Teach or Preach
Jeff Simmermon is an honest fellow who read a reality in the faces of Iraqi voters that fit uncomfortably with his own political convictions.
And he's fair-minded enough to open those convictions to question, and he's ballsy enough to admit that to the world.
That's got to be a hard one to grapple with. But that's how it's supposed to happen, isn't it? I mean, if you're an adult who genuinely wants to do what's right, not a political zombie.
The recent elections, in one sense, were to the anti-war movement what the Abu Ghraib abuse was to war supporters. There was no way to reconcile what you saw with the purposes you embraced. The best you could hope for was to find it was an aberration. The difference is, in this case, an anti-war person could find himself or herself praying that the joy and freedom are just a temporary setback. And no really humane person feels good after thinking like that.
So I'm glad to see that Jeff's good post got a thoughtful response from Smash.
Academics are fond of talking about such times as "teachable moments." What that usually amounts to is hectoring people who disagree with you at a time when they are vulnerable because they're trying to grapple with realities that overrun the bounds of their philosophies.
As one who has been through that, I can tell you it's about as helpful as salt in a wound. At the very least, it overlooks the fact that even people who wish to learn do not like being "taught." At the worst, the "teachable moment" experience only encourages you to scar over as quickly as possible, the better to get back into the fight against people who want to stuff poison into you through the wound.
Better, much better, to approach that person who's been whacked upside the head by reality with the Golden Rule in mind. An openly acknowledgment that we've all bee there. An honest word, not a sermon, and a respect for him as a rational person trying to act on a set of decent values.
And he's fair-minded enough to open those convictions to question, and he's ballsy enough to admit that to the world.
I still am no Bush fan, and I know that America got lied to. I know we shouldn't have gone, and I think Rove is as evil as they come. But through all this deception and lying, through all this dismemberment and pain, America has wrought a beautiful, fantastic side effect: joy, freedom and a hope for peace. Does it take lies and misdirection to do this?? Is this what the other side of justice is? I feel like such a whiner and I don't know what to think anymore. Ultimately, in total defiance of my mother and grandmother’s teachings, two wrongs have made a right and my moral compass is tired and busted.
That's got to be a hard one to grapple with. But that's how it's supposed to happen, isn't it? I mean, if you're an adult who genuinely wants to do what's right, not a political zombie.
The recent elections, in one sense, were to the anti-war movement what the Abu Ghraib abuse was to war supporters. There was no way to reconcile what you saw with the purposes you embraced. The best you could hope for was to find it was an aberration. The difference is, in this case, an anti-war person could find himself or herself praying that the joy and freedom are just a temporary setback. And no really humane person feels good after thinking like that.
So I'm glad to see that Jeff's good post got a thoughtful response from Smash.
There are many things about this war, including the torture mentioned above, that have left me feeling conflicted. Suffice it to say that the past two years have presented me with many such soul-searching moments, and I believe that the journey has made me a better person.
In the end, I have concluded that my initial instinct was correct, and that invading Iraq to remove Saddam was the right thing to do. I suspect that despite being similarly conflicted, your own judgement will lead you to a different conclusion.
Academics are fond of talking about such times as "teachable moments." What that usually amounts to is hectoring people who disagree with you at a time when they are vulnerable because they're trying to grapple with realities that overrun the bounds of their philosophies.
As one who has been through that, I can tell you it's about as helpful as salt in a wound. At the very least, it overlooks the fact that even people who wish to learn do not like being "taught." At the worst, the "teachable moment" experience only encourages you to scar over as quickly as possible, the better to get back into the fight against people who want to stuff poison into you through the wound.
Better, much better, to approach that person who's been whacked upside the head by reality with the Golden Rule in mind. An openly acknowledgment that we've all bee there. An honest word, not a sermon, and a respect for him as a rational person trying to act on a set of decent values.
