Last week Jaige and I watched the movie Black Hawk Down. It had a lot of impact on both of us for different reasons. Jaige was part of a special unit in the US Navy. For him, the movie woke up emotions of reality and passion for his country. Me on the other hand.... well, in 1992-3 I know my thoughts didn't go very far outside my personal bubble. What could be more important than getting my hair done and where I was going to dinner that night? Shame, disappointment and embarrassment fills me to the base of my throat. Am I alone? Did you know that this awful man, Aidid, was starving "his" people in Somalia? So, the story goes on and the First Battle of Mogadishu happens. Lots of stress and nail biting action. We finish the movie which ultimately leads to conversation then research. From the left to the right (political) and by the time we finished for the night I was completely confused. Mostly, I didn't know who and how much to believe.
Now Darfur. Do you understand what is going on? With a little research it doesn't take long to figure out that there are many dimensions to the conflict. The scarcity of reliable information on Darfur is also an additional difficulty. Why was Matt Damon taking a baseball bat to a doll house to protest the five year conflict, showing how thousands of children's lives have been shattered? Passion. I commend people who take a stand knowing they are just one more person trying to make a difference. It doesn't have to be Darfur. It could be something in your community....what do you stand for? If you had time what would you like to give your time to?
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4 comments:
I haven't seen that movie and really don't know much about the horrors going on in the world.
I put a lot of my time into serving through my church. I work with kids ages 18 months to 12 years old and am either teaching them or helping them be reverent while someone else is teaching them. It's rewarding and faith building because I know the things we're teaching them are true.
when i was younger, i was full of fire, full of passion about the *atrocities* in the world. i came of age in the time of amnesty international concerts, Live Aid, Bono...
i like to think that those fires still burn within. i'm not running to concerts and rallys anymore. maybe i should challenge myself to take more of a stand.
as much as i joke, i do believe that working with the Cub Scouts is doing tremendous service for these young boys, the next generation. i am also very active in my local Rotary Club, and proud of the work that the organization does on a global scale.
There have always been atrocities in the world and in the home. As soon as we stop them in the home (our homes!), give the people we love respect, considerations and true expressions of love rather than have them be the ones who witness our personal rage-dramas, everyone would know what civil and responsible behavior is. Easy to say. Not so hard to do, and hardest to get those who are used to being abused away from it.
RE: Stacy Westfall; I had one of my recently passed horses trained to that level and beyond. It's more common now to find others who do this. Beyond was when a helicopter flew up next to us, was within 10 feet of us, and he stood there, and I wasn't tossed. We were on a ridge where choppers fly by to the coast.
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