People should talk about religion and politics
Most people in our nation assume that the beliefs handed down by their predecessors are infallible, particularly with respect to religion and politics. I would argue to the contrary, based upon empirical evidence that confronts us daily. The average American will emphatically state that they do not discuss religion or politics. Possessing this mindset, is there any wonder why our nation is in the state that it is in today?
How puerile can a citizenry be to ignore two of the most important pillars which underpin their society? They fail to realize that politics plays a highly important role in just about every aspect of their daily lives, in fact the very privileges and rights they enjoy could be usurped in the blink of an eye by maniacal, power-thirsty, empire-minded leaders.
Moreover, religion, for a lack of a better term, also is an integral part of their daily existence. However, with their present mental conditioning I don’t think it would make a lot of difference, particularly in a positive vein, because of the aforementioned beliefs that they have interjected relative to the infallibility of their beliefs passed down by past generations.
As stated above, I would vehemently argue that most of this nonsense passed on has been precisely that: nonsense.
The idea that our country can do no wrong and knows what is best for others is an example of this nonsense, which manifests itself in blind patriotism and racism which no doubt has been a major influence in the policy decisions made by our leaders at the national level.
The war in Vietnam led to the deaths of 58,000 Americans and untold numbers of Vietnamese men, women and children. The basis for this war as espoused by the experts was not unlike the White House’s message today, “Fight the Communists over there so we won’t have to fight them over here,” notwithstanding the fact that the Vietnamese people had never lifted a hand against any American.
The Vietnamese people were fighting for the unification of their country and against foreign occupation. Didn’t the experts know that the Vietnamese had fought the French for 20 years or more based upon these two principles?
I think it highly relevant that the religious leaders in our nation where quite mum regarding the illegality of this conflict, with the exception of Dr. Martin Luther King, who rather belatedly spoke in opposition to this war and was quickly put up on by the right wing element in our country, as well as ignorant Americans who hadn’t a clue, not unlike what happened to the Dixie Chicks who spoke out against the Iraqi fiasco.
It should be obvious to our leaders that a house built on shifting sand will not stand and that unreality is not reality, nor will it ever be. The invasion of Iraq was based upon unreality or, to put it bluntly, a lie; consequently, lessons were not learned in Vietnam. All the reasons for going to war in Iraq have proven false and in my opinion did not have to be.
Had the American people dumped their long-held notions about never discussing politics and religion, this war would not have been, because they would have actively been trying to ascertain the facts about this invasion, thus bringing pressure to bare on their political leaders who were complicit in this illegal act that has led to the deaths of so many of our children and Iraqi citizens.
Again, our religious leaders have remained mute and some have even supported this debacle. It would seem to me that all those “right to lifers” would be in the forefront of the struggle to end this carnage in Iraq.
It is imperative that the American people begin to challenge some of their long-held beliefs passed on to them by their predecessors as to their fallibility or infallibility, based upon historical fact and not tradition, because we are all in God and certainly must want to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; precisely for the above-mentioned reason.
Ron Dennis resides in Uniontown.