At some moment, a line was crossed, and everything changed...
(It’s 4 am in Miami and I should be sleeping. But I woke up at two, unable to get back to sleep and decided to write this note to you.)
At the moment the line was crossed, the need for Democrats to hate the Republicans and Republicans to hate the Democrats became more important than being an American. (This is a manifesto inspired by America. Unfortunately, with the substitution of some political party names, the same scenario is unfolding in many other countries.)
Whenever that moment actually occurred, a tipping point took place. In that instant, hating people with a different ideology became more important than love, religious faith, or even being a good human. Bob Marley famously said, “Love is my religion.” (To give credit where credit is due, we should acknowledge the Sufi poet Rumi, who said, “I belong to no religion. My religion is love. Every heart is my temple.”)When the tipping point happened in American, it was almost as if millions of people suddenly decided, “Hate is my religion.” (You can read more about how assigning labels to ourselves harms us here.)
Of course, Democrats and Republicans have always held different philosophies, bickered about the differences, and sometimes fought dirty, believing their philosophy was ultimately superior with the end justifying the means. But at least that arrogance was based on an underlying desire (however misguided) to help the other side. I can’t tell when the “first strike” occurred that changed the game forever, or whether it was the Democrats or Republicans who fired the first shot. But whenever it did happen, political identity became more important than compassion. Hate won.
This was a defining moment for America, a moment that changed the game forever. Because up until that exact moment, such a thing could never happen here. In the America I grew up in, when we were involved in a war, political parties became irrelevant. We were Americans first.
When Hurricane Andrew hit Miami, I watched with awe and wonder, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent hundreds of members, who had taken leave from their jobs and traveled hundreds, even thousands of miles to Florida, bringing food and relief supplies. They stayed for weeks rebuilding roofs and providing comfort because they were Christians first.
Back in that America, when tragedy struck an area, no one gave even a fleeting thought if it was a “red state” or a “blue state.” We were Americans first.
When earthquakes, hurricanes, or tsunamis affected people in any country around the world, Americans rallied to their defense. We were humans first.
Now as we fight through the pandemic, winter storms, and power grid failure in Texas, I can’t help but wonder where all those Americans went. Hell, I wonder where all the humans went.
Not many people are talking about the victims. We’re talking about Republican governors and Democratic mayors. We can’t discuss preventative measures in medical terms; only political. People are dying and we’re proselytizing for the religion of hate, one snarky social media post at a time.
We can do better.
Peace,
- RG
P.S. I know some of you are dying to post a comment below to demonstrate how the other side started the fight or is solely responsible. Here's a better idea. Pull up your Spotify and play some Bob Marley instead.
Previous post: When Revenge Walks Out...
Subscribe to Randy’s Blog via Email
You reap what you sow.. a gal just wrote a great essay in Jezebel on how Rush Limbaugh screwed up her father so much that she cut off all communication.. a sad story, but what was funny was the comments, some guy said Rush is going to have a damp grave and another wit chimed in, I'd piss on his grave too but I hate waiting in line.. Trump did a lot of stupid, mean spirited things in his time in office, but giving that hate-filled, sack of crap the Medal of Freedom really made me want to puke..
Great post RG!
I won't pretend to know the full answer.....but greed and power and lack of accountability for actions taken by Politicians (on both sides) sure is a strong part of the source.
Look at Political Campaigns...Driven by fear tactics that are largely false to incite hate to get a vote to stay in power.
"They are going to take your guns"......That has been used for the last 20 years....yet nobody is going to take your guns unless you are an ass hole or unfit (which is common sense).
"If so and so is elected we will be a Communist or Socialist country in no time and your family will be in danger" - Oh shut up already. That's utter crap........but guess what....middle America is petrified and believes it......and now all of the sudden their fight or flight mechanisms kick in and hate is created. Again..it's utter crap.
I could go on and on and on...and yes both sides do it but one side certainly is more prevalent. I also believe that as more walk away with that party being splintered right now that perhaps people will start to get sick of it (perhaps that's just me being optimistic). Time will tell. It will be interesting to see. We need more of the campaign commercials of the two guys that ran on opposite sides of each other in Utah....that was quite refreshing.
Covid was completely politicized which was incredibly sad....Science was not allowed in the building...and tens of thousands died that did not have to because of that politicization.
I think Natural disasters are a little different though.......Texans right now are all pitching in and helping each other regardless of party. People of red and blue states are sending aid and doing whatever they can......I know that for a fact....that's the good side of human nature. Yes Ted Cruz is a complete fuckopotomaus..... but in reality.....as I mentioned....there is no Politicization that can change someones mind that they don't have power or water........and the human nature instinct to survive and help others does seem to kick in.....our better Angels get to work. Hopefully, and yes this is very Polyanna of me, people will actually use real facts and data to fix the problem rather than tuning in to perhaps the biggest culprit of hate and lies our country has ever seen......Fox news (Entertainers Tucker and Hannity). That's a whole other discussion in and of itself with lots of Whataboutisms!!!
Just rambling a bit...and certainly all just my opinion. I know there are many other factors....but alas...I need to Get up..Stand up......on outta here.
Hi Randy.... "barcodes and bollocks"...i will try and explain.. bollocks being the nonsense of the world, perpetual stories of the humans trying to sort things out, equivalent to a mosquito bite, annoying (hot teabag) but they will always exist... barcodes (i have gone a bit barcode mad as amazon wants proper barcodes now) i mention barcodes because i do believe we are all barcoded by spirit in the fact as humans we have a unique job to do whilst on the planet earth... let's get to prosperity ministry... the fact you encourage people to give just $1 will introduce and expand their thinking to a higher level, one of more consciousness to hopefully a truer purpose in life, which is bound to happen after just $1.. as far as i can gather, this is cutting out the middle man (ie priest) GOOD, my only definition of religion now is my personal relationship with spirit, where i am guided as long as i listen, all the mistakes of the past were down to not listening and lack of relationship, ask anyone when things went wrong, if they track it back , the cause of the problem was because they tried to sort thing out themselves instead of using divine intuition... dear ponder is now 94, so i think it is very timely that your ministry has started, i asked spirit "should i give money to gage" and you got the approval which i was seeking.. got the green light, and there would be nothing wrong with a light green shirt with charcoal buttons!LOVE G UK
Are we taking requests for shirt colors now?
Haha Randy, your "P.S." comment at the end of your post was very astute, based on some of the comments I see posted here... It would seem that some have chosen not to play Marley, and went with the former "blame-game" possibility...
I was really exploring an idea in your book, particularly how the "datasphere" influences us so much. From the moment we wake up til the moment we fall asleep, we are being bombarded by thoughts that are not our own, usually marketing-based ideas competing for our attention, and ultimately for our dollars. These influences are a cauldron of fear, mis-trust, hate, and a general lack of respect for ourselves and others. The media is so influential, that the thoughts they push seem to show up as our own thoughts even when we are "unplugged". Simple conversations with friends and family also serve to reinforce the marketing, and keep us in the "ecko-chamber" of suggestion. Your clarity on the subject Randy is unprecedented in these times, and much appreciated.
The conclusion I have drawn is that it's PEOPLE that need work... not a political party, not a class, not a race... PEOPLE. This is tough pill to swallow for most, as it means you have to own some of the blame, even if you see yourself as a generally "good" person... You have to extend understanding everyone, not just the people in "your" party. There is not one party, group, class, organization, etc that doesn't have the potential to be infiltrated by wrong-doers. No matter what the premise, cause, original intention, etc.. the PEOPLE with ill-intentions will always try to infiltrate for personal gain.
What we really need is more content like this. More general consciousness, more questioning of our own beliefs, more critical thinking, more respect for others, and a restoration of general human values.
My two cents...
Hate is the drumbeat that many in the 24/7 media love to focus on. Their insistence on keeping the spotlight on division instead of community is the fuel for distrust and ignorance that plague many in our society today.
The increasing rarity of people choosing to come to their own conclusion on an issue after researching and thinking about it vs. repeating what they've heard or seen vs. researching is the spark that ignites this flame of ignorance.
I have yet to meet anyone who personally interacs with someone of differing viewpoint and comes away with a fraction of the venom that is spewed from the mouths of pundits (on both sides).
The key is interacting in person instead of hiding behind the anonymity of a screen.
Pause, research, think.
Great post, Randy!!!
I believe you nailed it regarding "media", Shef. It's not just television media though. It's ..
tv media "professionalism - really?" (Im not talking people in it but the essence of it's messages)
social media UNprofessionalism
gossip media (nothing specific, it's just "anti-prosperity")
radio media (conventional non-new age radio)
data media (opinions, intolerances, etc..includes movies, sensationalisms, etc)
religious media..
we need to perfect our loving, not perpetuate the "human condition"..
Thank you for putting my thoughts into words.
That is all.
"But at least that arrogance was based on an underlying desire (however misguided) to help the other side."
Are we really going to pretend that this is true? Does ANYBODY in their sane mind can think that there is ANYTHING good in democrats?
Randy, THEY ARE EVIL!
Can't you see the cheap trick of masking themselves as the good guys (help the poor, etc.), while everything they do cause misery, pain, poverty and slavery?
Here is my advice: if the results are constantly bad, then the intentions are constantly bad. We do NOT do bad things out of love constantly.
You guys are so desperately want to live in a world where everybody have good intentions just they make mistakes. You call religions as childish idiocy, I call THIS the same. It IS a religious belief.
Just grow up and stop being naive already.
Hi Guys, I am out of my depth with your political dilemmas being British and living in the UK but I would love to reccomend a couple of excellent reads to broaden your political dilemmas; Devil's advocate that I would love to be! "Scared to Death" by Christopher Booker and Richard North and "The Real Global Warming Disaster" by Christopher Booker. Both books are very large volumes with massive amounts of scientific papers to validate the information so if you are looking for a short cut, try the blog, https://wattsupwiththat.com. My religion is to give people love and put a smile on people's faces, but if all else fails to make PEOPLE THINK! X
Prosperity TV
You reap what you sow.. a gal just wrote a great essay in Jezebel on how Rush Limbaugh screwed up her father so much that she cut off all communication.. a sad story, but what was funny was the comments, some guy said Rush is going to have a damp grave and another wit chimed in, I'd piss on his grave too but I hate waiting in line.. Trump did a lot of stupid, mean spirited things in his time in office, but giving that hate-filled, sack of crap the Medal of Freedom really made me want to puke..
Great post RG!
I won't pretend to know the full answer.....but greed and power and lack of accountability for actions taken by Politicians (on both sides) sure is a strong part of the source.
Look at Political Campaigns...Driven by fear tactics that are largely false to incite hate to get a vote to stay in power.
"They are going to take your guns"......That has been used for the last 20 years....yet nobody is going to take your guns unless you are an ass hole or unfit (which is common sense).
"If so and so is elected we will be a Communist or Socialist country in no time and your family will be in danger" - Oh shut up already. That's utter crap........but guess what....middle America is petrified and believes it......and now all of the sudden their fight or flight mechanisms kick in and hate is created. Again..it's utter crap.
I could go on and on and on...and yes both sides do it but one side certainly is more prevalent. I also believe that as more walk away with that party being splintered right now that perhaps people will start to get sick of it (perhaps that's just me being optimistic). Time will tell. It will be interesting to see. We need more of the campaign commercials of the two guys that ran on opposite sides of each other in Utah....that was quite refreshing.
Covid was completely politicized which was incredibly sad....Science was not allowed in the building...and tens of thousands died that did not have to because of that politicization.
I think Natural disasters are a little different though.......Texans right now are all pitching in and helping each other regardless of party. People of red and blue states are sending aid and doing whatever they can......I know that for a fact....that's the good side of human nature. Yes Ted Cruz is a complete fuckopotomaus..... but in reality.....as I mentioned....there is no Politicization that can change someones mind that they don't have power or water........and the human nature instinct to survive and help others does seem to kick in.....our better Angels get to work. Hopefully, and yes this is very Polyanna of me, people will actually use real facts and data to fix the problem rather than tuning in to perhaps the biggest culprit of hate and lies our country has ever seen......Fox news (Entertainers Tucker and Hannity). That's a whole other discussion in and of itself with lots of Whataboutisms!!!
Just rambling a bit...and certainly all just my opinion. I know there are many other factors....but alas...I need to Get up..Stand up......on outta here.
Hi Randy.... "barcodes and bollocks"...i will try and explain.. bollocks being the nonsense of the world, perpetual stories of the humans trying to sort things out, equivalent to a mosquito bite, annoying (hot teabag) but they will always exist... barcodes (i have gone a bit barcode mad as amazon wants proper barcodes now) i mention barcodes because i do believe we are all barcoded by spirit in the fact as humans we have a unique job to do whilst on the planet earth... let's get to prosperity ministry... the fact you encourage people to give just $1 will introduce and expand their thinking to a higher level, one of more consciousness to hopefully a truer purpose in life, which is bound to happen after just $1.. as far as i can gather, this is cutting out the middle man (ie priest) GOOD, my only definition of religion now is my personal relationship with spirit, where i am guided as long as i listen, all the mistakes of the past were down to not listening and lack of relationship, ask anyone when things went wrong, if they track it back , the cause of the problem was because they tried to sort thing out themselves instead of using divine intuition... dear ponder is now 94, so i think it is very timely that your ministry has started, i asked spirit "should i give money to gage" and you got the approval which i was seeking.. got the green light, and there would be nothing wrong with a light green shirt with charcoal buttons!LOVE G UK
Are we taking requests for shirt colors now?
Haha Randy, your "P.S." comment at the end of your post was very astute, based on some of the comments I see posted here... It would seem that some have chosen not to play Marley, and went with the former "blame-game" possibility...
I was really exploring an idea in your book, particularly how the "datasphere" influences us so much. From the moment we wake up til the moment we fall asleep, we are being bombarded by thoughts that are not our own, usually marketing-based ideas competing for our attention, and ultimately for our dollars. These influences are a cauldron of fear, mis-trust, hate, and a general lack of respect for ourselves and others. The media is so influential, that the thoughts they push seem to show up as our own thoughts even when we are "unplugged". Simple conversations with friends and family also serve to reinforce the marketing, and keep us in the "ecko-chamber" of suggestion. Your clarity on the subject Randy is unprecedented in these times, and much appreciated.
The conclusion I have drawn is that it's PEOPLE that need work... not a political party, not a class, not a race... PEOPLE. This is tough pill to swallow for most, as it means you have to own some of the blame, even if you see yourself as a generally "good" person... You have to extend understanding everyone, not just the people in "your" party. There is not one party, group, class, organization, etc that doesn't have the potential to be infiltrated by wrong-doers. No matter what the premise, cause, original intention, etc.. the PEOPLE with ill-intentions will always try to infiltrate for personal gain.
What we really need is more content like this. More general consciousness, more questioning of our own beliefs, more critical thinking, more respect for others, and a restoration of general human values.
My two cents...
Hate is the drumbeat that many in the 24/7 media love to focus on. Their insistence on keeping the spotlight on division instead of community is the fuel for distrust and ignorance that plague many in our society today.
The increasing rarity of people choosing to come to their own conclusion on an issue after researching and thinking about it vs. repeating what they've heard or seen vs. researching is the spark that ignites this flame of ignorance.
I have yet to meet anyone who personally interacs with someone of differing viewpoint and comes away with a fraction of the venom that is spewed from the mouths of pundits (on both sides).
The key is interacting in person instead of hiding behind the anonymity of a screen.
Pause, research, think.
Great post, Randy!!!
I believe you nailed it regarding "media", Shef. It's not just television media though. It's ..
tv media "professionalism - really?" (Im not talking people in it but the essence of it's messages)
social media UNprofessionalism
gossip media (nothing specific, it's just "anti-prosperity")
radio media (conventional non-new age radio)
data media (opinions, intolerances, etc..includes movies, sensationalisms, etc)
religious media..
we need to perfect our loving, not perpetuate the "human condition"..
Thank you for putting my thoughts into words.
That is all.
"But at least that arrogance was based on an underlying desire (however misguided) to help the other side."
Are we really going to pretend that this is true? Does ANYBODY in their sane mind can think that there is ANYTHING good in democrats?
Randy, THEY ARE EVIL!
Can't you see the cheap trick of masking themselves as the good guys (help the poor, etc.), while everything they do cause misery, pain, poverty and slavery?
Here is my advice: if the results are constantly bad, then the intentions are constantly bad. We do NOT do bad things out of love constantly.
You guys are so desperately want to live in a world where everybody have good intentions just they make mistakes. You call religions as childish idiocy, I call THIS the same. It IS a religious belief.
Just grow up and stop being naive already.
Hi Guys, I am out of my depth with your political dilemmas being British and living in the UK but I would love to reccomend a couple of excellent reads to broaden your political dilemmas; Devil's advocate that I would love to be! "Scared to Death" by Christopher Booker and Richard North and "The Real Global Warming Disaster" by Christopher Booker. Both books are very large volumes with massive amounts of scientific papers to validate the information so if you are looking for a short cut, try the blog, https://wattsupwiththat.com. My religion is to give people love and put a smile on people's faces, but if all else fails to make PEOPLE THINK! X