Aftermath and Remembrance

So today marks the 8 year anniversary of 9/11. But what few are speaking about, and is far too important not to acknowledge, is how “we” are dealing with the sordid aftermath and its productive remembrance.

Granted, nearly 3000 people died — not solely American citizens either, a statistic I heard this morning is, the tragedy involved individuals from a little more than 90 countries (92?) — that day, but what about the millions of people who have been, and continue to be, slaughtered, maimed, judged, and oppressed ever since? All in the name of mistakes — err, I mean “democracy” (read: revenge)?

That said, Rebecca Solnit wrote an oddly inspiring and an extremely profound piece, featured today (but originally appearing at TomDispatch.com), over at ZNet. Entitled “How 9/11 Should Be Remembered;”

“The dead must be remembered, but the living are the monument, the living who coexist in peace in ordinary times and who save one another in extraordinary times. Civil society triumphed that morning in full glory. Look at it: remember that this is who we were and can be…”

Might I suggest you all wander over and take a peek?

Things Aren’t Always So Black Or White

So I’ve spent a fair amount of my time recently — the past 6 months seems to be a nice round number — thinking, or better yet, re-thinking how I really feel about a number of things. My approach to ethical veganism and animal rights specifics being most significant.

My previous stance didn’t stray too far from the Francione school of thought;

“[T]o provide a clear statement of an approach to animal rights that (1) requires the abolition of animal exploitation and rejects the regulation of animal exploitation; (2) is based only on animal sentience and no other cognitive characteristic, (3) regards veganism as the moral baseline of the animal rights position; and (4) rejects all violence and promotes activism in the form of creative, non-violent vegan education…”

That said, and recent gaffs aside, I can’t say my views have changed all that much. Meaning I still think much of what I thought, but I’m no longer convinced it’s a “strict,” or, more specifically, such a black or white issue…

Continue reading Things Aren’t Always So Black Or White

Just Read It!

As I briefly “eluded” to in my previous post, it’s September. And with yet another month — of which I’m all too certain will be packed to the brim with the exact, or damn near similar, injustices of the former 31 days — upon us we get a brand new Anti-Empire Report! I urge, no, I beg everyone to read it.

As always, it’s a phenomenal read, and worthy of every single bit of your attention…

Absolutely Problematic

Those who are paying attention will notice I’ve not posted anything in just over 2 weeks, I’ve spent that time focused on other things, mostly my life away from the computer. And as non-interesting as that news may be to most of you, I’d thought I kick off September by citing today’s post over at Green Is The New Red, “Canadian Police Ask Sea Shepherd Officer if He is Planning ‘a 9/11 or something’;”

“It’s not surprising that the Canadian government deported the two for life rather than allow the PR nightmare of them standing trial. Given the caliber of questions we see in this video, a trial would have been quite entertaining…”

It’s rather sad that I feel obligated to have to write about such absurdities, and with that said, I will never tire of wanting to do it…