as originally printed in the January 6, 2010 edition of the Centreville Press
Project: Dehumanizer…of Labels and Contradictions
By Daniel L. Bamberg
In my short life I have seen sparks become embers, then ash and eventually forgotten dust. Thoughts are the revolutionary flames which burn the wick of labels, but contradictions typically extinguish the thought and so continues the cycle of dehumanity…a project we all partake in apathetically.
In our bold attempts to become something magnificent we have lost passion, humility, and charm. Since the discovery of fire we have sought more ways to burn. Since the invention of the gun we have sought more ways to kill. Since the discovery of faith part of humanity has sought more ways to use it for control. Others have sought ways to blame faith for everything wrong. Since the idea of freedom became so profound we have done nothing more than bastardize its very nature.
In America, we consider our elected officials our leaders, though they are meant to serve and represent us. Medicine has become a business due to our own greed and apathy. Just as with Socialism and Communism there are dark shadows lurking in all that looks good on paper within Capitalism. Some Americans stand up for their "opportunity" to succeed and yet ignore how many of the weak, suffering, and stricken are tossed aside. Persons of faith trade truth regularly for cold lies. We tell lies on Sundays and 9 to 5 Monday through Friday. The question remains, is our conscience clear?
The current recession is perhaps that which defines 2000-2009 globally. There has been a complete collapse. Yet are the rich suffering? Sure they canceled their African Safaris, fired their pool boys, traded in duck for chicken, and gave their teenagers mustangs instead of corvettes for Christmas.
That's not suffering, not at all. Jack Kerouac once wrote, “if you own a rug, you own too much.” We all enjoy luxury but how many consider luxury necessity? Our world is without romance because we bed it that way. We lack passion because we extinguished our own flames. Faith is being attacked because we traded spirituality for religion. Our poets are muted and our artists are unsung. Meanwhile love and war have become eerily similar.
We vote with our pocket books, which we use high atop a hill looking down at the poverty stricken, the products of our own greed. Overlooking financial burdens below is a “Barnes and Noble” store. For sale on the inside are the journals of tortured poets and philosophers who died nearly starved. Now their works make profit for someone who spits in the face of those starving today.
In Mountain Brook, Alabama wealthy citizens praise the works of men and women who struggled with social problems, financial turmoil, madness, and disease. Meanwhile, they pay for their children to attend major art schools while shunning the next Poe, Keats, Thomas, Sinclair, and Hughes living in slums down the way. They read books about how to properly compose poetry and critique visionaries for improper meter. This represents the contradiction within all society. Art is rebellious, romantic, and thrives without rules. Faith is empowering, love is unrelenting, and political position is representation and service. In the real world however, art is mass marketed, faith is controlling, love is myth, and political position creates bullies. We have gone way damn wrong.
In 2010 a black skinned Democrat will run for Governor of Alabama. In the about-face Christian-conservative south, Artur Davis doesn't seem to have a chance. If he were a Caucasian Free Mason who holds prayer meetings in his office daily after running a campaign financed by Indian Casinos while running against gambling for the "Christian" vote he'd have a chance. If he had suggested that voting "no" on new taxes would result in the freedom of rapists and murderers rather than the release of those imprisoned over petty drug crimes or minor theft, he'd be looking golden right now. Some will not vote for Davis because he's black. Thank God Jewish Jesus Christ wasn't a racist, or their cracker souls would burst hell wide open.
On the other side of the equation, people will vote for Davis because he is black. Martin Luther King wanted everyone to be judged by the conduct of their character not skin color. Voters should look at the record of all politicians. If race and partisanship weigh on your heart at the polls, I request your voting rights on rolls of toilet paper so I can act accordingly.
As long as our concerns lie more in political alliance, skin color, bedroom practices, and celebrity we will not be educated. As long as we allow the media to be our educator we will remain ignorant and controlled. We need to wash ourselves of labels like
Conservative, Liberal, Democrat, Republican, or Libertarian and demand more. Let us not remain of labels and contradictions. The bad thing about labels is that when one places such upon one’s own forehead one is given every stigmatism, which goes with it.
We are all pawns in the same sick global game, the project: dehumanizer. The only cure is to humanize that which has been dethroned. That's my opinion and everybody has one.
Arthur Davis was beaten a long time ago I don't understand why you can call yourself a reporter and not know what is going on. Our new govanor is Robert Bentley. I liked what you had to say but you need to get your facts straight.
ReplyDeleteARTUR Davis was defeated in June. You are correct. That is why you should have noticed that this column was printed in January.
ReplyDeleteI understand that you may have overlooked the "best of" in the title and the original printing date in bold lettering above the piece. I do not however understand how you could have made it through this entire piece and not figured something might have been different. You did the same thing on Jim Oakley's best of.
Do you honestly think we both would have had our facts (especially facts this major) so disorganized? Come on!