The Home of Steven Barnes
Author, Teacher, Screenwriter


Wednesday, June 09, 2010

The Soul Of A Place: Where Does Your Soul Call Home?


This was lovely. And there is a core lesson in the first paragraphs: this woman stepped beyond the political illusions of the "Evil Empire" position, which often resulted in Americans believing that Russians were not as fully human, loving, and caring as Americans. Sting's "if the Russians love their children too" needs to be applied across the bar to Arabs, Israelis, Liberals, Conservative, Gays, Straights, Mexicans, Blacks, Whites, Asians, Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, Men, Women...whoever "the other" seems to be. The illusion of apartness is killing. We can stand strong and defend our borders, way of life, or religion without seeking to shrivel the souls of our opponents. But clearly, that is devastatingly hard for most people. It is easiest to "rally the troops" when our enemies are presented as less than us on the hierarchy of humanity. Pay careful attention when someone invites you to engage in such speculation about another group: that they are essentially "different" and implicitly less: not "wrong in this instance", not "in opposition to us," but less human. Don't be fooled: When your back is turned, they are saying it about you.



www.realherosjourney.com
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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