History and me

I hear so many people speak angrily to me about what terrible things "people like me" or "people like them" did in the past to make a point about how guilty I am and they can blame the people of today for the sins of their ancestors. It saddens me when I listen to that type of destructive rhetoric. Am I to be blamed for those sins by simply being born?

Crimes against humanity regarding race, religion, color or opposing beliefs, property boundaries, water rights, you name it, have been going on since the beginning of time. Family against family, color against color, one person against another for the hand of a woman. I have studied history as most of us has. In my humble opinion, there is no race, religion, color or cultural belief that is Innocent of those crimes at one time or another. No country or civilization is completely innocent.

Today is the only day we can change and it is best that we look at history without hate for each other and unify our efforts. Free speech without fear of retaliation is a good first step. Creating boundaries of behavior in which we can conduct our lives safely and rules we can accept will carry that spirit of unity even further.

Get over the hate of me for the actions of whom you may believe are my ancestors and the world will become a better place. That is an admiral goal for all of us don't you think? It will never be perfect, but it certainly can be better.

The Titanic and perspective

Once again the movie, "Titanic" is in the news. Now it is being presented in 3D venues so you can experience the pain more easily of drowning I guess maybe. I don't particularly get a good feeling from a movie based on a true story where so many people died a slow death. Good music, choreography, love scenes and songs don't lessen the tragedy do they? But, I feel there is a lesson to be learned here concerning perspective. The Titanic was an example of the newest technology of the period. Engineers, designers, machinists, all sorts of educated people were brought together to build that luxurious ship. From their perspective it was "State of the Art!" From the perspective of all those passengers and crew that suffered in the sinking of that magnificent floating castle it was a piece of dangerous junk wasn't it?

When I write here I am speaking from my perspective and I don't expect everyone to agree. That's what perspective is all about. Perspective creates discussion, discussion increases vision, increased vision reduces misunderstanding, reducing misunderstanding helps us all negotiate the intricacies of our differences. That's the way it's supposed to work anyway. That's the lesson of the Titanic I think. I'm not at ease with viewing such a real tragedy. I find it akin to the monsters that beheaded a helpless prisoner and put the beheading on the Internet for everyone to see. Thoroughly disgusting, inhumane and heart wrenching! The people who, in their perspective agreed with the terrorists applauded their cowardice. Those people who in their perspective disagreed were sickened and enraged. Both sides feel they were right. In the case of the Titanic maybe viewing the movie will bring a more clear perspective to safety in all types of transportation. Maybe viewing the terrorist beheading will bring a more clear perspective to the insanity of hate. It's all in your perspective I guess.