This is very long, but I don't know how to make it shorter...

[perseph4981]

The major difference between those who have and those who have not is not material possessions. It is not education, or intelligence, or work ethic. It is far more simple and far more complex than that

Comments

[upsidown]

Enjoyed reading this. I like reading your thoughts, and I agree with you about a lot of this.

It's overwhelming at times

[dericy]

We can only hope

[anonymous]

In the beginning the world was built indifferent to all species making free will and choice useful. This was so no one, not even God, had the power to decide who ate and who starved, who lived and who died and so on.

Man ruined this because of his arrogance and idea that because he could 'think' he was God's favorite and therefore all was created for 'him'. Therefore the same rules that applied to all of God's other creations certainly did not apply to him. God could not just allow humans to starve and die indifferently as he does the rabbit or the deer. Surely, being his favorite and greatest creation, they were special and deserved more opportunity.

So the only law, indifference, became through man a million laws all designed to tilt the scales toward the human. This gave man or the men making these new laws the power to decide who ate and who starved, who lived and who died and so on. So they created many labels to distinguish the human as many different things. The noble man, the rich man, the religious man, the black man

[perseph4981]

Reminds me of Ishmael...

My question remains, though. What can we do? Regardless of the causes, what can we do to ensure equal choice for all living creatures? I fear that it is already too late, and only a disaster of epic proportions, the apocalypse, or an act of God will change things. Maybe that's why I can't get enough of post-apocalyptic literature...

[anonymous]

Nothing will ensure 'equal choice' for all living creatures. There are so many organizations today working towards this goal and they will never, even if time were infinite, achieve this.

So to start give up this idea. Then accept the indifference of life. Then use unabashedly your free will.

The idea of 'equality' is an anchor on all constructive thought. If you as a person cannot see yourself fitting into the parameters offered to you decline the offer and seek another or create your own. This is free will.

It is not the job of one person, or even many, to 'fix' the lives of others. This idea is what got us into this mess in the first place. Righteousness is quite dangerous.

Ghandi once said, 'we must be the change we want to see in the world'. If we all live the same but preach change this is hypocricy and not helpful to anyone.

To answer your question, "What can we do?". The answer is different for everyone, because we all have our own individual abilites. A small thing everyone could do to move forward though are

[perseph4981]

See, I was afraid I'd come off sounding righteous. That's the last thing I wanted to do. I knew it was a risk posting this, but I was so full of so many conflicting feelings that I had to get it out there, and this seemed like the best forum. Trying to fix someone's life so that it's like mine makes the implicit claim that my way is the best way. I tried to explain that, but I'm not sure if I succeeded. I don't make that claim; I just think that everyone should have all of the same options, and then make a choice. Because there is a difference between my friend's daughters and my sisters. And it's a difference that has nothing to do with their worth as human beings, but with the accident of birth that placed them in their respective communities. That is what hits me as blatantly injust, that is what digs a hole in the pit of my stomach. That inequality is what I want to change