[Mb-civic] RE: Extremism Is No Excuse

[Marsha Erman]

Hey Michael.
Interesting blogging.
Although I agree with your take on the Purple America concept,
I think that some of the criticism you have received may be due to
semantics rather than content.
In espousing the "hippy" philosophy(if that's what you want to call it),
I have only echoed the beliefs of such diverse "extremists" as the Buddha,
Jesus, Ghandi, Mother Theresa, the Beatles, the people who brought us 
Hair...
oh, I dunno, maybe even Eminem.
Clearly a group of extremists.
However, at the center of these extreme messages was Truth.
It is truth and honesty that lead to Peace and Love, which is what we all 
want.
Their extreme message was that we are not supposed to "knuckle to juice";
that we must speak truth to power, even if it's scary.
That we must speak our truth in the face of hypocracy.
Back in the sixties we demonstrated against the establishment and
they dismissed us as "fringe".
Eminem's eloquent pleas for an end to gang violence and an end to the war in 
Iraq
grew out of a decidedly unenlightened genre of music called "gangsta rap".
This is the transformation from darkness to light.
>From hate to love.
Call it Hope, or maybe Faith, which is the exact opposite of religious 
fanaticism.
We could certainly use a modern leader like JFK who had the vision and 
charisma
to unite this red and blue nation and lead it to end this current and 
escalating
passive-aggressive civil war we have going on.
Furthermore, we must, as you pointed out, envision a purple planet.
We need leadership that strives to extend friendship and good will to our 
global community.
I have always considered myself a patriot.  I love the idea of democracy.
Call me an extremist.....whatever.
Peace and Love,
Marsha xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox


>From: Michael Butler <michael at michaelbutler.com>
>To: SPECIAL from Michael Butler <michael at michaelbutler.com>
>Subject: Extremism Is No Excuse
>Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 14:49:16 -0800
>
>
>Michael Butler's Blog
>
>http://www.michaelbutler.com/mbblog.html
>
>http://www.michaelbutler.com
>
>

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