Forty Five Years Later

   Here in Chicago, when I was ten years old, there were a lot of things going on, and the vast majority of them weren't pleasant. A war was being conducted in Vietnam, and some of the older brothers of my friends had either been drafted to go to war, or had enlisted in order to fight along side their friends who had been drafted. During my birthday celebration, television news had interrupted the regular programming to declare that Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated. Shortly thereafter, rioting and looting erupted on 63rd street, as pent up rage and frustration overcame many, many people, and the tension had to be released in some manner. A short while later, I watched as a platoon of National Guard soldiers with rifles and an armored personnel carrier marched their way West on Marquette Rd. towards Cottage Grove. I suppose it was meant to be a "show of force", but in reality I knew at 10 years of age that there were so many combat veterans in the neighborhood, (with substantial weapons available), that if there had existed any animosity within the community towards those National Guard soldiers, they could've been wiped out within the first 10 minutes of their march. No one had any problem with the National Guard soldiers, per se, and they performed their task without incident. Both before April 1968 and through the 1970's, street gangs flourished throughout my neighborhood. Initially, their goal was to band together to protect their neighborhoods from attack by gangs from nearby streets. This took place in a similar fashion to tribal wars in other parts of the world where poverty is rampant, and alliances are made, broken, and rebuilt repeatedly. The persons that governed the city just didn't seem to be able to answer the question as to why this was occurring. The truth of the matter was that they didn't really care how many of us died, so long as we stayed in the poverty plagued pockets that had been allotted to us. When racial discrimination, educational deprivation, physical separation, lack of economic opportunity and hunger prevail, socially acceptable behavior flies out the window, and the reality of  "survival of the fittest" holds sway. A British film I saw in the 1970's illustrated this concept perfectly, it was called "The Lord of the Flies". The ascendance or decline of any society rests upon the manner in which we treat all of our fellow human beings. The U.S. Declaration of Independence proclaimed that "All men are created equal". In the day to day conduct of human affairs the prevailing respondent attitude all too often seems to be "So What?" In rebuttal to those who falsely believe that any adversity can be overcome through dedication and hard work I submit this question: How can one who is barefoot, undereducated, unemployed, and alone, pull himself up by his bootstraps?
   Here in Chicago on September 19, 2013 a vehicle carrying young men on a mission made its' way through a particular neighborhood. Their mission was deadly serious in nature. Someone from a rival gang had either attacked a member of their gang, disrupted their illegal revenue generating activity, infringed upon their territory, or engaged in any one of several behaviors whose consequences involved sending a crew of gunmen out to exact revenge. Thirteen people who were simply enjoying a warm night at 10:00pm were shot by these men.
     Forty Five years later, the environment of governance in both the U.S. and in Chicago has undergone some substantial modification, but, as it's been said time and again, "The more things change, the more they stay the same".
     During the riots of 1968 my teacher assigned us the task of writing a poem which described our attitudes at the time about being African American. This is what I submitted:
   How can you tell that I am Black? Look at the lashes across my back. Look at the naps all in my head, look at the roaches run across my bed. How can you tell that I am Black? Look at the lashes across my back!
Here's that omnipresent link to my book, "Personal Security Techniques"
http://www.fastpencil.com/publications/4182-Personal-Security-Techniques

Rage Equilibrium and Fear

   In the course of human existence, we feel things. Not with our sensory organs such as eyes, ears, fingers, toes, and the nerve endings of our skin, but more deeply, in the realm that is known as our emotions. While researching the internet for this blog post, two recent events caught my attention.  In each instance, men allowed their emotions to overwhelm reason, and as a result have harmed someone else, or conducted themselves in a manner which caused someone else to be harmed.
     In the first case, a large man who'd just survived a sudden traumatic event went in search of assistance. Help was called for, and this societies' first line of defense responded. The man seeking help approached the defenders, but was in such a state of shock that he was unable to appropriately comply with the instructions he was being given. He tragically lost his life unnecessarily, when the defender found himself engulfed by fear, and responded to it by unleashing deadly force.
     In the second case, again, a fairly large man lost control of his sensibilities, and found himself in the center of a busy intersection, placing the safety of many drivers at risk. Societies' defenders were again called upon and responded en masse. The defenders initially attempted to subdue the large man by way of physical contact, but after a couple of them were clearly unable to control the large man, a defender once again chose to use potentially deadly force, which quite unintentionally injured persons who were not involved in the incident.
     My point in mentioning those two incidents is to highlight a unifying principle that I developed for my own behavior when confronted with potential danger. First and foremost, I decided that the initiation of and participation in violence on my part would always be carried out as a Last Resort. The underlying principle in my book, "Personal Security Techniques", is Security Awareness. This awareness is an analytical process that occurs very quickly, and takes into account all environmental, ethical, tactical, legal, and survival aspects of the situation. I felt determined to never cause another human being to lose their freedom, or their life, unless I had attempted every other possible way to defuse the situation first. Measured violence can be kept in check, just below the surface, and brought forth overwhelmingly when needed. The secret lies in being able to project ones' warlike proficiency through body language, verbal communications, and literal demonstration, when all else has failed. Professionally, I was once verbally provoked to commit violence by a man who was drunk, and wanted me to do something that I was not authorized to do. He said something to me similar to, "Go ahead, hit me, I dare you to".  My response was, "No sir, I tried everything I could to help you, but if this goes badly, someone is going to get hurt, and will end up in jail, and it's not gong to be me". He instantly calmed down, departed, and went on with his life. I was able to allow him to transition from Rage, back to Equilibrium. On another occasion, an obsessed fan attempted to get in contact with a celebrity, and after informing him that he wasn't expected, invited, or authorized to see the celebrity, I told the fan once again that he had to leave. I'd lost all patience with his delusional version of reality, and decided to give him 30 seconds to leave the property. At that time, I had already alerted my fellow Officers, and had placed them just behind him on both sides, and just out of his reach. As I looked at my watch, counting down the seconds, he asked me, "What time is it"? My response, (without cursing or yelling or disrespect, but with full confidence) was, "Time to go to jail. Get on your knees, and put your hands on your head". He did exactly as I ordered him to. I patted him down for weapons, turned him over to the Police, and that was it for about three months. 90 days later, a co-worker who had participated in his detention saw him return again, in his apparent quest to see this celebrity. My co-worker told this guy, "Man, are you sure you want to do that. Don't you remember what happened last time"? This obsessed fan let the message sink in, departed, and never returned. Without exhibiting rage or instilling Fear, we were able to return the obsessed fan to a state of relative equilibrium. As far as I know, he never returned.
     In summary, it may be said with some degree of certainty in the majority of cases, that in times of potential distress: When confronted with Rage, show Equilibrium, and this will deflate rage. When confronted with Fear, show Equilibrium, and this will promote understanding and self confidence. When confronted with violence, utilize Rage, promote Fear, and for yourself afterwards, seek Equilibrium.  Peace.
http://www.fastpencil.com/publications/4182-Personal-Security-Techniques

       

He Should've Stayed in Medicine

Just yesterday, I was checking the news and noticed that a gentleman named Ayman al-Zawahiri had called upon some people he referred to as "Islamic holy warriors", to defeat the United States with attacks on its' own soil. Somehow, over the years, this guy found a way to attach himself to a mean spirited, self-destructive movement which seems intent on destroying itself through futile attempts to affect international policies through fear and intimidation. At some point in the near future this person will learn what every other gangster, bully, and badass has learned. Attempting to control the actions of others through violence, or the threat of violence, by lying to otherwise honest and devout followers of Islam, will only result in his personal destruction, and a loss of credibility for Islam in the eyes of the world. Wars conducted on the basis of a religions' teachings strike me as completely ignorant of the fact that Islam, for those who have taken just a little time to perform research, is not a faith that was established for the purpose of conquering others. More realistically, it was probably established as a means to teach us to live in harmony with one another, to grow in a way that benefits all of humanity, forever. But as is always the case, individuals with an agenda of greed, hatred, and personal power over others rise to positions of "authority", and twist teachings of love and tolerance into pronouncements of extreme intolerance and self-destructive, unnecessary, warfare. They lie to the truly devout who try to worship Allah correctly and fully, in order to promote their own twisted agenda.
     In relating this current event to my own personal philosophy, which has no basis in any single religious belief system, a couple of things seem readily apparent to me. One is that Mr. al-Zawahiri is desperately trying to get peoples attention, like a child who feels neglected and acts in an outrageous manner in order to "make something happen". If this man succeeds in motivating a believer of Islam to commit an act of criminal hatred, then the person who commits such an act is nothing but an utter failure as both a human being, and as a student/practitioner of Islam. In order to succeed in life, we must evaluate our circumstances individually, come to our own conclusions and not follow the directions of other persons who are just as imperfect as we are. Warfare has had its' place in human history, and if at all possible that place will rest in the past, for if we are to advance beyond a primitive struggle to simply exist, we must put international wars behind us, forever.
     For the hatemonger al-Zawahiri may one day step out into the beautiful light of the sun, and see something coming towards him that no one should ever witness. Things which we fervently wish upon others that are borne of malice, evil, and hatred are always ultimately manifest upon ourselves. Look to the sky, sir, for what you will witness is not glory, fame, or success in killing innocent persons. It's called a hellfire missile. And in that last moment, it will suddenly dawn upon you, that you should've stayed in medicine.     

The Syrian People as a Battered Domestic Partner

It was recently suggested that I write about the current situation in Syria. Initially, I could find no relevant parallel between the existing scenario in that nation, and the strategies, concepts, and philosophies that I've attempted to articulate in my book, "Personal Security Techniques".  At this time, I'll attempt to describe one such parallel.
    Imagine if you will, that the person who currently rules Syria is the abusive spouse, the head of a national family, who truly believes that he loves the people of Syria with all his heart and soul, but who also has previously determined that only He knows what is best for his national family, because he is overwhelmingly superior to them in all aspects. Within some people, this level of authority over others acts like narcotic, and mutates their view of reality to the degree that an old quote from Lord Acton once again reminds us of our intrinsic human frailty, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely".
      Again and again, those among us who would rather maintain a comfortable non-participants' existence, and entrust their fates, (and those of their loved ones), to persons who exhibit an overwhelming degree of dominance over others, become first entranced by, and then entrapped by, their fascination with the self-confidence of those who attain absolute authority over others.
     In domestic relationships, it appears that persons who are significantly lacking in self-esteem sometimes tend to gravitate towards and connect with, persons who are excessively self absorbed and confident, whether that confidence is due to genuine accomplishment, or simply bombastic rhetoric with no basis in fact. I was once called upon to protect a woman who'd been beaten by a man she'd been in a relationship with for a number of years. Once the police left the property, I took it upon myself to search his car for any weapon he might use to harm her, once he got out of jail. The injustice she'd suffered affected me so significantly, that I decided to patrol the street where she lived, determined to prevent him from taking the life of someone who appeared unable to defend themselves from tyranny and abuse. To my astonishment, within a couple of months, the abused person had decided to willingly continue exposing herself to this abuse. I understood from that point forward, that as long as there are willing victims of abuse, there will exist abusers prepared to give them the punishment they somehow believe they deserve.
     Astonishingly, this currently appears to be the case in Syria. The majority of Syrian people, including the military, have somehow refused to accept the fact that their current leader is most certainly quite mad with power, and won't stop killing his own people, spiritually, economically, and literally, until once again he finds himself able to rest assured that the weakest among the Syrian people have submitted to his will, or have died attempting to resist him.
     If it's true that the Syrian leadership is responsible for the recent use of nerve gas on their own people, then it's most likely true that it was done to either subdue the will of the resistance through violence and terror, or manipulate other nations into joining the conflict, in order to prolong,  intensify, and widen the slaughter. This is because the madness that is absolute power cannot envision any other reality. They would rather see millions die, than see their own people truly free to choose leaders in a fair and democratic manner, thus losing their unjust dominance over the majority of their citizens.  In evaluation the loss of life thus far, who are we to believe?
 The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that 502 Syrians were killed by the use of Sarin nerve gas. The U.S. government reportedly says that 1,429 persons were killed. Personally, I don't think the number is of any great importance, in and of itself. I don't feel that this conflict among Syrian citizens will be resolved through seemingly well intentioned intervention by other nations. Only the Syrian people, through their religious, military, and civil institutions, and their love and respect for one another, can bring this conflict to a peaceful and equitable conclusion. It may take more time and cost more lives, but it's up to the people of Syria to awaken, arise, and place their own house back on the path to peaceful co-existence and personal/collective empowerment. Media reports indicate that 100,000 Syrians have died in this struggle since 2011. In my opinion, if no nation cared enough to prevent those 100,000 people from dying, then what brought about the current rhetoric for intervention by the U.S. military? If the people of Syria want freedom badly enough, no power on Earth will be able to stop them. If they are not committed to their own empowerment, they will never be able to attain or maintain it through the manipulations of others. Another universal truth shared by many is that "God is Great". The problem is, the rest of us are generally all fucked up. PEACE.
Here's a link to my book, "Personal Security Techniques". http://www.fastpencil.com/publications/4182-Personal-Security-Techniques

A Parable: When Anger Meets Fear

 One dark night, not so long ago, a man who was not yet a man traveled alone in the darkness through the domain of strangers. He sought to achieve a mundane and commonplace goal, to acquire something that might satisfy his hunger for something to sweeten his existence. His name was Fear. As Fear traveled, he came upon a sight which both baffled and worried him. An older man who was traveling nearby seemed to have become interested in Fear, but Fear did not have the wisdom of years, or the counseling of Elders, which might have given Fear some insights as to the true nature of the encounter which would soon become the defining moment of his existence.
The older mans' name was Anger. He was on a mission, to assist in cleansing the land of evildoers who would wantonly victimize the inhabitants of his territory. Anger would do this by watching over those in his community who were either too weak or too afraid to stand up and confront the ever-present vandals and evil-doers who were perceived as being rampant in the community. Though Anger was not a soldier or a fighter by nature, he possessed a wondrous thundering weapon which gave him the emotional fortitude he had been denied by nature, and which he felt enabled him to overcome any threat to the safety of his community. As Anger observed Fear, he felt certain that calamity would befall the community within moments if he didn't act soon, and Anger called upon the "True Guardians" for assistance. Angers' call was answered, but the "True Guardians" were perceived by Anger as moving much too slowly in saving the people, and it was solely left up to Anger to protect those who lay in their homes defenseless against the threat that only he knew would soon be upon them all. Fear also called out for help, but had chosen not to call out to the Father who had given him life, and instead called out to a child like himself, with little of life's experiences to guide her in advising Fear in his hour of need.
Soon, Fear found himself pursued by Anger, and attempted to flee this open threat to his very existence. Anger was consumed by his overwhelming need to protect others, and threw caution to the wind as he rushed to confront Fear, once and for all.
Then, an unusual event occurred. As the two locked with one another in mortal combat, it was Fear who became the Lion, and it was Anger who soon felt that he would be a sacrificial lamb, overcome and consumed by the instinctive survival imperative that had transformed Fear into a wildly combative soul who would overcome Anger and emerge triumphant. At that moment, Anger brought forth his thundering weapon, and separated the shining light of the everlasting soul from Fears' physical body, ending a life that had hardly begun.
Anger traveled the land afterwards, in search of a place where he could regain focus, and attempt to redeem himself, for he had come to realize that he had taken the life of a human being for no other reason than the fact that he had pre-judged another without any basis in fact, and had taken the life of another person, not in the defense of the innocent, but in defending himself from the consequences of his own misperceptions of his fellow humans. The overwhelming burden came from the universal truth of something someone had told him long, long, ago: "What goes around, comes around". It was the waiting, that drove him mad.