My love is like an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain.

[judecorp]

My cat, Ralph, is so adorable I can hardly stand it. She always knows when she is doing something bad. If she is up on the entertainment center munching on the flowers, or if she is on the shelf trying to get at the catnip, all I have to do is stand up or say, "Hey!" and she takes off. It's like she knows exactly what she's doing and is just waiting to get caught.

In other news, I want to publicly announce that when it comes to moderation, Seany Sean is a really bad influence. Although I /did/ get to renew his faith in Crap City^TM, and it seems that the Chicken Noodle Soup I had there really helped!

Today's the day, kids. I remember being in the 11th Grade and learning about Ethics from Calvin and Hobbes cartoons, thanks to Br. Ray who was a phenomenal teacher. "Might makes right. The winners write the history books." Also in Ethics, I remember learning about Lt. Calley for the first time. They say that if we forget history, we're doomed to repeat it. But what about when you're repeating it on purpose? Or what if you only choose to remember certain things? We're all only human, after all, and even history is subjective at its core.

I've heard that it's pathetic or useless to be pacifistic, as if the only choices are violence and "doing nothing." Well, I certainly don't /feel/ useless, and while I might be pathetic, I won't even kill bugs in my home, and I walk around them on the sidewalks. How could I do this and advocate war at the same time? If it's not my place to decide where/when something/someone will die, what other course of action do I have, than to seek peaceful options, and raise my voice? I ask you that.

Comments

[communista.livejournal.com]

I miss your kitters! Also I am still here!

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

We all miss you!

Great cat picture!

[pantsie.livejournal.com]

What a cutie!

Re: Great cat picture!

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Oh, you mean Ralph.

LOL!

[pantsie.livejournal.com]

You're a cutie, too, Jude...

They say that there are always similarities between pets and their owners... ;)

[laughingsal.livejournal.com]

Re: Pacifism. It's easy to just do whatever you're told to do and believe everything you're told to believe. It's more work to challenge it, and think of a better way.

How easy is it to lash out and hit someone you're angry with? It takes more intelligence and self-control to work on real resolutions. Something our leader doesn't have.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Re: Pacifism. It's easy to just do whatever you're told to do and believe everything you're told to believe. It's more work to challenge it, and think of a better way.

I think the same can be true of both sides. Yes, I see your point that aggression is the old way and pacifism is a challenge to that way, a call to think of an option that hasn't been used before. But I think that "just doing what you're told" can apply to both sides, for and against war. After all, how many people refuse to educate themselves to both sides of a debate before choosing one? How many people tow the party line? It's more work to do your own research and come up with your own decision.

How easy is it to lash out and hit someone you're angry with? It takes more intelligence and self-control to work on real resolutions. Something our leader doesn't have.

I totally agree. It's easy to think of anger and aggression, especially when it's been so beaten into us throughout life. I just wonder, sometimes, how someone like our president can be so pro-life when it comes to fetuses and so anti-life when it comes to other arenas. Arguably he is pro-American life in the war situation, but isn't "choosing one person over the other" the argument against abortion in the first place?

My view on pacifism...

[yarnaddict.livejournal.com]

I think that there are extremists on both sides of this issue, and I think we're hearing from a lot of them now. There are those who do not believe that there is ever, under any circumstances, /ever/ a 'valid reason' to go to war. I, personally, think that point of view is naive. Freedom is not free. There are also those who think that hey, if our leader says so, or if 'America' says so, then we're gonna go crush those sumbiches, blow 'em all away, 'cause it's the 'American thing to do'. I personally think that point of view is ignorant. There is very little in this world that is that black and white, and the 'American thing to do' is to champion freedom, not to 'go blow anyone away'.

I don't know if war is the right answer in this particular case. I have no way to have enough information to form that opinion in an educated manner - any information we get is scrubbed and spun and sanitised anyway. I wish fervently that we weren't going to war - because I don't want to see a single life lost to violence. I wish for peace. I believe that every possible peaceful effort should be made before one resorts to violence. But I also believe that there are times when peaceful means are not enough.

I don't believe that there is a 'right answer' to this situation. Just answers that are 'not as wrong'.

[rizzo41.livejournal.com]

Heh. You know what's funny? All I have to do to Marlowe is point at him and say "hey!" too. Guinness will look at me and keep doing what she is doing.. then after I shoo her away she'll come right back..

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Admit it - you use the "mom with a spoon" look.

Re:

[rizzo41.livejournal.com]

Of course!