| | Thank you, Ed.
I don't raise red flags unless I'm worried about having my ass shot off. They come after the intellectuals first, you know. Writers and musicians definitely are on the "A" list.
Not everyone is able to be highly proactive with social justice issues. I have to pick my battles very carefully, and then do what is realistic for me. Family and work always come first. I think most of us are like this.
That being said, a couple of ideas:
SOLO is an intellectual forum, and it is somewhat unique in that it has a dedicated area known as "War". This means activism.
If we believe what Ayn Rand and others say about this subject (I find it self-evident and experientally evident), the core of things involves ideas. The people here are, on the whole, very strong, because Objectivism is a rigorous system of thought, and they have come to it of their own choosing.
The most direct form of activism that I chose was working with The Christian Alliance for Progress. That is because, although I am not a Christian, I am a Unitarian Universalist, and agree with what Jesus actually taught. Many people who have the time and the ability to try and get down to the real things about the teachings of Jesus find out that they are in-line with most rational philosophical systems, humanism, and many other pieces of work. There are basics and primaries of living that are consonant to allowing civilization and individual freedom to continue and they have been seen by many men. I do not think of Jesus very often; to me he was an extraoridnary thinker, and possessed many unique skills. In any case, I believe that there are many outlets that are available to look at for all of us to work with that are in-line with who we are and how we happen to live. It works best when aligning this way.
Here, we have the people who have the ability to make a difference in the world of ideas when they devote some of their writing time to it. That purpose is more urgent, and to write about it is more important than treating all religion as one thing, and attacking it en masse, or wasting cycles qualifying and quantizing it. It is not hard to know a person or a movement- simply look at their actions- the actions show the values.
My opinion is that there is a bridge that can be built between atheists and non-atheists, for one. There is nothing but common interest in these matters. Remember the piece about Attila and The Witch Doctor? Picture what happens when the two of them form a strategic partnership, and you have met your enemy.
In dealing with Fundamentalists, we see that they are currently capable (and the reasons do not matter) of being more effective and organized than Freethinkers.
We spend too much time infighting. We are undisciplined as we live in our freedom, sometimes.
Those of us who have had the life-changing experience that occured after we read Atlas Shrugged, and are writers can contribute something to the world of ideas. Ideas influence. This is why I have written things showing frustration at the ARI's op-ed project, where they give models, and urge people to write editorials. The focus is incorrect. But that is another thing.
(Edited by Rich Engle on 8/16, 7:59am)
|
|
