May 27, 2010
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The Heart of Action
Those of us living in the United States are both blessed and cursed with an incompetent government. The curse is obvious so let's skip to the blessing - they're too incompetent to be effectively evil. Their ability to do wrong is practically cartoonish. The only thing they're good at is lying.
I'm still proud of my country though. This is my ship and I'll sink with her.
I believe my fondness of history has to something to do my morbid interest in horror and apocalyptic literature. There is something I find fascinating about total destruction - possibly because it is the antithesis of what I desire. I am an idealist at heart and a realist in mind. The realist coldly calculates and analyzes disasters. Detachment defends against the pain of seeing the ideal trampled down.
I was watching a film about Ghandi with my classmates and one of them began to sob. We were watching a section about the British gunning down men, women, and children (over a thousand of them) in cold blood. The classmate in question is from India so I'm sure it's more real to him. His father also marched with Ghandi so it would be more personal to him.
Crying makes me uncomfortable but his tears made me think. How callous am I? Shouldn't we all weep when we witness cruelty and brutality? My classmate's heart is still tender and full. I was raised not to cry. I was raised to be hard to violence and ready to use it (properly). Being raised to love the military has never bothered me. What saddens me is that our military is very, very necessary.
The existence of evil should be mourned and fought against - both require strong hearts. Bleeding hearts die out. Beating hearts contain the potential for furious power and the clarity of calm.
And here is where I should launch into a discussion of how the brain is supported by the heart and vice versa but my laptop is burning a hole in my leg sooooo...
Night All
Comments (6)
Beating hearts contain the potential for furious power and the clarity of calm.- that part resonated with me.
I love history... I don't know if it's because I'm very emotional or what but I tend to cry while I'm reading personal accounts from those who had survived such tragedies or lived long enough to tell some of their tale. Watching videos is the same.
"Beating hearts contain the potential for furious power and the clarity of calm." That is very true.
My father used to be in the Navy. He saw too many people died and I used to get angry when he remains stoic and unmoved during funerals, but now I understand why.
Just yesterday I read some really good advice from Michael J. Fox actually, of all people. He was making an argument against pessimism and overanalyzing the "worst case scenario" that hasn't happened yet. He was saying how you might as well hope for the best and deal with the worst IF it hits, because otherwise, you won't be any better prepared and you'll have to live through the pain twice. I thought that was kinda profoud, especially for a worrier like me.
And by profoud, I meant profound. Says the idiot who just got accepted to an English master's program...der!
Ever check out Wallbuilders.com? This guy is supposed to have the largest collection of original documents for American history. I've heard him interviewed, he's pretty interesting. He also wrote a book about government and faith.