Please forgive my silent hiatus. Also, I hope Fran will excuse my absence at the gallery tomorrow; my travel plans became unplanned travels for a short bit. I have been westward for two weeks to visit old friends halfway across the country in Oregon, as well as wonderful people from my undergrad and graduate days in Berkeley and Boulder who still reside in those areas. Such a grand time it has been, and if any of you ever read this little corner of cyberspace, thank you with all my heart for your friendship and enriching discussions.
While traveling back home, and waiting for some minor re-tuning of the Prius, I also have taken some time from a few mornings and evenings engaging in some rather stimulating and insightful mental exercises, or perhaps samplings of extremist psyches, so to speak.
Those who have spent innumerable hours conversing with me over hot frappe or deep glass of Italian merlot will understand. It's this sometimes illuminating, sometimes frustrating desire I have for enlightenment into the darker side of the human soul or manner of being, so that perhaps I may learn better how to avoid and/or redirect it more productively in others, so that they may have a better chance at experiencing inner peace.
Call it benevolence of discourse on one hand, "spreading the gospel" of peace and inner calm, or on the other, a version of Sun Tzu's "understand the enemy" tactics, but applied instead to the cause of peace, where verbal and spiritual violence are the "enemy." Through it all, I learn about others and become more enlightened as well!
Why am I sampling the minds of the narrowest ends of the range of religious views? After all, it isn't extremists we should fear, it's their actions and how they manifest their views. This is where I do digress from those in the peace movement who demonize extremists. No one should be demonized or marginalized for their views. We all must share this Earth together, so there must be room for those with whom we disagree. Demonizing, insulting, marginalizing, these lead to war, not peace. After all, even extremists are human beings, of the same flesh and blood as you and I, who happen to carry diverse viewpoints, ideals we may find repugnant, but who still are people deserving of basic human respect.
Perhaps I might share some of those insights soon once their clarity and focus become just a trifle sharper. For now, a brief mental exercise. Imagine how different a combative, aggressive religious zealot/former atheist with a Ph. D. in divinity, and a very combative and at times abusively derisive atheist who is a former religious person, each must be. Now, ponder instead how SIMILAR they could be. It's really amazing, actually.
Peace, love and compassion for all, Susan
http://www.codepink4peace.org
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