Conscience

I wrote the following in response to an email from someone urging me to sign a petition online for Moveon.org about the crisis in Myanmar.

My reservations regarding the lack of response (in Myanmar, Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia, Vietnam, Turkey, Cambodia, Chile, you name the country and century) by the rest of world lies in my own sense of frustration and anger, but especially my OWN inaction and perceived lack of power (or inability) to truly 'make a difference'.

It is all VERY easy to sign petitions, wave signs, be offended and yes, even shed a few tears. It is easy to rage (as I often do), to shout in frustration, to join campaigns . . . but yet as Shakespeare put it . . . 'full of sound and fury, yet signifying nothing'. We (not just you and I), all of us, salve or attempt to salve our conscience by outward signs and displays of caring and indignation.

It is VERY easy to placard the back of one's car with the signs and exhortations of an outraged majority lulled into somnolence by their satiated lifestyles. To delve (and delve deeply) into those issues seems to be too difficult, too time consuming, too hard to accomplish while I am sucking down another latte while I write this.

The simple fact is however that most of the people (me) continue to live their wasteful lives, unencumbered by any discomfort of any kind in the richest nation in the world. They don't suffer for the most part except for the supposed pangs of their conscience while they complain loudly about the state of 'state'.

What shames me the most? I am one of them at this point. Maybe I always have been. So I get angry, at myself, at America, at the supposed liberals who have no challenges in their lives except to worry how much retirement they have built up. It is easy to be liberal when you are not hungry, not thirsty, have shelter and health care.

No, I don't think people have to suffer to learn humility, to assist others (but it sure might make the world a better place and provide much needed perspective). It would help if people gave things up, if they would donate significant amounts of money, if they would simply volunteer time in their community or especially abroad.

We live such insanely comfortable lives and I am so uncomfortable in this.

People give up part of their lives to provide aide and comfort to others. Why don't more of us do so? We should. Or rather . . . I should.

Am I saying we should not be outraged? No. Should we not rant and rave? No. Should we not plaster our cars and hearts with placards protesting the injustices of the world? No. Should we sign petitions? Yes. Contribute, sign, talk, study.

Most of all though we should take action. We should get out of our comfortable lives. We should give up some things. We should travel and live outside of America, outside of wherever, outside our zone of comfort. We should shut up and do, stop talking about outrage but DO something outrageous about outrage. We should stop indulging ourselves in flapping our gums about those "poor people in XXXX country" when we are not prepared to really do anything except sign a petition in 30 seconds (I just signed it myself . . . but do I feel better?).

I know that for you (and maybe others) I am preaching to the choir. But in the end (whatever that may mean) it will only matter if you or I or anyone takes concrete action. Nothing else matters, especially these words that I write, here and now.

If you have even read this far . . . my thanks.