It's a terrible week (Memorial/RFK), and this young'n could use advice...

[DerekG]

I suppose this is a thread for leftist DUers; others would just tell me to wait until November and everything will improve. I may only be 21, but my outrage, my horror, and my fear can not be dispelled by that rhetoric.

This new week is hitting me hard.

I couldn't bring myself to celebrate this holiday, nor could I marvel at the new memorial in Washington. True, I admire the men who fought and died in their efforts to destroy the Third Reich. But I take little consolation in our victory in WWII: not only did it end in an ignominuous act of mass-murder (Hiroshima/Nagasaki), but it also signaled America's emergence as Empire. It's as if our government absorbed the barbarity of Hitler and Tojo's, and wasted no time in forging the destructive Cold War.

Worse still, a week from now--June 6--will mark the anniversary of Robert Kennedy's murder. He is a hero of mine. Somehow, in the span of several years, RFK evolved from a calculating Cold Warrior into one of our most tortured humanists. Like the prophets of the Old Testament, he warned us of the dangers of materialism, economic inequality, and wanton violence. His connection to the Kennedy fortune and reputation--accentuated by his conviction and gentility--provided us with the means to save the soul of this country. But he was taken from us.

This week reminds me how powerful and omnipresent the oft-mentioned military-industrial complex is (somehow, I think Eisenhower's farewell address was but a fleeting moment of conscience, based on his administration's abominable foreign policy). I have read some of the works of Chomsky, Vidal, Zinn (my favorite), Parenti, Blum, and McGowan. Like others at the DU, I know about our campaigns of violence in several dozen countries in the past 55 years. I know about the legions of crimes perpetrated by the CIA (PAPER-CLIP, MK-ULTRA, PHOENIX to name but a few). The very mention of FEMA or COINTELPRO sends chills up my spine.

And although I will be voting for Kerry, I do so only because I fear the dispensationalist theology of that faux Christian, George W. Bush. But I have little faith that Kerry will change things. I wanted Dennis Kucinich, but I lament the possibility that if he stood a chance of being nominated, he would have been railroaded by the media and DLC, or possibly murdered by other forces.

I'm frustrated. Despite the pleasure I take from the Books of Exodus, Amos, Micah and the New Testament, despite the inspiration I draw from the populist works of Dickens and Steinbeck, I don't know how our country can escape the fascist institutions that holds it hostage. I believe in democracy and the goodness of people, but the opposition is too overwhelming, far too monstrous.

I would appreciate any advice or thoughtful words you guys might have.

[roguevalley]

1. I remember this all too, honey. You need to take a break from the news

for a few days and get your center back. Try reading
Studs Terkel. Try volunteering to do something for
someone, maybe mow the lawn of an old person. You might
get into gardening. Physical things help the battered
soul.

I know hope feels in short supply but writing and reading,
exercizing and doing something for others, it helps. Truly.

[DeadHead67]

2. KEEP THE FAITH BABY !!!!

. . . as we used to say in the sixties. It may seem stupid and cliche', but it seems to be saying more to me today than it did then. I too felt lost and overwhelmed until just this year. For you it was Kucinich, for me it was Dean and the light of hope once again began to shine. As the Gospel of John says:"the Light shines in the darkness, and that darkness CAN NOT overcome It". It will NEVER overcome it. That light which we have been given WILL triumph. So, from this old guy to you 'youn un' KEEP THE FAITH !!!! (and let's get to work making it a tangible reality)

[maggrwaggr]

3. You might as well get it all at once.

If you haven't hit this thread, hit it.

Read the article. It will blow your mind.

It won't cheer you up, but it will take you right to rock bottom, so you can hopefully bounce.

:)


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1696082&mesg_id=1696082&page=

[RBitt]

4. Chomsky, Vidal, Zinn (my favorite), Parenti, Blum, and McGowan

That'll give anyone a headache. Perspective, my young friend. Despair and they win. Please try to remember that the US did make, and can still make the world a better place> The sacrifice made by the men in the two world wars was, an is , despite the political situations,something you may well never know. My generation went to Vietnam, some against there will, some willingly, and some, myself included, got out of it . But those that went to all of these and never came back are our brothers, uncles,fathers,sons, husbands and lovers. Don't lose sight of the human dimension in all of this political bullshit. Politics is part of life, not all of life. Find some joy some where and take time to be with that. good luck and keep up the good work.

[Andy_Stephenson]

5. That is definately a powerful thread...

read it!

[aquart]

6. 21. Oh, my goodness.

Take a quick trip to the New Testament (this is not an attempt at conversion) where Jesus says "The poor will always be with you..."

Well, honey, so will the rich and greedy. I have no idea why Jesus didn't mention it. Maybe because he was in the house of a rich widow at the time.

Fascists are always there, always waiting to manipulate and grab. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, which is exhausting. No wonder you feel so bleak.

I'm going to give you a few rules from my own family:

Silence is consent. Never suffer in silence. And NEVER suffer alone.

You cannot do more than you can. Do what you can. It matters. But do not attempt to do it all. Stop trying to save the world. Save a kitten. A garden. A traffic light. The big picture is made of millions of pixels, right? The pixels are the efforts of decent people behaving well. Sometimes, very well. And they are everywhere. Sometimes the big picture is the most beautiful thing you ever saw.

You fight for right when you can. That obligation you do have. Why? Because there will be days when you can't fight, and someone will have to do it for you. This is an obligation we have to each other. Don't wait for the big fight. Fight the small ones.

There are people who will tell you don't sweat the small stuff. Fascists seize power from the ground up, not the top down. Fight on the ground. Don't let anyone tell you something is too small to matter.

But don't nitpick yourself into defeat, either. Get clear on what's necessary at a given moment. Right now, we defeat Bush. THEN we have to battle to roll back every single one of his horrendous and inequitable laws, rules, memos. And each time, we compromise and prioritize, because we won't get it all. We've lost so much, and some of it is never coming back. Or not soon, anyway. We can't fight all those battles today. But the day after inauguration, we get busy.

And be prepared for a shock: Sometimes we win.

[booksenkatz]

7. aquart, that was beautiful

Although I'm 43, I've been feeling like this 21-year-old lately... I needed your words.

Thank you.

[DeadHead67]

8. Jesus and the Rich Guys . . . . .

He may not have mentioned the 'rich guys' in that particular story, but if you read the whole book, His harshest criticism was reserved for the Rich and Powerful. Contrary to what the 'fundamentalists' would have you believe, sexual missteps were not His primary concern. But then it's my contention that the so-called Evangelicals aren't reading the same book I am. Look up Dorothy Day and or Catholic Worker on Google or one of the search engines. Believe it or not, Christian and Socialist are NOT exclusive terms. (the current crop of Catholic Bishops notwithstanding)

[aquart]

11. I believe you.

Doesn't matter what your religion is, it's how you practice it.

I was very young, in the days of black and white TV, when I saw a television interview with an old Polish farmer. It was conducted thru an interpreter because he didn't speak any English. He was visiting America as the guest of the people whose lives he'd saved, Jews, by hiding them during the War.

The interviewer asked him why he'd risked his life for strangers. Thru the interpreter he said, "I had to. I'm a Catholic."

I never forgot him. Obviously.

My mother tells me there's a street in Israel lined with the many names of people just like him.

[amjsjc]

9. All that is neccessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing...

Derek:
I'm only 22, so I'm probably in no position to dispense sage wisdom, but here's my advice on the matter: The worst disservice we can possibly do to this country is to give up on it. For every die hard Republican drone out there you'll find a dedicated liberal, and we can fight the bastards tooth and nail so long as we ourselves don't loose hope.
The fact that things look bleak only means that it's necessary for each and every one of us to redouble our efforts to make things better.
Campaign, agitate, protest and fight the good fight with every ember of your being. Carpe diem. --AMJ

PS: If you want to do something quick and concrete go to contribute.johnkerry.com and make a campaign contribution

[He loved Big Brother]

10. Young people could make or break everything

They just don't realize it for the most part. I'm 24, and two years ago I felt hopeless and like I had zero place in the Democratic party. Then Dean re-energized me, and I realized the best thing I could do was vote and get many of my peers to vote as well. Also, contribute. Moveon.org is where I send my $ these days.

And when I feel the most despair, turn off the TV. The longer I leave it off, the less helpless I feel.

[AndyTiedye]

12. Rekinding My Fears of Kerry Getting RFKed

using one of those "vets against Kerry" as the fall guy.

What would we do then?

[aquart]

13. Do you remember that slate of excellent men in our primaries?

We can lose Kerry and still have a candidate.

Which is why we are going to have a damned good Democrat in the VP slot. Right?