"He drew a circle that shut us out; heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win; we drew a circle that took him in."
In many regions of the wild and less cosmopolitan African plains, children sit in a circle and play their 'Osani' game. The children's feet touch one another's, forming a circle; their dark-skinned naked torsos represent spikes radiating from the circle's edge. Each child takes his or her turn naming a circular object (i.e., the sun, the moon, the Earth, etc.). They then must come up with a figurative term that characterizes "round" (such as "the circle of the family", "the circle of life", "the child in the womb", or "unity"). If a player can't think of such a characterization, (s)he must leave the circle. The game continues until only one child remains, who - tradition dictates - will live a long and prosperous life.
While contemporary Americans would see it as a primitive game not worthy of their time, African villagers encourage kids to participate in this simplistic exercise of communal spirituality. The stark difference between this child's game and a 'modern' child's videogame couldn't be more clear. 'Osani' teaches respect for community values; coexistence with other villagers or tribal members; peace and tolerance of others; and a sharing of primeval culture. Videogames teach, mostly, a perpetual perception between 'good and evil'; a pernicious penchant for annihilation of other human beings; an isolationism caused by the lack of any necessary interaction with others; and a complete disregard for the sanctity of human life. And we who live in such convivial communities, where we don't know our neighbors and aren't touched by the deaths of innocent citizens in a country 10,000 miles away, have the impudence to call ourselves cultured and civilized.
The Presidential Triumverate had made a number of bold promises on Christmas Day, 2008. In less than a month, all newly-elected candidates would take their positions as public servants. Referendums would be established, and 'the people' would vote on which ones shuld be passed into law. The new legislative branch of the U.S. government would not be given a chance to filibuster, debate, or 'pigeonhole' the legislation. They would be expected to compile the popular vote and then enact the legislation as mandated by the majority of 'the people' who voted. For all these months, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers who were familiar with legal verbage and proper execution of law had worked endlessly on forming the appropriate language for many of the upcoming referendums. Their mission was simple: condense each referendum into simple, understandable language and "take out all the legalese". This same group of political scholars and analysts were also working on the eradication of thousands of laws now 'on the books' that would very probably be scrapped within the year. Now, these experts were asked (NOT directed, NOT ordered, but ASKED) to also draw up formal vernacular for the issues proposed in yesterday's television broadcast to the world. Working from their St. Kitts headquarters, the activity went on 'round the clock with different 'shifts' of individuals who would rotate frequently so that no particular group would come to establish any kind of beachhead in the discussions. This helped to ensure that no one 'power base' overwhelmed other groups - or 'cells' - in the circle. This blend of different people with different ideas helped to keep dialogue flowing without one cluster of individuals gaining any kind of power structure. The 'cell' concept had worked well in AlQaeda, and had been effective in the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombings. This resembled a jury pool of different people from different walks of life with different perspectives and ideas - all of whom would have to come together to form a final consensus. The work went on non-stop; while some 'cells' enjoyed eight hours of sleep or lying on the beach, other 'cells' were always 'on the clock'. Just as St. Kitts had proved to be a respite for the AROB group, this lush island paradise was also perfect for the intellectuals churning out thousands of new documents on which 'the people' would finally vote next Janua
But love and I had the wit to win; we drew a circle that took him in."
In many regions of the wild and less cosmopolitan African plains, children sit in a circle and play their 'Osani' game. The children's feet touch one another's, forming a circle; their dark-skinned naked torsos represent spikes radiating from the circle's edge. Each child takes his or her turn naming a circular object (i.e., the sun, the moon, the Earth, etc.). They then must come up with a figurative term that characterizes "round" (such as "the circle of the family", "the circle of life", "the child in the womb", or "unity"). If a player can't think of such a characterization, (s)he must leave the circle. The game continues until only one child remains, who - tradition dictates - will live a long and prosperous life.
While contemporary Americans would see it as a primitive game not worthy of their time, African villagers encourage kids to participate in this simplistic exercise of communal spirituality. The stark difference between this child's game and a 'modern' child's videogame couldn't be more clear. 'Osani' teaches respect for community values; coexistence with other villagers or tribal members; peace and tolerance of others; and a sharing of primeval culture. Videogames teach, mostly, a perpetual perception between 'good and evil'; a pernicious penchant for annihilation of other human beings; an isolationism caused by the lack of any necessary interaction with others; and a complete disregard for the sanctity of human life. And we who live in such convivial communities, where we don't know our neighbors and aren't touched by the deaths of innocent citizens in a country 10,000 miles away, have the impudence to call ourselves cultured and civilized.
The Presidential Triumverate had made a number of bold promises on Christmas Day, 2008. In less than a month, all newly-elected candidates would take their positions as public servants. Referendums would be established, and 'the people' would vote on which ones shuld be passed into law. The new legislative branch of the U.S. government would not be given a chance to filibuster, debate, or 'pigeonhole' the legislation. They would be expected to compile the popular vote and then enact the legislation as mandated by the majority of 'the people' who voted. For all these months, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers who were familiar with legal verbage and proper execution of law had worked endlessly on forming the appropriate language for many of the upcoming referendums. Their mission was simple: condense each referendum into simple, understandable language and "take out all the legalese". This same group of political scholars and analysts were also working on the eradication of thousands of laws now 'on the books' that would very probably be scrapped within the year. Now, these experts were asked (NOT directed, NOT ordered, but ASKED) to also draw up formal vernacular for the issues proposed in yesterday's television broadcast to the world. Working from their St. Kitts headquarters, the activity went on 'round the clock with different 'shifts' of individuals who would rotate frequently so that no particular group would come to establish any kind of beachhead in the discussions. This helped to ensure that no one 'power base' overwhelmed other groups - or 'cells' - in the circle. This blend of different people with different ideas helped to keep dialogue flowing without one cluster of individuals gaining any kind of power structure. The 'cell' concept had worked well in AlQaeda, and had been effective in the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombings. This resembled a jury pool of different people from different walks of life with different perspectives and ideas - all of whom would have to come together to form a final consensus. The work went on non-stop; while some 'cells' enjoyed eight hours of sleep or lying on the beach, other 'cells' were always 'on the clock'. Just as St. Kitts had proved to be a respite for the AROB group, this lush island paradise was also perfect for the intellectuals churning out thousands of new documents on which 'the people' would finally vote next Janua
posted by Bushwacker! at 8:29 AM
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