Lessons in High-Tech Lynchings

Last night I was watching the debate between Clinton and Obama on ABC. In truth it really wasn't a debate as much as it was a "High-tech lynching," to quote a famous phrase.

It was a very interesting lesson on (in)human behavior. I recall when the Clinton’s used to talk about “The politics of personal destruction,” and how it had been used against them and how “wrong,” it is to do. So what happened was you had Hillary Clinton, George Stephanopoulos (former Clinton aide/advisor) and Charlie Gibson gang-up and attack Obama, doing that very thing. It was quite the shameful exercise. What he spent 45 minutes answering was for other peoples lives and not his own. It was ripping, tearing and clawing. Sad, sad, sad,sad, sad.

This got me to thinking about how and why human beings go to the trouble to tear each other down. Rather than look for ways to help and affirm each other, we have the capacity to set each other on fire and then walk away as if nothing ever happened.

If things are going to get better for us, we need to focus our time and energy on the issues that really matter. Here are a few that are near and dear to my heart.

I care about education, because on one side I have two children. But the truth is that if you have children or you want to improve yourself by going to school, I think we should be able to do that. I have a friend who went to Germany from China and instantly got to go to a University for FREE. I was astonished. BTW, that "No child left behind" need to be put in a grave. It's actually managing to destroy kids dreams, not lift them up.

I am concerned about healthcare, yours and mine. It amazing to me that I know not just a few but many people to have no or what I call "make pretend" health insurance. I include in this vision and dental issues as well. While I think we probably do have the finest doctors in the world, access to those services is a completely different issue. There are fellow human beings that need help that could improve their life, but won't get help because of a card.

I care about staggering gas prices. This is not only effecting peoples immediate pocketbook, but what we can do, what we can eat and spans out into how we live. The poor stay poor and the rich stay rich. Why? Because of simple issues like this.

I care about the state of our economy. Are you, your friends and family really better off than you where over the last eight years? The cost of living has far out paced actual salaries. I recall that insane Bush moment when the lady was saying I work 3-4 jobs and Bush said, "Look at this hard working woman. I think that's great." Now that's out of touch.

Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. Negative action can never produce positive results. No violence and killing should not only be a Buddhist imperative but a human one. People are not collateral damage. They are human being that we should find ways to connect with and lift up, not hold down, bury and burn. I don't think America is really about making the entire world over in our image. Our founding Fathers would be bummed out at us.

Finding ways to make improvements in these area's is just as much Zen practice as sitting on a black cushion, for in dealing with these issues we unify not only ourselves but each other. And for those in the know, this is no other than Mu.

So what are we going to do? Get distracted by the high-tech, reality show style lynchings handed to use by partisans and companies like ABC did last night, or will we chose something better? It's really on us.

Love and Respect,

Jaye Morris, Curator
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