Bigotry

In the past few months/years something has came to my attention, and it concerns me.
The United States is on an eve of renewed racism, from the noose on the door of a Professors office at Columbia University to "ground-zero" mosque. Both cases may seem entirely different but converge at the same point.

On a tangent, Why did the Pilgrims want to risk their lives to come to an unknown territory? Religious Freedom.

Another tangent on English History, in 1559 the Act of Uniformity (not the word uniform) was passed, it required that all British citizens follow the practices and teachings of the Church of England. Of course, like any people of self-will would ,the Puritans disagreed and sadly had their heads chopped off... This continued until King James ended the executing of Puritans

So, what would anybody do if they were the scum of society, hated by all the women, men and children? they wanted to leave and came to the New World. In elementary when we Thanksgiving approached we learned about the Pilgrims, we learned how they were normal people going out for adventures and happened to meet the friendly Indians who taught them how to make corn.. blah blah blah..
What our educators forget to teach us is WHY they came.

Now about the "Ground Zero Mosque"

1. 80ft is not that far, yet Muslims are allowed to pray 80 ft from where the 9/11 attacks took place in the Pentagon.

2. Muslims already pray at the proposed site of Park51 (Cordoba House).

3. Please don't let the Muslims make a building that has a 500-seat auditorium, swimming pool, bookstore, childcare center, basketball court, fitness area, performing arts center, art studio, food court, September 11 memorial, and OMG WHAT? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! A MOSQUE?! THIS HAS TO BE THE WORK OF THOSE DARNED TERRORISTS!!!


It's like saying "No Catholic Churches within 2 blocks of any building containing children"

Someone would reply "BUT not ALL priests are pedophiles"
I would calmly and proudly say "Exactly"

Fact of the matter is, Islam didn't attack the United States. All we can do is prevent our own citizens from attacking each other, and only education and awareness will ever achieve this. Although America may have a fast growing anti-not-what-we-are movement, it is up to those who can think as humans should, and teach.

Tenskwatawa

Earlier today i got an e-mail from a great mentor of mine, Dr Imtiaz Chaudhry (MD/JD/HAFIZ), the epitome of what any Pakistani mother would want.Mothers would say "Learn something from him" or "Be like him", the first part i have and will continue to, the second is in progress.

Dr Imtiaz sent me a letter about Tenskwatawa, a Native American spiritualist and activist who opposed all western influence.

In his speech Tenskwatawa preaches to his tribesman to oppose and reject all western influence and that it will only destroy there lives and cultures. Tenskwatawa talks about how before the white man came they lived in peace with what they had, lived in a self sustaining enviornment

"In the Beginning, we were full of this shinning power, strong because we were pure. We moved silently through the woods. With a silent arrow we killed the animals and ate pure meat. In silence the fish swam in pure rivers, and we caught them in silence and ate them. In silence our corn and beans and squashes grew from the earth, and those we ate. We drank only clear water, after the milk of our mother's breast.

I have heard that lost silence. You have not heard it because you have not been dead. Up under the roof of the sky, there is that pure silence!

In the beginning, our people broke that beautiful silence only to pray to the Great Good Spirit, or to speak wisely in council, or to say kind words to our children and our elders, or to give the war cry when we avenged wrongs. "

They lived in silence. We live in a rush of emotions and superficial aspects.

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, than why are our lives still so hectic? Maybe we would be in greater peace without them, without knowing that we can have a car, a HUGE house, fly on an airplane, wear jewelery to make ourselves look better.

Does technology really help us or as to Tenskwatawa and his people, will it bring doom?
why can't we live in a stream of peace and silence? maybe technology will fix that.

Courtesy Corps

This summer i went to a HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) competition in Orlando Florida for about a week, here i learned something very interesting. There were certain designated students that fell into a category known as the "Courtesy Corps", these students had the sole responsibility to aide students/advisors and guests with random questions to the best of their ability such as "where is this room", "how do i get here", "where is the restroom"... etc etc.. Of course at the time i thought nothing of it other than the fact that a couple of my friends had to waste a few hours of their 'precious' time to JUST help somebody.

NEXT PART

After my trip to Florida i went to Atlanta on vacation by myself and living in Texas my whole life i realized something. People in Georgia were much more courteous and kind than those in Texas. Not only did i NOT get cut off by a self-absorbed driver, I was allowed to change lanes/cross streets and drive in peace. Why is it that people that live within a 2hr flight of each other are so different? Is it my bias that i don't like Texas, or is it the fact that I live in South Texas, an underdeveloped region, and i have just grown to dislike such a homogeneous region?

Back to the story:

Imagine a world where people are courteous, where no courtesy corps are needed, people can ask and receive what they need, where you can cross the street with ease?

I personally like when people ask me for help and i CAN help, maybe that is just the feeling that every human yearns to have, " the human aspect of worth"

.. Maybe it's just me?

How to start a movement.

A couple of days ago i was watching a talk by Derek Sivers called How to start a movement. In this video there some sort of a gathering (concert/picnic, i cannot tell based on the camera angle. But there's this guy, he is shirtless and dancing alone on the hill where other people are sitting down watching whatever the function is. So here is this shirtless guy standing alone dancing to god knows who. Some people may be thinking "who is this loser" or "what is he doing", but suddenly some brave guy goes and starts dancing with him. Now this is what i like, Derek Sivers discusses how most peoples perception on "starting a movement" is that it needs a heroic leader. But is that really the MAIN variable to "start a movement", he talks about the climax of this situation at the point where the FIRST follower goes and joins him, he "transforms a lone nut into a leader." As the first follower comes others suddenly start flowing in, in a matter of minutes the crowd turns into 5,10,20,30. This is very interesting because it shows exactly how to make a movement. You have to remember to "nurture" the first few members as equals, he states that leadership is "overglorified" and although the first guy gets the credit, it really is the first follower who starts the movement. Derek says "Have the courage to follow and show others to follow, when you see a 'loan nut doing something great have the guts to be the first one to stand up and join in'