Reply #3: Please read this important piece by H20 Man [View All]

[nofurylike]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5482561&mesg_id=5489563

"The future depends on what we do today." -Gandhi

In the 1958 book "The Human Condition," author Hannah Arendt notes that, "The freedom contained in Jesus' teaching of forgiveness is the freedom from vengence, which encloses both doer and sufferer in the relentless automatism of the action process, which by itself need never come to an end." (page 241) Is it possible that we can apply this thought to the case at hand? Could we even take it a step farther, and look at some of the hatred being expressed by a few DUers towards Mr. Williams, which includes their continued hostility towards the efforts of those on DU looking to save Tookie's life?

In his 1964 book "Gandhi on Non-Violence," Thomas Merton writes, "It is no accident that Hitler believed firmly in the unforgivableness of sin.This is indeed fundamental to the whole mentality of Nazism, and its avidity for final solutions and its concern that all uncertainties be eliminated. Hitler's world was built on the central dogma of the irreversibility of evil ...." (page 12)

Merton continues with an examination of St. Thomas Aquinas's views on evil. He viewed evil as real, and recognized that it was necessary to confront it. But he knew it could be overcome, even healed, and built upon. Aquinas noted that there were characteristics common to those who could not forgive, which make them remarkably similar to the sinners they hate. In "Summa Theologica," he notes "the mood of Nemesis" that "rejoices in the belief that others justly suffer and grieves when good comes to the unworthy." That sounds strangely similar to some of the ugly things one DUer has recently posted on this thread.

In Haudenosaunee (or Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy) culture, there is a position on the Grand Council of Chiefs that is known as "the chief of chiefs." This man serves as Tadodaho. In the actual history of the Iroquois, the first Tadodaho was a brutal man, a cruel man who boiled and ate the victims of his rage. The prophet known as the PeaceMaker eventually was able to comb the hatred from his mind. Just as Merton and Aquinas taught, an evil person could become healed, and could offer good to society.

A few years ago, my good friend Rubin Carter told an audience at the State University in Binghamton, NY, that everyone who hates their brother is a murderer. He was paraphrasing 1 John, 3:15. It's the quote that Merton selected to begin his book with. Small world.

We need to move beyond hatred. Bitterness consumes the vessel that contains it, the Hurricane told that audience in Binghamton. Reading this thread, and a couple of the hateful messages, shows how true that is. I appreciate how hard it can be to get by the pain that violent criminals inflict on the families and friends of their victims. But we need to take a little time to decide what direction we want our country to move in: the Hitler/Nazi direction, where the government decides what people should be killed? Or the Gandhi/Merton direction, where we attempt to heal societies' wounds, and transform peoples' lives?

Please call the governor. Thank you.

http://h2oman.blogspot.com

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Thank you, H20 Man!