip K. Dick? And if we are already in dystopia, what do we do next?

A wise woman said to me recently that the revolution must start within us. I do believe that is a great start, that the individual can make the difference. And so I try to start a revolution here and now, not by writing something saying that we should stand up. When you hear the words “gun violence” your mind immediately goes to the word “gun”, and then we decide without them the shootings would stop. But what if the word we should be looking at is “violence”? What if every single person planted something helpful to the planet once a month? What if we simply said we weren’t going to go to work until women had complete rights to their bodies? What if every time you saw a person being harassed because of the color of their skin you walked over and put yourself between the attacker and the victim?

I have decided that I will make changes where I can, I have decided that the revolution is already upon us, and I have decided not to sit down anymore, to ignore a comment on facebook from someone who doesn’t agree with my morals just because it is uncomfortable, to not post something just because it may upset someone. If I want change in the world, I need to be that change. It’s the Fibonacci sequence, if I can inspire one other person, and then another, and then two more, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and so on. In this endeavor I have decided to try to post some videos in the near future of things I have done or will be doing. They may not be often, they may not be long, but they will be there. And the first of which will include this…

This is my first attempt at a hydroponics system. The plant I have chosen is the peace lily because of its ability to scrub the air around me, and I will be expanding this system as time and finances allow. I will document how I did it, and what I will be doing to it as time goes on, and I hope it might allow some revolutionaries or young activists to feel that they can do something for this planet, even if it is small.

On July 3rd I was minding my own business and looking though my Facebook feed, as I am prone to do in times of great boredom, when I stumbled across a news article titled “Trump dismisses need for climate change action: ‘we have the cleanest water we’ve ever had, we have the cleanest air’”. Now normally I do not engage in drama on the internet, I like my quite little corner where I can read and watch everything that is happening, but this time it was different. You see, when it comes to things that have to do with environment, I can feel rather passionate, so I shared and added my own little bit at the top that said

“Cleanest air and water compared to where? Venus? Titan? Flint, Michigan? O___o does anyone know where I can get a copy of these reports?”

I should have known better, I received a few funny comments, and then received the one that prompted the writing of this particular post you are reading now.

“Our Country is one of the cleanest I’ve ever been to. Yes he’s absolutely right if the rest of the world was as clean as America wouldn’t have that problem why don’t you go protest in China”

I was taken aback. It wasn’t that this person wasn’t known to say things like this, it was that I am not accustomed to being the start of or even being a part of such internet drama. I felt something inside myself, something my ancestors probably felt when the faced something they knew was wrong and that something had to be done. The feeling led me to do the one thing I never thought I would, I responded...

“This is very true, and I’m not disputing that fact. I’m actually very glad you brought that up. My point here is that the segregation of countries is causing us to miss other important things. I live in California, and the LA aqueduct drained lake Owens, the dust particles from the now dry lake bed are a carcinogen and particles of that lake have been found in lung cancer patients as far away as Russia.

The point I’m making here is that if one country has bad air, we all have bad air. It doesn’t matter the distance and toxins do not obey borders. Everything in this world is cause and effect, reactions even. If you strike a person in the solar plexus, he will double over. You can then strike him in the face or throat easier because you know where it will be moving. If we stand by as an attacker strikes at us and don’t react then aren’t we giving up? Chemicals, toxins, carcinogens. These are our attacker. By not trying to do something, even if it’s uncomfortable or hard to do, then we are going to be beaten. We need to as a species defend ourselves from the threat. And segregation will only make it harder to do. I’d rather be ready for a fight then pretend one won’t happen.

That being said, I do agree with you that America is one of the more clean countries. I just think it could be cleaner.

also, I want you to know that I’m not trying to upset, I just like a good debate and I love hearing everyone’s side of things. It’s the philosopher in me. I would actually love to talk about this topic further when I’m not heading to work if you are up for it.”

I felt the way I responded would have helped steer my point home, and hopefully prevent the online arguing I am so adverse to...unfortunately that is not how these things tend to go. His response was as follows.

“no debate. It’s liberal fools that destroyed California with open borders. You stated it your self segregation of countries. It’s what keeps out disease. Keeps people safe. You and your ideas are what is killing the American. Dream. Don’t protest here, move to China and do your whining. See how far it gets you.”

The feeling got stronger, I felt like fighting against injustice, standing shoulder to shoulder with my brothers and sisters to save the planet, I heard the ancestors screaming in my ears. I spent the next two days writing a response, but Facebook wouldn’t let me send the whole thing, it was to long. I shared it with two close friends, and they suggested I post it someplace where it may actually do some good, and that leads me to here. I hope you all enjoy the following.

“I really would like to keep this from becoming an argument and keep this strictly scholarly, but I would like to make a few points. The first being that I am not a Democrat, I am republican. But that doesn’t change the fact that I am also a tactician, a science major, and a martial artist. Being those things means a few things. The first of those is that I stand for what the definition of republican means.

Republican: adj.

having the supreme power lying in the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them or characteristic of such government.

I will be adding links below anything in quotations to my sources to allow for citation.

“The core beliefs of the Republican Party are centered on the idea that each person is responsible for their own place within society. The party believes that the government’s role is to enable the people to secure the benefits of society for themselves, their families, and for those who are unable to do so for themselves. Republicans believe in limiting the Government’s intervention in the work of the individual towards prosperity. The government should only intervene when society cannot function at the level of the individual. This also means that the party believes in keeping the government as close to the individual as possible, and should be focused mainly on the state and community level, not centered at a federal level.”

https://www.republicanviews.org/what-is-a-republican-republican-definition/

Now that I believe I have put my political stance in order, let’s move on.

From a tacticians point of view, the only thing we have to loose by repairing the environment is money and time. I would rather prepare for a possible problem and be proactive then pretend it is impossible that it could happen and be reactionary. Preparation is always better then procrastination. To quote Issui Sensei, “During a state of order you should consider and prepare for war and in a time of disorder you should think for the best way to bring about peace.” If you believe we are in a state of order, then you need to be ready for and open to anything that may happen that brings disorder. If you believe we are in a state of disorder, then you shouldn’t be arguing with everyone and should be open to new ideas and thoughts in a hopes to find a way to bring about order again. Anything less then that is ignorance and arrogance.

Next, from a scientific perspective. I am not one that just excepts things blindly, if the president says we have the cleanest air and water, I would like to see the report. That is all. If he said we had the dirtiest water and air, I would want to see the report. The fact is that I don’t just except climate change because. Scientist tells me its real, except it because I myself have done the experiments in my own home and have see the results. I am not excepting the word of someone else, I am excepting my own word on it. That being said, if you could provide me with tangible data that said we are not dooming our species, and it was from a trusted source or from multiple sources, then I would be willing to except it as truth. It really is that simple. If you want to change my mind, it is possible, but you need data, reports, and proof.

Now from a martial artist viewpoint. I think I covered that in my other post, but I will go over it again. If you get into a fight you do everything you can to survive, you punch and kick and bite. It’s my life or theirs. That is what we have here. Not between to people, but between all humans on earth and the threat of extinction. I will fight, and it doesn’t matter where I fight, because no matter how much better America is compared to someone else, it can always be better then its current state. No matter how good you are at fighting, there is always someone better out there, and you can always train harder and be better then yourself. So no matter how good America can be, it can always improve.

Okay, now let’s dissect the “killing the American Dream” statement you made.

The historian James Truslow Adams first defined the American dream in 1931 by saying "The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement." And it is protected in the Declaration of Independence where it says “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Here it clearly says all men, not just Americans. It is an ideal that is meant to be without borders and self evident in all people. If you call yourself American then you have to believe in this common ideal.

https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-the-american-dream-quotes-and-history-3306009

However, we are seeing this ideal being terribly twisted for personal gain and profit. People’s liberties are being taken, and their rights are being infringed upon. The follow pictures in the link below are examples of those rights being infringed upon. If you can look at these people and tell me that you would be able to do what they are and it wouldn’t be against your inalienable rights then my point is moot, because you will have proven to me that this is the normal way all humans should be treated. But if you wouldn’t willing live the way these people are being forced to live, then you will have to agree with me that it isn’t American to do so, and anyone doing this to another person is not only morally bankrupt, but also un-American. “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” “Whatever is hurtful to you, do not do to any other person.” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I think these words have lost their meaning today. And if you say my thoughts here are liberal brain washing, I would state that these ideals are in fact republican based off of the definition above.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzOctt1ne_x/?igshid=1c05wg1vwiabz

It is true that people spread diseases, it is also true that animals spread disease as well, especially livestock. So if we are to shut our borders to the world, it would only make sense to provide better regulations to livestock as well. Yet that threat is also being over looked. It’s also important to note that my argument was not against border control, but for the well being of our environment. I know that climate change is real, and not because I saw it on the news, I in fact do not watch the news. All the news is propaganda. All news agencies are owned by the same companies. Instead I do my own research rather then just repeating something that some face on the television told me. If people could just get rid of their personal biases, try to work to helping other people, helping the planet, helping life, then we would have a great America again. But while America spends more money on the prison system then the school system, women’s bodies are seen as property of the state, the melanin content of a persons skin dictates your worth in society, or those in need at the steps of the temple are cast out to die in the streets America will never be as great as it could be, no where near. Nowhere in any of the documents for this country does it ever say that hate and segregation are the way to me things better, it only talks about unification and good will towards all men. And THESE are what it really means to be American, Republican, and human. We should be setting the example, not just ignoring it till it goes away and blaming others for not doing enough. America is supposed to be better then that.”