| questions about gender and war | 5 comments |
 2004-03-23 18:02, by Julie Solheim-RoeI wrote this for a local Glastonbury e-forum tonight. Good evening ~ albeit morning~ Fact: Somewhere around 90% ? of all violent crimes are committed by men. I've heard it from the authorities on violence, etc... for many years. Here's some links I have found: Some UK stats Crimes by Men National Abuse Facts Interesting bit on women in Arizona prisions I don't blame men, but I do blame patriarchy, which subconsciously, consciously and insidiously breeds a male-dominated regime/ matrix/ whirld... that subjugates women and what we call 'feminine' values. I think it subjugates what is our True Nature. There is much evidence that what we call feminine qualities -- nurturing, Life-giving attributes -- were once donned by males in matri-focal, egalitarian societies. No surfs or wars. Mesopotamia and Old Europe, etc. I do think that in today's living western mythos, that until we consciously de-tox from our inner patriarchy, whatever the gender, that we are acting in the false prism of dominating hierarchies, where it's about power over or under another individual or institution or group or race or class. Either we are participating in the status-quo or we are about standing for change. And usually, we all fall in between, and hopelessly towards the former not the latter. Often we supplant our patriarchy and participation in the 'cult of authority' from the collective psyche of our past, Piscean internal institution, to the seeming 'new paradigm' world or world view we try to inhabit... without even realizing it. I feel that is evident in the microcosm of Glastonbury and any alternative-related world. But at least we ARE trying. The goal should be, are we trying to shine the light of illumination upon where our individual and collective psyche's are still split --- or are we still trying to look smarter, bigger, more evolved, than our brother/ sister? ... Or trying to really embrace, ourselves, each other and the disenfranchised that the patriarchy creates with the have's and have nots in our communities and in our larger planet? ---- I am reminded of Liz's brilliant post about the artists a while back. Where is the desire to link in the heart, to be more tolerant, embracing, understanding, compassionate and to truly take responsibility for HOW we got here? To truly find dialogue, discourse and talke true accountability. Are we listening to the cries of pain and anguish with our intellect and avoidance? There's that River again. Should we transcend it all, not feel the emotive aspect of the reality of what we have created 'down here'? No, not until all the lambs are fed. And saved. We can no longer wait until we have saved ourselves, first. We have to do it, all at once. For we ARE, ourSelves! One time whilst in a 'who's who' exclusive party in Hollywood, I met some really turned on people. Talent, Light and major Creativity present in One Room. I stood in the centre and witnessed brilliant conversations. The Stars where shining in everyone's eyes. I had one of those Moments, where you can See All the World, and Beyond... and then you keep shopping wood and carrying water.... Usually these moments are after a 21 day fast, or after a long initiation in a Himalayan type environ.... but here I was, at a Hlwyd Party, and was Present with the Truth. A Christ-like Vision, perhaps. With some tears and an open heart, I said to the one Witness to my Moment... "There is enough talent, money and creativity in this room tonight to Save the World.... " ............. The point was, instead of standing around and comparing and showing each other their inside and outside beauty and Light, they could be healing Los Angeles. Just to start. And, eh, I think WE could, here, as well. Instead of sitting around and typing these treatise's.... we indeed, could be sharing our experiences and embracing our very vulnerability as a shared people at a very tenuous and unpredictable point in his/herstory. I embrace what Cat brought up here. And I feel it is something to look at, and we can never stop... on a variety of levels. And instead of the brilliant philosophizing... well, something, some thing, SOME THING... could be looked at, so much deeper. Why did the Men rebel against their Mothers? And why do they still? Because patriarchy has taught us to. I always bring it back to: What about the Children? The True Inner Child - Spirit in us all? What about the Love? What about the Planet? Joy? The Lost Dreams? The Wonder? These things, they are pure luxuries, in most parts of this world. Why? Mainly because -- Men with guns, the biggest guns, are getting away with it. Men with the purses. And the power. That we give them. And corruption rules the day. I remember what MLK,jr said: "The reason there is so much evil in the world, is not because there are a lot of evil people. It is because the good people, sit on their porches and do nothing." ~Julie |