From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V5 #263 Reply-To: chakram-refugees@smoe.org Sender: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk chakram-refugees-digest Thursday, October 27 2005 Volume 05 : Number 263 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [chakram-refugees] bats! - Rats! [Lilli Sprintz ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 09:52:39 -0500 From: Lilli Sprintz Subject: [chakram-refugees] bats! - Rats! hi cheryl, cheryl, i know you are scared. got, it. i am scared of rats myself from some bad experiences. but not so scared to want to destroy the rat population of the earth. on the other hand, rats are really out of control in many cities because of poverty. they are one of earth's scavengers whose job it is, like crows, to eat everything in site and clean up human refuse. and human beings have created situations where they (rats) have unfortunately gotten out of hand and can be dangerous. it is good to set up barriers with nature in cases like this. i don't like rats and they scare me. however, i'm not sure bats fall into exactly the same category. it's like being taught to be afraid of something, and then because we are scared, wanting to get everyone else scared in the same way. that is a problem. it doesn't make you less scared. and it can, and does, cause problems for those things which can be harmed because of human beings being afraid as a group and not willing to deal with their fear and where it comes from, and just willy-nilly destroying things. so getting help from friends dealing with what makes us afraid of something is a good thing. dealing with the practical issues and getting real help for it also is good. on the other hand, i find that sometimes when i am afraid of what is happening in the world, i find myself turning my anger, hatred and fear toward something that is...ummm, let's say, more vulnerable, let's say bats. find something we can get back at. have power over. on the other hand, that is something that happens with human beings. sort of what scape-goating looks like, which is why i get a LITTLE antsy (figidty) whenever it sounds like someone is advocating fear against something, or someone, without a good basis. or wanting to attack a whole group of something...or someones, as a result. it's the same thing, really. why do any of us, in our fear, or anger, want to advocate attacking a whole species of anything? the political question of the day....and then there is the question of when people use their money to advocate fear against any group of something...or someone...why they want to do that? what USE is it providing to them? just money? and it that useful for any of us? my suggestion is that it is not. it's funny that the next harry potter movie coming out asks us to make choices. about what is easy, or what is right. yes, this might seem like a triffle over-done to some of you that i am drawing attention to this issue, but i have found over and over again that hatred and fear and anger have some really easy ways of coming out. that whole groups of people can be asked to follow their fear, and anger, instead of their clear thinking. that is why i am asking all of you, in this "little" discussion on the issue of bats, to THINK about where our power it. really. that's all for today. lilli, signing off from the united states. ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ End of chakram-refugees-digest V5 #263 **************************************