LET’S USE ALL THE INSPIRATIONS & PROCLAMATIONS FOR CHANGE

 Emancipation Proclamation 

I have read the story of Emancipation Proclamation issued on January 1, 1863 by then United States President, Abraham Lincoln and following that declaration, again on February 1, 1865, Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution that outlawed slavery in the United States. It’s time for change!

Honestly speaking, as I lived thru lots of stories of slaves and racial disparities, though faced with those indiscriminately perpetrated innuendos, either deliberately or stereotypically, then in 2008, I remarkably lived to see the first black president, Barack Obama, elected and sworn into the highest office in the land.

Also, the story of Oprah, the media mogul’s meteoric rise from tears to success was mesmerizing and stunningly nuanced as she battles an alcohol addiction like many of her African American fellow men and women who have resigned to alcohol, similar to that of the indigenous people in Australia, to ease their intolerable suffering to go on in life with enormous frustration and hopelessness.

Just to name a few, I also saw most of Martin Luther King’s chunk of the prolific speech “I have a dream”, Rosa Parks the “iron lady” who boarded the Montgomery City bus and refused to give up her seat courteously, Malcolm X, some of his articulate and passionate moments to cast off the shackles of racism "by any means necessary”.  Jesse Jackson, the two time Democratic presidential candidate, who became one of the most influential African Americans, rose to prominence presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 winning 16 state contests and millions of votes making him the first viable African American Democratic presidential candidate before Obama. I remember “that one” vividly; he mesmerized and shook everyone by delivering stunning speeches, but it wasn’t the right time to be. Let’s face it credit to him for building bridges for Obama to cross the highly torrential rivers.

My biggest message to my fellow complaining comrades, if you think you are being discriminated and having rough time considering what the past generations had endured, take their courage for your contentment to go on. Don’t worry…the door is widely open now.

There are more lights to emerge. Enjoy the ride wisely. After all is being said and done, no one lives forever; it’s time for change and move forward irrepressibly and empathetically with no hostility, understanding our human nature frailties that may creep in occasionally.

Today, black candidates serve multiple purposes, honoring the total legacies of Dr. King’s prophetic words that focus on the issues of civil rights, highlighting the use of nonviolence to promote change, calling people into public services and humanity to embrace and live with one another without preconditions.

However, we can’t continue living in the past anymore, whether we like it or not errors do happen. We have the choice to move forward with a comprehensive social change, compromise, recognition and resolution.

The greatest anti-apartheid hero and philanthropist, Nelson Mandela, said, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” True, we all have learned from the society we have lived in.

Most importantly, that visionary and dream story astonishingly fulfilled when Barack Obama became the first black President of the United States of America.

“The difference between a dreamer and a visionary is that a dreamer has his eyes closed and a visionary has his eyes open.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I will listen to you, especially when we disagree.” –Barack Obama

I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it's for or against.” –Malcolm X

I walk slowly, but I never walk backward. - Abraham Lincoln

“If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.” –Barack Obama

“Whatever we do echoes for generations.” –Barack Obama

Do your part!

NO VINDICTIVE THINKING, IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE

 HAPPY UNITED NATIONS DAY

Let’s also reflect on the official creation of the United Nations Day, today, October 24, 1945.

As we all know, the theme of the United Nations is let us continue to work together to unleash the power of humanity and give people the opportunity to live freely, think freely, talk freely, breathe freely, and love freely. And in the face of difficult challenges, let us prove that we are capable of building a better world together.

That’s just the way it is

To appreciate how playing with the fire of racial hatred is so tense with unintended consequences & it will be good for all to remember that mutual recognition is a precondition for social trust. A sense of self-worth by any group in society is only partially internal; it also depends on the willingness of other competing groups in the general public to acknowledge the worth of the other.

That vow was badly broken for a while now. Now, hopefully, during the American presidential election of 2024, Kamala Harris is crusading to bring back all the memories of peaceful living, reassert nonviolent legacies into the Whitehouse (People’s House), once again, to work together as “a perfect union”.

When one country attacks another, other countries should not be supporting with arms, must also avoid instigating and provoking the volatile situations. The only league established for this nature of predicament, the United Nations, should use the rule of law and try to find ways of preserving peace from start to end with channel of communications first and foremost and the rest of other member countries should refrain, unless they reject, from stirring up the dust on both foes only to produce more dirt.

What surprises us is, while we continue to commemorate and mourn showing our empathy “Lest We Forget” for all those who have lost their lives gratuitously but obediently, the world is still continuing to amass weapons of mass destructions.

We no longer live in the draconian time of “see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil”. It’s time to speak what’s on our mind, especially, if it is deemed prejudicial to our society.

In truth, we all have our own unique cultural predispositions while growing up in different social and educational settings that may not gratify everyone.

Reverence is long overdue, empathetically. Nevertheless, this is not a blame or hostility for the arrogances, invasions or maltreatments of the past or whatever you want to call it. It’s absolutely essential to know history, how far society has come travelling a stifling journey and to give the concept of sorry and reconciliation for the significance this day upholds.

This may sound so harsh but take a heed or make no mistake that anything is possible if we mindfully put our heart in anything we do. Change is possible.

We need to break free from negative emotions of the past & outdated beliefs of generational scenario, inherited collective mind-patterns that have kept our parents & ancestors in captivity, without blaming anyone, creating so much of their suffering for eternities manifesting in our misery today.

Knowledge isn’t generally the driver of our behaviors. We often don’t do what we should do because of inattention, apathy, avoidance, fear of ostracism, racism, being too busy, confronting an unsupportive environment, a negative attitude or habit or routine without being labelled a pushover. 

Any society should learn from the outdated past systems of governance or any covenants and stride forward with renewed approach of openness and accountability in any social relations, business dealings or political capitulations in any endeavors in the rapidly changing world, talking openly without being accused whether against Royals or any managing authority.

The recent visits of Royals to Australia, for whatever reasons, caused a stir among our open society to speak their minds without causing any wrongdoing, just because no one is allowed to say anything against Royals. That’s an outdated policy, if we don’t say anything, nothing will change. I for one like to speak up with respect if I think something is wrong with authorities in our world.

In modern day we’ve breeds of new generations who want new style of governance for an absolute change for society. They couldn’t watch the terrible wars, abuses and uses spreading in the world we live in. All they want is speak what is needed, to create peace using their freedom of speech, rather than seeing Royals doing the same longstanding visits needlessly and doing nothing worthwhile.

What was the purpose of Royal visits? What exactly was being achieved by the visits rather than doing the same deep-rooted touring and to handshake business as usual royalists? I’m only reflecting on what I have seen ever since I can remember what all Royals do for living. Of course, it was splendid to see them up and running.

Remember, we can’t change the past but we can shape up our future only by forgiveness, empathy, consideration and reconciliation.

It’s now time we draw a line under the differences of the past and work together to build consensus around a proposal for change without hostility.

No matter what has happened in the past, we can’t obliterate history. What we can do now, nevertheless, is forgive and move on knowing that the benefits are much greater than playing politics in a continuous vicious cycle to fix the past hefty maltreatments and all delinquencies with so much substantiated mendacities for vengeance.

Also, what we believe individually and collectively, whether good or bad, right or wrong, true or false, will be determined by our creed, values, beliefs and principles that will shape the final outcome. 

It is a mentality that is willing and able to reflect on the past experiences, past actions and their outcomes. It is only through such reflections that one learns one’s strengths, weaknesses and the environment and conditions in which actions were undertaken and what could have been done differently that could have resulted in a constructive outcome. It is not enough to admit collective failure. One needs to evaluate one’s role in the failure.

Today, it’s not enough to create change at the level of symptoms and structures. We need to work together even more deeply to change the underlying paradigms of thought and to connect with our deeper sources of creativity and self in a heterogeneous society.

The process of unifying people is difficult and the road to agreement is often littered with the debris of historical grievances, animosity and resentment.

However, we can’t continue living in the past anymore, whether we like it or not errors do happen. We have the choice to move forward with a comprehensive social change, compromise, recognition and resolution. “I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.” –Abraham Lincoln

However, we are all interconnected humans fundamentally and we can’t afford to abandon our moralities and privileges to coexist harmoniously.

Today, because of all those who made the difference before us and those who are making the change for a better society now, we’re able to live side by side even though the road to change is still far away from reaching “the mountain top”.

A better and more peaceful world can only be attained by societies developing basic principles of altruism, supporting others thru individual empowerment, practicing non-violence and self-development thru inner transformation.

It’s not rational anymore to accept that the “western” world is democratic, and the rest is “undemocratic”. This is a misconception that merely rests on vindictive thinking of dichotomy and things don’t have to be accepted just the way it is anymore.

The rule of law or democracy is not an advantage that you can automatically get because you are in a certain environmental location or upbringing. It is rather an innate virtue we all humans are entitled to enjoy. If we accept anything, the old-fashioned way, “That’s just the way it is”, nothing will change and neither can we.

Anything we do doesn’t have to be “That’s just the way it is”. If we want change or different outcome, we’ve to try doing differently.

You know what, society created the system, law, rules… society can change anything. Therefore, it’s time to change those old guiding lights that was built long time ago only to serve its creators.

May those who have lost their lives in all unjustly maltreatments and wars in our past and to this modern day, Rest In Peace, and also sending condolences to their grieving families and loved ones.

The truth might hurt but must be told, regardless.

Let’s all not take sides or condone it but stand up to the problem.

Let’s all stand up for change!