Larger topics than my little world...

It's been an oddish day. I live way up in the hills, nearest town is small. I work at an arts school, and most times we maintain a relatively retreat-like atmosphere. We're geographically isolated, and are fairly insulated by choice from the rest of the world. No tv, little radio. We just recently got broadband, and only in the last couple of weeks have made it accessible. So theres a certain layer of removal from the "world down the mountain".

We're not illiterate, or uninformed. In fact some of us reach long and far to get information, input, stimulation. But truthfully, we can and often do choose to not be immersed in a lot of the tragedies of the greater world. This sounds arrogant, but its not meant to be. It is more an attempt to limit distraction so people can focus on their creative work, a luxury that they may not ever get anywhere else.

But occasionally, something so powerful will float into our little world, and demand attention by its mere presence. This is not a bad thing. It challenges us, and makes us stop and reflect on our place in the world.

Today, 2 occurences, from different sources, but sharing a common thread. This thread demands attention. The first is the link I stumbled on at lunch and pointed to earlier. I'll repost it here in case it got lost in my haloscan installation and testing:
click here and go down about 2/3 of the page, and click on the "watch the movie link". Really watch it, don't mult-task. Pay attention. When that is done, go to Broken Windows and read Kate's Tuesday entry. Then, make sure everyone you know reads it. And think about how you can spread the message these two different sources are sharing.

I rarely will write about anything of great social or political concern. So many others are better informed, and can present their thoughts and feelings much more eloquently. I know there are things in this world that suck badly; I am aware that our government creates and perpetuates a lot of pain and misery. This happens both internally and internationally. And lately, daily, even hourly, we are getting glimpses of just how rotten things are. Something must change. And my little opinion is that the change can only come with rising awareness by huge numbers of people. Change has to begin on a personal level.

You cannot deny the power of seeing 20, 200, or 2000+ empty soldiers boots. You cannot deny the power of images of rows of gravestones, of lists of names. You cannot deny the power of pages and pages of rememberances for every casualty in this stupid war, published in every newspaper you might have occasion to pick up. Because knowing even a little bit about that casualty makes it personal. It is a little sliver of direct experience, one that any of us might suffer (and many have). Each piece represents a person. And there is the power. Take all this stuff out of the abstract, and make it personal. Then make it personal to the powers that have visited this hellish scene onto our world, and hold them accountable.

Yes they hold all the keys, all the power, most of the money, and many of the resources. But I have to believe that principles, humane ethics, and common decency can somehow win out over the evil. If I didn't, I don't know how I'd get up in the morning. And it feels, it feels like oh so slowly, maybe the tide is finally turning. Too late, for sure, but better late than not at all.

So do what you can, when you can. Let it be personal, and let that be our strength. Let's don't let ourselves be anesthetized by abstracts. Make it personal, and make THEM feel it.