Actually, the common ground is not a very large parcel. Its more like as wide as a beach access in Portlock or Lanikai, About 3 ft wide and not even a quarter of mile long. But it seems to exist, and is about as hard to find as a beach access in an area you've never been in before.
Being that my writer's group is kinda piddling along and all we decided to kinda get charged up and check out other venues and see what can get us sharper, some friends and I went to check out this Poetry Slam.
This Poetry Slam happens on the first Thursday of every month. It's listed as the largest in the world. It is pretty much the scene and pretty crowded. Its been going on for four years now, that's pretty great.
There were artists on the stage and cool scratch DJs going off. There were poets, rappers, singers, moms reading poetry about their sons, funky aunties singing stories about homing pidgeons and all kinds of creative stuff.
Some things stirred me up and got my brain composing. It was mostly the irritation of political misinformation, liberal rants, and the "Radical Cheerleaders," that got me riled.
They weren't even radical, they just "cheered" about gay values and how they didn't like Bush in a very lewd, crude and disturbing manner. It was nasty.
One poet made a stupid comment about how Osama Bin Laden is trying to fight the oppression of the rich in the Middle East. Others said things about how Arabs don't hate us but hate Bush or how they want the right to choose life or death for themselves.
Well ok I understand its all about expression, but try to be informed.
1. Osama is from the rich families of Saudi Arabia and he is a full on business man who knows how to make money. Just because he lives in a cave doesn't mean he hates rich people cause they oppress him.
2. In regards to Arabs hating us, those are the ones who support Al Queda or they are lied to by their media. And actually, there are a lot who appreciate what Bush is doing. Do you read Middle Eastern media, commentary or the blogs especially.
3. Regarding life and death, we do that everyday, we choose life or death in all we do. You don't need to abort a baby or kill yourself to do that. Deut. 30:15 "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction." Actually, I don't expect them to know that one. But they can choose death all they want.
Sigh, I dunno, am I just nit-picking here? They just don't seem to have any understanding of what they are talking about. HELLO! If you gonna talk about something be informed!
I was mostly disturbed by comments about "Neo-conservatives" and how they are so uptight and they just need to go surfing and chill. As we were leaving, because it was late (not because I couldn't take it anymore - I actually wanted to stay til the end), I heard this guy tell everyone that next month they need to bring a conservative so they can influence them. I thought that was pretty funny. I felt like saying the whole night, "Hello, can I just say I'm a Neo-Con. Please stone me!"
I was composing lyrical responses in my head and didn't have a pen to really put somthing together. If I had I probably would've foolishly begged to read it that night. I went home wanting to rebut a lot of the junk they spewed out. I felt like I had walked away from a fight I really wanted to engage in.
In reality I dont think they even know there are people there that have political views and values different than some of them. They spoke with such hatred, no opposing view would come out as a discussion. It'd be an unruly debate with no real facts. They don't seem to want to hear any other views but want to influence others.
I was thinking about how the church has just spoken to the world with such judgement and condemnation that the world doesn't want to hear what it has to say. And now the world is speaking back in the same spirit. Ugh. It's so sad. Y'know Jesus himself even said he didn't come to "condemn the world, but to save it." Interestingly that verse is John 3:17, right after the famous "For God so loved the world...,"John 3:16.
I went home and wrote everything I could remember. I thought about it and decided if I read it on stage it'd just be throwing that same spear back at them, in the same spirit of hatred. I'm not gonna do that. But I'm human and I get offended and mad, too, but don't need to act on it. So still pondering what and if I should even read something.
So after much pondering I realized that GENERALLY, speaking, one could say that in regards to wanting to see oppression, injustice and poverty dealt with, liberals and conservatives both agree on that. A common ground does exist. The process of dealing with those issues is a whole 'nother deal.
Jesus told us to take care of the imprisoned, oppressed, widowed, orphaned, the poor and the lame. If I focus on this world we all live in, the humanity we all have in common and how to love my neighbor, I can work from that.
There seems to be a lot of common ground in general. Life can be challenging if your a conservative or a liberal and how you deal with it is where the difference lies. But we can agree on the desire for love, peace and freedom in our personal lives as well as others.
If I read anything, I'll let y'all know. If I do, I want to do it just for fun and to just be me and share a piece of my writing. Not challenge them.
I'd definately be outnumbered. Ha! :D
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