Re: Hypocrites!

Rick Knight (rknight@platinum.com)
Sun, 14 Sep 97 23:34:08 CST

Eliezer cited:

But you! You, Holly Pearson! You, Rick Knight! What have *you* done
for the poor? What have you even tried to do?

Rick Knight responds:

My decision, after some years of angst, talking (fretting/whining)
about things I *felt* unable to change is that I am taking steps to
create an abundance of resources in my life, learn the information I
need to take control back over my own life and resources. Rather than
(or in addition to) the money I send out to organizations or hand out
spontaneously to individuals, I will use influence (likely artistic) to
change attitude and heighten awareness. I observe that more and more
artists are doing this and it is encouraging. I no longer choose to be
overwhelmed by the drastic state of the world. I move the stones in
front of me. I doubt that it is my call to build a machine or a system
that is a grand solution but I no I can sure as hell evangelize it when
I see it!

And Eliezer, breathe dude. I request that you observe that sometimes
peoples' feelings get in the way of their ability to be profoundly
cognitive. Hysteria can sometimes use a brisk slap in the face. I
don't regard any of my reflections during this post as such. Being
singled out as ineffectual does not make it so, nor does it compel me
to align with your vision, which I presume is what you'd ideally like.

I'm inclined to think that your response (is it valid to regard it as
an "outburst") has much more to do with the personal reverberations of
the suffering of those in your family. Any person not personally
affiliated with the attrocities of genocide can't begin to comprehend
it, just as a person who has not been sexually abused can't comprehend
the mind-fuckedness one endures. But the distinction for those who
survive and learn from such horrible events is how resiliant they are.
How what they've learned has illuminated them, made them stronger (not
angrier per se). Otherwise, the victims have died completely in vain.

For what its worth (which is likely nil), being a 50's baby-boomer
gentile, I spent the day in bed, relatively numb, after seeing
Schindler's List. So, any thinking, feeling human is mal-affected by
the madness of it all. But, it's at that point, when I still defer
to the more mystical notions for meaning...and comfort. I hope there
is some equivalent for that in your world to give you peace and
comfort to weather through your pain.

Good night...
Rick