Thursday, December 31, 2009

Without being mawkish ...


... let me mark the end of a decade in which, globally speaking, man's inhumanity to man increased and much suffering in the name of God was inflicted on the world. A world where teenagers in Iran are hanged because they are gay; a world where gay men and women are disenfranchised, criminalized, persecuted, and written out of history. A world where women are mutilated and murdered because they are women. A world in which the word inappropriate denies the voice that still crieth in the wilderness; where warfare is accomplished; where a highway is made straight in the desert, but not for our God; where the hungry are not satisfied and where no mercy is obtained.

What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature.

Voltaire.

9 comments:

  1. Know you are not alone in your statement of the world condition. It has been an insane and deadly decade that will forever affect the world. There is seemingly no justice and often times no mercy. Which is why when you find kindness, it is to be recognized and honored. And that is what I see in you. To a new year and a new decade, wishing you and your beloved all the best.

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  2. Ditto -have you read 'crisis' - written in part by Mitchell Gold (of the furniture store). A really powerful book -his coauthor, mindy drucker, gave me a copy of it at a book signing for one of his design books. If you email me your address I'll gladly mail it to you as a belated holiday gift!
    Happy New Year! Hopefully the next decade will show improvement!

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  3. Home before dark - I am very grateful for your comments, support and best wishes. It looks so formal, my response, but it is heartfelt. I, too, wish you the best for the coming years.

    ArchitectDesign - thank you for your very kind offer. I have not read the book but am looking forward to doing so. I'm loathe to take it from you when it clearly is a valued part of your library so shall write under separate cover, as it were. Exactly, let's hope for the coming decade. Happy New Year to you too.

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  4. Blue, one good thing has been finding like minds, though mine twists and turns a bit-I appreciate your work on this blog and the words you write. This world continues on, I hope everyone can find some small gifts in daily life because I think they are in truth the big ones we are given. In reading our Histories(man's)little seems changed, heeded, improved, and yes it is perhaps worse. The human spirit in all those persecuted lingers and rekindles in others-it is why their friends and loved ones Do continue their causes and work. Gaye

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  5. it starts with awareness. thanks for posting. may efforts for change be realized in this coming decade.

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  6. Someone wrote on my blog yesterday, speculating that, perhaps, at the stroke of midnight last, the world would heave a collective sigh of relief. If only it were so easy.

    Thank you for keeping us all, relentlessly, on alert.

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  7. In this last decade children were born, mine among them. We have no choice but to way of stive to do better instead of sinking into despair as we might when we look around ourselves. May the cycle turn - shared wisdom could help. I feel better already knowing there are sensitive people out there. Best wishes to you for this new year.

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  8. There is goodness in the world and we must continue to grasp at whatever shred of it we can find. That is called hope. Cheers, J.

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