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Message of Hope
There is a very big
manifestation of energy going on in today’s society.... it is
focused around "hate" in all of society. Hate through media,
hate through sports, hate through comedy, hate through stupid
acts of violence, hate through culture movements and hate
through bad mouthing and making stupid racist comments...
society has taken a stupid pill... and they are about to
overdose.... this is the tipping point about to take place...
all we know today.... is about to shatter in our faces.
It has gone as far as it can go.
Everything reaches a tipping point in time when it can no longer
maintain its momentum.
Change is on the rise... the
question is... how do we choose to change with it?
There is a outlook from Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. that relates to us as native people. I
will borrow this outlook and tie this outlook to us as native
people... it makes sense... listen to this..
The annoying task of Native
Americans is to bear the burden of redeeming the spirit of
America... the soul of America.
Without question, Native
American "way of life" outlooks have always been the conscience
of the country.
Conscience meaning - the
awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together
with the urge to prefer right over wrong.
In other wards our "way of life"
outlooks... an outlook of humanity, of environment, of
community, of inner peace. of a connectivity to all that is...
this outlook is the model... this is the way to "life"... this
is the lost focus of America... Americans feel separate from
each other, they are not of a one "way of life" outlook, one
that works.... one that works for humanity, for environment, for
community, for inner peace. for a feeling of connection, to all
that is. This is the sad reality of America.
It is our hope, that we can help
our nation live up to the promise of her ideals. The political
paradigm has shifted; it's time to build a new construct, a new
agreement, with Native American "way of life" outlooks as the
tool for the task.
It is time to speak up.. time to
be heard, time to be seen, time to be the example. The time is
ours... and the time is NOW.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was
a visionary... the same as many of our native visionaries... As
Sitting Bull said, "Let us put our minds together and see what
kind of life we can make for our children."
If we listen to the teachings,
listen to the teachings of the roads already traveled by these
visionaries, we will find we will not have to cross those rough
roads again, they have already paved the way for us on those
rough roads... we can use these teachings to find new paths, new
directions... based on all of our visionaries experiences.
Alot of our youth of today get
caught up in the "bling, bling" of the now. This "what can I do
for ME now outlook" isn't working. They do not look towards the
future with the examples of the past. The only reason we are
here today is because of the sacrifices and the battles our
elders have fought to build a future for their children and
their children's children... us.
With "meth" and drugs flooding
our communities, the hope for a better tomorrow in the eyes of
our children is becoming a survive or die outlook. Alot of them
believe they will not be alive past 25 anyway, so they believe,
what is the point?.... The suicide rate has sky rocketed in our
native communities.
It was Ruben Snake who said...
"If you don't change direction, you are gonna get to where you
are going."
This urban outlook, this urban
brand of rap and hip hop culture has reached a tipping point,
didn't used to be this way, but lately it has gotten real bad...
it has become a focus fed through hateful theologies, through
fear tactics... communities are afraid to speak up because of
fear of gang retaliation... its sad. This is why hip hop/rap
sales took a 50% dive last year, it has reached its tipping
point. The energy put forth from this cultural movement lately
is one of hate and fear.
Look at the shooting of the
Denver Bronco, everyone is afraid to come forward, look at the
gang, street madness in Las Vegas during the NBA All-Star
Basketball Game, it became "thug city" for the weekend, one
local paper was quoted saying, "walking the streets of Vegas
this weekend, must be what it feels like to walk the yard of
San Quentin Penitentiary... look it the gang killings in New
Orleans... look at our own rez outlooks and the gang/meth
control... it goes on and on.
I watched a Black leadership
conference on CSPAN, with black community leaders, even
including, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, it was inspiring...
they see how bad it has gotten... they even pointed out, that it
is American Corporations who have exploited the urban hip hop
culture by highlighting the "thugness" of it and making those
few rich by it... the cost is... the downfall of all the
hardwork the "Martin Luther Kings Jrs." of the world have made
for us all... the communities are hurting more then ever... ...
and... they now live in fear of their own people.
The movement of this culture,
from urban black culture into mainstream culture and including
native culture, as been very powerful over the years. The
"hip-hop" culture has given identity to many seeking a place in
society... but where is this identity taking them, as of late?
Do we want a community where we live in fear of our own people?
The shooting and killing of
professional athletics, shows no fear, no ramifications for ones
actions, shows that this movement of yesterday is going into a
gang war-like outlook for tomorrow.... I understand radicalness
and making a stand for what you believe in... radicalness can
be necessary at times, but peace outlooks are life
dependent.
There needs to be.. and I
believe there is a NEW MOVEMENT on the rise... and it is a
movement towards humanity... a movement of peace and
connectivity.
We need to take another
empowering leaders advice, Mother Teresa's example... She would
never attend a war rally... but have a peace rally and she was
there... she believed there is something to walking down the
road saying.. "No War! No War! No War! No War!... " versus
walking down the street saying... "More Peace. More Peace. More
Peace. More Peace...."
The difference is what it builds
inside of you. The energy put forth... from within... is the
power. With this outlook... more war simply runs the risk of
drawing more war. More peace simply draws more peace.
I am all about good positive
outlooks, examples... good choices... we need to start a NEW
MOVEMENT and be a part of something that is gonna make a
difference in Indian Country... be a leader for change. We need
to recognize that natural connectivity we have within to all
that is.. and we need to be AGAIN, who we are... people of hope,
of care, of connection, of community, of change, of
spirituality... we need to be the change this world
so desperately needs today
We need to gain the support of
the people, to follow the leaders of such change... but it needs
to be done in a way that inspires the people to
follow. Unfortunately in todays screwed up outlooks, radicalness
is lumped with terrorism, and the fear in the eyes of Americans
today is to have nothing to do with it.
We need a movement that inspires
us all to be a part of a new outlook... one that is the opposite
of "hate".
Inspire literally means "to be
in spirit"... to speak from that power within... this is who we
are as native peoples. To be that warrior of today means to be
inspirational to and for the people.... the movement needed
today isn't one of radical theologies, but one of human
understanding, human compassion, respect of life... not abuse of
life... it is a movement of humanity that is needed... our lives
and the lives of our children depend on it...
,,, these are the things we need
to be thinking about... the world is about to reach a tipping
point... it is up to us on how we will favor through this
change... it is going to happen, it is a matter of time... the
key is how will we choose to to ride it out? it is up to us to
steer our own course... to make that stand for peace.... for the
betterment, for the good of our childrens futures.
A change will do us good.
Walt Pourier
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