Remembering Waco, Texas
by Dr Kelley Elkins
I prefer to consider myself a Constitutionalist.
This
article however, is not about the Constitution,
nor
is it about rights. George Orwell
once wrote to Mahatma Ghandi requesting a blurb on an article he was writing
on human rights. Orwell was shocked upon receiving Ghandi's reply
of "No, thank you."
So, in amazement Orwell wrote again asking
why. Ghandi replied that he did not support human rights. That instead
he supported human responsibility.
I suppose we will always have the opportunity
to
remember Ghandi and his stand of non-violent
civil
disobedience. For it was repeated successfully
in Denmark during World War II and again in Tennessee during the early
sixties. It happened successfully in South Africa against apartheid and
again in Chile against Pinochet. It happened in Poland against the Soviet
Union. It will happen again somewhere, sometime. People will realize they've
had enough and that the oppression, suppression cannot be
denied any longer. Or the people will
realize that
ignorance is not bliss.
As a result of the recent presidential
election
fiasco, when are we going to wake up?
We would like to think that we are brilliant enough to decide who we want
as president and that the president really does have a say. That the president
elect really is a good guy. That we really do have all of our Constitutional
"rights". Is this what makes us feel safe? If we feel safe
in these beliefs, then why do we arm ourselves with guns? If enough of
us band together with guns, do we believe the government will have
to listen? It is my opinion, that armed people will end up as another
Ruby Ridge, Wounded Knee or Waco.
Although the government may allow Sadham
Hussein to live, they will not allow armed agitators to live in the United
States without trying to control them. It is "suggested" they
attempted to chemically lobotomize Reyes Tijerina while he was in the New
Mexico State Penitentiary in the late sixties. Tijerina attempted an armed
uprising for the "rights" of the Mexican American citizens of New Mexico,
Texas, Arizona and California under the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
I don't pretend to know what happened at
Waco, Texas in the early nineties. However, from all indications, they
had guns and although it is not too far fetched to consider that the government
would shoot it's own people to stage a "terrorist incident",
I believe the people at Waco freaked and
opened fire. Guess what happened next? Guns only bring about more guns
and guns are for only one thing...killing.
A few years ago, a friend found out that
I was
knowledgeable in the desert and that I
"knew" how
to track, find water and survive. So we
did some short desert sojourns and during these treks, he got me interested
in showing him the ways of making weapons from the terrain. Then it occurred
to me to ask why he was interested in making weapons. His response was
that "it was going to be me against them". I think my mouth may have dropped
a bit, because he looked at me strangely. All I could say matter of factly
was, "You'll lose."
Rambo and all the hero's of Hollywood are
just that...
Hollywood. There are very few heroes and
most of them are dead. Guns only bring about more guns. And guns are only
designed for one purpose...to kill. I have yet to understand the
reasoning behind the "need" for any citizen to own an assault rifle or
automatic pistol. Who are they afraid of and how do they think they will
"win" against a military or police "show of force"? If you feel like
you absolutely "need" to protect yourself against druggies, rapists or
robbers ...move. Live somewhere else. The reason Gandhi and the people
of India succeeded is because they were willing to move into fearlessness.
If we are going to make a change in this
wonderful
country it has to be without guns. It
has to be
through and only through responsible decision
and action. Oh, yes, I know we are given the sheeps wool of "it's
to protect the public." Well when is the public going to protect itself?
When is the public going to stop defending itself against it's own fears?
The answer is in responsibility. When
the public gets off it's duff and becomes responsible for it's own
actions and decisions, then we will no
longer need a
big brother to take care of us. Is your
brother or sister, mother or father still protecting you? We have the opportunity
to indeed grow up and be responsible for our own actions and stop screaming
for protection against the "bad" guys. Walt Kelly as Pogo said it
only too well,
"We have found the enemy and
he is us."
Martin Luther King Jr also said it well:
"The highest
form of maturity is self inquiry." All
the answers are
within us. We have got to stop blaming
and start
healing, and then indeed, be willing to
become responsible for ourselves. I cannot be responsible for you any more
than you can be responsible for me. We can and must be responsible for
ourselves. We must stop relying on the government to protect us.
Is your lifestyle responsible? I'm not
talking
morals... however, do you support freedom
of choice, religion, speech, press, etc? Are you willing to find what is
truth for yourself and allow others to do the same without imposing your
will on them? Are you mature enough to own your fear, put the gun
down and concede that it is okay to disagree? Peace only occurs through
conscious activity, compassion and if necessary, non-violent civil disobedience.
Are You Awake?
Dr Kelley Elkins
kelley@anextstep.org
http://anextstep.org
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