Life mandates I not be a shithead [part 1]

Today I set out from the house little knowing that I was going to become an activist against Domestic and Sexual Violence. After decorating a "These hands don't hurt" tapestry, I chose not to wash off the paint on the spur of the moment. Everyone I talked to asked what the hell happened to my hand. (A few thought at first, I had injured it in an accident involving battery acid) I then would "swing in" to encourage them to think about this important issue.

I'm writing about it here to do the same.

Important? Pressing? This issue in all it's stunning, dark complexity has screwed up my own life and the lives of many of my friends and family.

The facts are stunning. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services two million (2,000,000) Texans are sexually assaulted every year.
In 2006, the Texas Department of Public Safety recorded 186,868 family violence incidents. But the true numbers for these crimes is, in fact, much higher due to the frequent reluctance of victims to come forward. The same report notes that 74% of Texans have either directly experience domestic violence or know a close family member or friend who has.

The phenomenon is incredibly complex - an amorphous mass - a bubbling cauldron of gender, power, love, psychologies, histories, mental illness, emotions, learning, culture, shame, desire, and on and on and on.

And then... some people are just incredibly evil and shitty.

In my view, we cannot return violence for violence no matter how angry we are. Rather we must work tirelessly to bring these [often men, but by NO MEANS always] to justice - what does that even look like?

JUST AS important, we need to empower people to deal with the immense burden of victimization. Shame. Depression. Low self-worth. Dysfunction. Often the victim is young, poor and has few resources for obtaining help. Self-destructive behavior and deep emotional damage can dog a victim for many years after the abuse.

Without help in facing the grief and pursuing healing, a victim's life and the lives of those close to the victim can long be overshadowed by a legacy of trauma.

Finally, we must ask ourselves: where is this coming from? What is it about our culture, our society, ourselves that so many people [often the very weakest and most defenseless] are being used, violated and physically attacked - right here in Jesusland??

I think this is part of a broader impatience that has been growing in me against the pricks of humanity.

That said, I'm also becoming aware that I myself need to make sure I don't turn into a violent, arrogant asshole with little respect for others and even less regard for their feelings. We need to direct the anger against the evil bastards not set the machine gun on "spray mode."

Last night I publicly called a guy a "fucktard" for telling a [pretty disgusting] racist joke. Justified? Probably a little much... well, it was kind of funny...

On the positive side, I would like to also become more attune to how I can love those I come in contact with. healing. freeing. teaching. happiness. peace. security.

It's a noble project (a lot more noble than some of my last experiments at least).
Let's see whether virtue is, in fact, its own reward. I'll put something together, try it for a few days and let you know how it goes... How to be virtuous in College Station... hmmmm... intriguing.



Yep... That's the police substation. This is probably not a good start.













On a lighter note:

Check out Wheat's album "Per second, per second, per second... every second."

I love this band because their music is delightfully creative and "free." It's great for playing in your car [windows down, radio blaring] on a gorgeous, sun-soaked spring day.

Especially listen to Don't I hold you, This rough magic, Closer to Mercury, Some days, Go get the cops and Breathe.