The sound of silence
Emily Dickinson once said that "Saying nothing...sometimes says the most." I'm not sure if she was talking about silence as a form of reflection on war, poverty, HIV/AIDS, "name your social issue here," etc. If she was, then she'd be the perfect spokeswoman for Two Minutes of Silence, a campaign by Adbusters.org to get people to take 'two minutes of silence' on November 11, 2005, to reflect on all the chaos in our world.
I used to think things like this were ridiculous. People who "fast for peace," "turn off the TV for a week," "light a candle each morning for an end to war," or whatever. I mean, the world doesn't get less violent just because Joe Blo turned off his television, or because he lit a candle. And there's always the thought that feel-good campaigns like these do only that - make people not suffering from war, violence, hunger or disease feel like they've made their contribution just because they skipped breakfast. In other words, campaigns like this don't delve into the systemic reasons for why we have such widespread disease, why wars are fought, or why poor people in Port-au-Prince, Haiti eat less than the Smith family of Sylvan Lake, Michigan.
But lately I feel a little different. As days go by, as my own life experiences continue to get richer and deeper, I find myself longing for periods of contemplation. As a Buddhist once told me, "Meditation teaches us that peace of mind -- or its absence -- essentially depends on whether or not we contemplate the events of life in a spirit of reflection and open-mindedness."
And under that light, maybe events like Two Minutes of Silence can have a stronger impact than many give them credit for. If indeed people actually take two minutes to contemplate the events of life in a spirit of reflection and open-mindedness, then maybe we are turning the wheel toward the creation of a more nonviolent, healthier world.
So I'll be taking part. If you want to join me, sign your name here. As the campaign says, "Now we are faced with a global conflict that is so nebulous, so ill-defined and ill-conceived, that it may never end. All we are told is that there is our side, and there is the other side. That our way of life is at stake, and we must triumph at all costs. As the coffins multiply, we grieve our own losses. But the horror of neverending war brings with it the chance for a truly global resistance."
I used to think things like this were ridiculous. People who "fast for peace," "turn off the TV for a week," "light a candle each morning for an end to war," or whatever. I mean, the world doesn't get less violent just because Joe Blo turned off his television, or because he lit a candle. And there's always the thought that feel-good campaigns like these do only that - make people not suffering from war, violence, hunger or disease feel like they've made their contribution just because they skipped breakfast. In other words, campaigns like this don't delve into the systemic reasons for why we have such widespread disease, why wars are fought, or why poor people in Port-au-Prince, Haiti eat less than the Smith family of Sylvan Lake, Michigan.
But lately I feel a little different. As days go by, as my own life experiences continue to get richer and deeper, I find myself longing for periods of contemplation. As a Buddhist once told me, "Meditation teaches us that peace of mind -- or its absence -- essentially depends on whether or not we contemplate the events of life in a spirit of reflection and open-mindedness."
And under that light, maybe events like Two Minutes of Silence can have a stronger impact than many give them credit for. If indeed people actually take two minutes to contemplate the events of life in a spirit of reflection and open-mindedness, then maybe we are turning the wheel toward the creation of a more nonviolent, healthier world.
So I'll be taking part. If you want to join me, sign your name here. As the campaign says, "Now we are faced with a global conflict that is so nebulous, so ill-defined and ill-conceived, that it may never end. All we are told is that there is our side, and there is the other side. That our way of life is at stake, and we must triumph at all costs. As the coffins multiply, we grieve our own losses. But the horror of neverending war brings with it the chance for a truly global resistance."
posted by MikeJ at
9:30 AM
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