Marek, The sanctity of symbols.
Eating a peyote button to one person is a sacred soma portal into cosmic love. To another, it's a mind destroying immoral use of chemicals. Both parties worship the sanctity of their POVs. But the elitist must impose his POV on all even if it takes killing children. I know I've deeply concerned your great heart, Makek, what with my obsessions here, so thanks for this posting -- such a real life example of righteousness overwhelms the paltry insignificance of my fire and brimstone rantings to a congregation of devastated FFL souls. I'm already being called a racist against whites when whites are merely my handy symbol for elitists. I don't hate white people, I is one. I am an elitist to the core too. Got a ton of stuff from Walmart -- prima facie -- convict me of elitism. But I do try to at least lip service the scouring of our souls of this elitism -- especially in the forms that I've employed in my life as I predated my way through six decades. These forms I know. I can see these in the psychologies of many easily. I'm not projecting this upon whites alone, believe me. And it's not merely a projection. I may be seeing only my own failings "out there," but, despite any lack of clarity I may have about my sublimations, there actually is an elitist dynamic in most personalities as formed by most cultures that is lauded, nurtured, and imbued into the minds of toddlers. "You're such a smart kid! What a sweety pie. You're going to go far." Translation: you got a good brain, now go out there and beat the dummies at any game -- take the money and run. Don't look back. Don't look back and see the world of Smoke Signals, for instance (http://tinyurl.com/3dz9qw) where innocents drive cars backwards and young men find their inner warriors, and poets whisper walk in moccasins. What a lovely lovely film. What blazing heart values. In the worst hovels, this love survives despite all travail. I am so humbled by smiling people dressed in rags. That's a good fight you're doing there, Marek. Keep us informed. Meanwhile, Rick, give Marek unlimited posting rights in perpetuity for his small part in resisting elitism. Edg --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > One of the cool things about where I live (California Lost Coast) is how the native > populations here in the Northwest were last on the list to be assailed by the Americans. > Consequently, their cultures are much more intact, even though, of course, they've been > tremendously impacted. > > Just Friday, I had a client in my office, a young Hupa man, and he was asking about some > photographs I have on a bulletin board of yagyas being performed on the Ganges and in > some Kanchi temples, and he commented with obvious pride about how his tribe (and the > others in this area) have strong ritual customs, too. Earlier this year I had a case where my > client was charged with possession of controlled substances for sale because of all this > peyote he had (both growing buttons and jars of liquid). At the preliminary hearing we > were able to assert the affirmative defense of his membership within the Native American > Church (the Supreme Court has ruled that the ceremonial and religious use of peyote by > indigineous peoples is constitutionally protected). > > It was such a treat to listen to my client testify about his participation in the ceremonies of > the church and his clear and deeply held beliefs re peyote. The deputy D.A., who was > prosecuting the case, was trying her best to discredit my guy and cast his case as simple > (and sordid) drug dealing but the guy was so clear and so real that her attempts to sully > him looked foolish. We're still waiting for the judge to sign the order for the return of his > property; the law enforcement agency that still has possession is fighing to destroy all the > peyote rather than return it; these guys hate to return what they can only see as "drugs". > > ** > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > 40,000,000 Native Americans GONE GONE GONE in 565 years of genocide by > > > WHITE PEOPLE. > > > > > > > Actually, a lot of the research in the last 20 years points towards > > massive deaths, up to 90% of the native population, prior to Jamestown > > -- from disease for which the native americans had virtually no > > resistance -- spread from earlier traders. This along with growing > > evidence that the native populations in 1491 (the name of a great book > > on the topic) were far larger than those in europe at the time, and in > > many regards more sophisticated. And these sophisticate populations > > spanned both Americas. If the native population had not literally been > > decimated (cut down to 1/10th)prior to the arrival of the first major > > settlements, then white dominance probably would never have occurred. > > And America would / could today be predominantly native american. > > >
