it's so difficult to know what to say,
but it's also difficult to keep silent.
the u.s. has a history of racism, of oppression and hatred of Others.
a black male was killed here in denver a couple of years ago for no other
reason than the color of his skin. i feared (and expected) that some
innocent u.s. citizens would be attacked as Others Like The Terrorists.
but, i have also more hope than i did on tuesday
i have read so many email messages and seen memorial services
that honor the diversity of people in this country and whose children are
making fliers (i can't remember who posted this) reminding us that
hate is not a hero.
i have read and seen communications about the lives of human beings in
afghanistan and elsewhere outside
the largest undefended borders in the world.
information is powerful
the terrorists had the information they needed and could hide or prevent
the u.s. authorities from getting information about them.
we are talking,
my son's friend was not afraid to tell his coworkers that he did not
support war and would leave the u.s. if it came to that. many of them have
been giving him the cold shoulder and one even lectured him on his duty as
an american.
but, he did speak out.
this is a time to communicate, to open the channels, to encourage
all voices. i have heard voices shouting nationalistic war-mongering
and i have heard voices urging retraint, even compassion.
i have heard all sides of these emotionally-charged issues (many i never
would have imagined on my own).
keep talking.
(i guess that's all i wanted to say)
kathie
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Words are the thunders of the mind.
Words are the refinement of the flesh.
Words are the responses to the thousand curvaceous moments---
we just manage it---
sweet and electric, words flow from the brain
and out the gate of the mouth.
We make books of them, out of hesitations and grammar.
We are slow, and choosy.
This is the world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary Oliver - The Leaf and the
Cloud
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Katherine_Goff@ceo.cudenver.edu
http://ceo.cudenver.edu/~katherine_goff/index.html
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