Doctrine of Beauty

Because there is so much news of cruelty and violence in our world and because the spirit of us all can be diminished by hearing and reading about this, I have decided to document beauty wherever I find it.

You may not agree with my point of view and that is fine. To read this and even argue with it, is at least a crack in the wall of darkness that dominates social and corporate funded media, and our public conversations are influenced by that.

Below are values I cling to as I ponder how to bring conversations back to the community and family level. Beauty, in my opinion, is whatever has not been corrupted by greed or hate.  It  inspires and feeds my spirit.

1. Self Esteem.  What is self esteem and where does it come from? Is it winning races, contests, being top of the class or is it a recognition that you are capable, lovable and you belong here.

2. Reverence for Life. Is it gratitude for nature's diversity? Is it putting the well being of our community before our own self-interest or that your self-interest is bound by a reverence for life?

3. Wealth.  What is wealth? I think it is a collection of things which allow me the comfort and security to live without fear for myself and my loved ones. A home, access to water, a bathroom, a bed, a kitchen to prepare my own meals, a pension plan, medical coverage, access to medication, a basic income, respect from my employer, hope for the future, and time in nature.

4. Mental Health.  Confidence in getting through the day, coping with challenges, admitting I'm wrong when I've made a mistake, crying when I need to cry, and laughing when I need to laugh.  Being able to focus on a task, not allowing negative messaging to undermine my contributions, having reasonable expectations and compassion for myself and others.

5. Social Health. When I feel safe to be myself and know we will not be publicly humiliated, a place that values creativity not cruelty.

6. Doctrine of Beauty.  So this is not about the manufactured beauty shown in magazines and advertising, this is the beauty of moments, of a lived life breathing within and around us. To notice what is unique and what is familiar. It is the legacy of a planet that is cherished. We are responsible for maintaining its health and to heal what is broken and sick.  This is about the power of nurture rather than control.

They Are Us

There is a sense of dread - not for me personally - but for the social and mental health of Canada. Voting for a leader who does not present a platform, who does not reveal ideas about how he will change Ontario for the better -   apart from an echo from his brother who went in with a sledge hammer under the banner of stopping the gravy train, there was nothing concrete in Doug Ford's campaign. But he was elected with 40% of the vote. Both of these men portray an image of thugs we should be afraid of and I wonder how voters translate that power into serving a civil society.

However it's not us or them because they are us.

They are humans who have feelings, judgements, vulnerability and doubts - but one of our most tragic flaws is projection - what we don't like in ourselves we project onto others. So said Carl Jung back in the earlier days of the twentieth century. They, them, us or me - mostly blame others for what goes wrong, and as long as our feelings are echoed,  or supported by "experts", we are happy to vote for the politicians who promote them.

Understanding politics, media, finance and civil society is complex and a leader who is tuned in is likely to be too nuanced for the braying crowd in the circus tent.  It's easy to feel elevated when our hatred is handed back to us from the halls of power. So we'd rather have a leader with a small vocabulary than a responsible leader whose intentions we don't understand.

Justice is not something that makes us feel good if we don't benefit from it.  Neither is there much satisfaction from great minds when they explain how something works if we don't see the immediate benefit.

How do I know this? I am human and have fallen into these habits without reflecting upon them until later.

No matter how smart I try to be  my opinions will not be gratefully received if they don't comfort the ones I am addressing.  Democracy  is abrasive when it's working, when it calls us out of the comfortable pew.

What has been revealed is that my inability to face and take responsibility for the politics of this world allows bad actors to create bigger problems for my family.

Oppressive Power Needs Enemies - People Don't

As soon as the death of Osama bin Laden found its way to the media, 'experts' were interviewed to identify the next in line. A new book by James A. Baker (who served under Reagan and George H. W. Bush) was published about a week later, titled Beyond Bin Laden: America and the future of terror.

In Uganda there is a bill threatening to make homosexuality punishable by death. Recently, John Cummins, running for leadership of the Conservative party in BC, said he believes that homosexuality is a personal choice and does not need protection under the Human Rights Act, as if to appeal to socially conservative religious groups who have openly identified as being anti-homosexual.

The treatment of women in Afghanistan, and other middle-eastern nations, makes them public enemies by requiring garments that cover their face and bodies, thereby making the feminine illegal in public. 

Terrorists, homosexuals and women are all enemies created by authoritarian interests. Of course there is a great deal of difference between those who blow up innocent people and those who love members of the same sex. However, left unchallenged to their ultimate conclusion they are treated the same. Enemies maintain the status quo, the justification of hierarchy by creating fear. Oppressive power claims ownership of the world and all its vassals by exploiting human emotion.

We need to revere life, to celebrate it, to nurture it, to create laws and systems that allow it to thrive. We need dialogue, education, music, art, poetry, transportation, work, housing, food and water.  This is enough to fill the air waves with noise as we struggle to find peace through social justice after centuries of dysfunction and violence. The task is overwhelming enough.

We don't need control, we need guidance.  We need thinkers and listeners more than charismatic speakers. We need community more than IPads and game apps.  We need wisdom through experience in conflict resolution as we learn how to live with one another, rather than hours of escapist entertainment.

We need to develop our own counsel more than we need hundreds of news channels, sponsored by a few powerful interests.

We need love, starting with self-love.

Wherever there is a heightened rhetoric around good and evil, there is an enemy-creating industry mandated to keep the masses living in fear and feeling powerless.

Yes this is apple pie, naive, idealism, written millions of times before, like a letter from a kindergarten class. But here is the clue - children get it! What happens to the minds and hearts of those who have been cleverly subjected to propaganda in all its packages, that we think preserving life is silly.