reader discretion advised

i say reader discretion is important for this post because the subject is pretty intense. a friend sent me a link to a BBC article about some recent amputations carried out under Sharia law in Somalia. four young men, estimated to be between the ages of 18 and 25, were accused and convicted of robbery, and sentenced to lose their right hand, and left foot.

i know this isn't the first time that such cruelty has characterized the execution of so-called "justice" in human history. i'm also fairly convinced that we still have a ways to go before we'll see such violence for the last time. however, it still deeply saddens me when i hear about my people perpetrating these heinous acts in the name of law, or piety, or revenge, or any reason at all really. it hurts me that these young men now must live with the pain and humiliation of losing two vital appendages.

perhaps someone might wonder how i could have sympathy for criminals, or people who have broken the law. well, some people do commit atrocities, and there must be ways for society to justly punish these people. at the same time, no matter what a person may do, i believe in essence that human beings are inherently noble. that the abasement we see results from our lack of education about what this nobility means, and requires of us to live up to our potential. because people are noble, even when they have made poor choices in life (who's perfect anyway, i make mistakes and poor choices plenty often) the possibility always exists for positive transformation. i can also say that i don't want to see people suffering regardless of which "side" of the law they're on when it happens. i want to see people becoming increasingly aware of the oneness of humanity. to see that this whole planet is our family, and that we can't rest easy while our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins (you get the point) are in pain.

all the suffering in the world will not be solved overnight in case you were holding on to some extra high hopes. they can and will, however, be overcome through a unified effort on the part of a growing population around the world, that regard it as one civilization, and want to make it a safe, beautiful, and prosperous place for all people. until then, even if you haven't heard me say it recently, just know that it hurts me to see people in pain.

as always your own ideas and reflections on such an intense issue are strongly encouraged. what do you think about all this? is corporeal punishment an appropriate way to carry out justice? what is an appropriate punishment for crimes like robbery? why do people use religion to sanction barbarism? in the context of islam, if God is the Merciful and the Compassionate, does violent punishment really reflect mercy and compassion? have we misunderstood God's will? holler.

my prayers and my love are for this human family.

spiritual flapjacks?

so the story is: i just signed up on rainn wilson's website soul pancake. here's what i think so far. i love that it's so arts driven, and that you're really encouraged to be creative in expressing yourself and uploading content. the fact that it's purpose is to provide a space for people to explore and discuss matters of spirituality and relationship to God is fantastic. it's refreshing to see a space for a subject that affects so many people to be so open. while for a long time it was taboo, or in some ways 'not allowed' to want to talk about our beliefs and ideas when it comes to the soul or contemplating our Creator, now we have one more green light to speak our hearts and minds.

the discourses of society, the various aspects of reality that help shape how we think about, talk about, and behave in the world, have been a growing area of awareness for me, particularly during the last several years. the messages and images we see in the media around us, the news, what we learn in school, all have an impact on the types of thoughts we're likely to have, the questions about ourselves and society we're likely to ask, and the conclusions we're likely to reach. it also plays a role in how we observe and evaluate the challenges we see facing our global community, and the solutions and strategies for addressing them we can imagine. in light this influence that discourse can exert on our collective consciousness, it's especially significant for so many young people to have a forum for engaging in dialogue and reflection about an area that's long been neglected.

all these wonderful things aside, that doesn't mean that by participating in such a discourse, anybody has to accept or agree whole-heartedly with everything anybody shares in that space. in a sense, it's partly the point that we all have different experiences and ideas to contribute. that in the exchange of these ideas we all can learn a little more about ourselves, each other, and the world we live in. i suppose all i really want to say is that it's cool that we can participate in such a massive dialogue that addresses many of the concerns most pressing to the human heart. nuff said. check it out if you want, or don't. but do share any thoughts you have related to such things, or your own experiences or stories from using the site.

slummin

what's fun about riding through the slums?
it might be home, but it's a sign of the pain we come from
i go dumb trying understand why it's impressive
to show your date a scene that reeks of oppression
when will we learn our lesson?

stop letting the system rape our bleeding culture
stop selling our struggle
stop pimping our souls for disposable income
of kids living in the suburban bubble

just let it burst, it'll hurt
we owe it to our people for what it's worth
i'm done watching art pass by in a hearse

the crown

when you standing on the ground you looking up
you see the brow adorned with a crown
and drown your sorrows in a cup
when you're alone, the climb is twice as far to the throne
you thrown out in the cold thinking of giving up
on your own they looking at you like you ain't living up
to they standards you can't find the answer
at the bottom of a bottle of stout
or the end of a philly burnt and hollowed out
it's when the feet finally follow the mouth
they see the deeds do what your mouth is talking about
they see the seeds planted and now the plant is peeking out
excuse me teacher i'm sorry for speaking out
but i can't see the reason for what you're teaching 'bout
the truth is what they usually preach about
if i question what they preach am i seeking doubt?
if i see truth i believe i should seek it out
tongue loose preacher said i should watch what i'm speaking 'bout
keep kneeling down hail mary
repeat it or God is telling peter keep him out
no heaven when time on the meter's out
I'm a ride for the Glory and see the sequence out
and see sense in the Speaker on the Mount
now we back to the climb up to hear the Sound
we pick it up to keep from falling down

to my.......

to my people still pedaling holding stereos
to the kids without ipods playing music from cell phones

to my young dudes sitting by the train pan handling
to my mothers working three shifts while the streets raise the kids

to my families with one bedroom for ten people to live
to the minimum wagers that find change to give

to my daughters scared of daddy coming back so you hid
to my sons who went through what my daughters just did

to the parents who suffered so hard to give us this
but never talk about the struggle they try so hard to forget

for the children coming up that can't appreciate it and
take for granted that they're standing on the shoulders of giants

for my atheists dying daily through self-reliance
and can't see God blowing the breath of life that's inside them

for the pastor on his knees, in denial of the wolves
decimating his sheep and power of the Lord

as He who truly blesses and keeps the soil
of the hearts fertile for the harvest we reap

for the imams on jomeh protecting the believers, who hear
Allah call yet are too backwards to pick up the receiver

for fundamentalists preaching the return of the Son, that
burn in hell until its burned in them the Prophets are ONE

to my killers that took life with no value for their own
with a death wish for deliverance from being alone

to my doctors writing prescriptions for kickbacks on drugs
and taking long vacations to test new golf clubs

for the chemists that cook crack and others that cure cancer
and the students by day and by night exotic dancers

for the hopeless romantics and cheating 'gimme 1 more chancers'
for the passive aggressives to the eager to get the last words

to concrete jungle survivors and lazies grazing in pastures
to baby-boomers flashing back to '68 & thugs that bully for stature

to those losing their way and couldn't wait for the Rapture
what if i told you that it already came and had passed ya

would you open your eyes, or would you hush me with laughter?

carry on commencements

word up - it's about time for us to continue our exploration of ridiculous statements heard in graduation speeches. now that we've considered some of the implications of viewing the university experience as separate and apart from the 'real world', we can move on to other false assumptions about young people.

one of the refrains we hear almost any time someone is speaking to the importance of young people is that we are the future. that the prosperity and safety of the future rests with us, that one day we will be the leaders and shapers of society, and how wonderful it is that a college education has prepared us to assume these responsibilities...........one day. there is some truth in that the youth of today will be the shepherds of nations and the world for some time in the future, however, this type of thinking implies that we are not able to actively contribute to the rebuilding of society or directing significant efforts of social change TODAY.

there must be many factors that lead to such an assumption, so we'll try and mention at least a few of them. in the united states, it's become a fairly established cultural tradition to extend childhood as long as possible. what does that mean? well, it means that as a society, through various systems including education, mass media, politics, etc. we repeatedly tell young people that their primary objective in life is to have as much fun as they can now, because later they will have to enter the 'real' world and be responsible, hard-working adults. we can see the evidence of such an approach in the institutions of society. one example (which certainly could be investigated further to find the exact percentage) is that the overwhelming majority of people serving as members of congress (House and Senate) are 50+ years of age. that means that practically all of the people creating new laws and policies by which our country is governed represent only one generation of americans. how can our legislative institutions make decisions that are truly effective and beneficial for the entire country if the perspectives and voices of multiple generations are not fully heard? it is true that with experiece comes wisdom, and it is important that some of our public servants have seen and experienced enough to offer an informed historical perspective. at the same time, it is also important to understand that often times young people, though with less life experience but properly educated, see the challenges we face in society in another way, and may offer ideas and views that shed light on old and new problems alike. this diversity of perspective add strength to the overall understanding of the institution and insures that as many possible angles are seen and the best possible course adopted. the same principle applies in terms of the importance of having a balance of women and men represented, and racial and ethnically balanced representation.

another manifestation of the extension of childhood is the decreasing value of a standard liberal arts bachelor's degree in preparation for a career. economic recession notwithstanding, it's been getting harder and harder for graduates to find suitable career paths directly out of college. most liberal arts programs don't provide much in the way of marketable skills, prompting young people to seek more and more advanced degrees, or look for work that often is very unrelated to their major subject of study. this essentially communicates that you're not ready to work yet, you need more training. if you're needed greater training then you still have to wait to make your significant contribution to the advancement of society. closely related to this is how often most of our education is the memorization of information and theories, generally divorced from practical experience and bearing little relevance to choosing a meaningful career path that somehow serves humanity, but this concept should be further considered in future posts.

perhaps the most fundamental disadvantage to encouraging the population to carry the habits of behavior and thinking of childhood through adolescence and even early adulthood is the limiting effect it has on how young people think about themselves. if we let it, it can convince us that we lack the capacity to serve and advance our communities because we lack the necessary education, life experience, financial resources, understanding of the world, etc. as we move towards a learning approach to life, we will better understand the futility of waiting for more experience, more education, more training, more permission to take ownership for the conditions of society and begin to take action towards social transformation. the truth is that every individual has the capacity to contribute in some way to the betterment of society, and that the sooner we embrace this the earlier we can start to learn about which lines of action seem to bring the most benefit and how to refine and expand our efforts over time. NOW is the time for young people, with their vast energy, creativity, and fresh perspectives to be empowered to work in and for the community, embarking on a path that education and training can lend clarity to and enhance as we directly apply the themes and concepts to the social action in which we are already engaged.

it would be foolish to think that we've exhausted the many complexities of these social dynamics, and therefore this is an area to which we'll frequently revisit as the conversation progresses. feel free as always to share your thoughts on the matter.

PS - stop telling young people that we only represent the future. we ALL have a part to play today.