Katie Doyle, Girl About Town

Thursday, Feb. 03, 2005 - 7:20 p.m.

The One About Birds

::sigh:: It seems there's no way to say you're against the invasion and occupation of Iraq without offending someone. How come you can say you're all for it, and that isn't supposed to offend the delicate sensibilities and feelings of another human being, but saying you're against the squandering of human life, that meets with hurt at the least and rage at the extreme?

And no, this is not because of Rae-Babe's comments, it's because it saddens me that this has become a country of "you're either with us or you're against us," and because I'm tired of people overhearing me in public and coming all unglued that I'm all in favor of baby-raping terrorists, a selfish bitch who doesn't think the Iraqi people deserve freedom, or that I hate the military.

Please.

If you have to reduce me to that in order to be comfortable with my opposition to the invasion/occupation of Iraq, you have some seriously deep soul-searching to do, my friend.

I can understand people who disagree with me might think I'm misguided to feel as I do, that maybe I just don't get the seriousness of the situation or understand the sacrifice of those who have been lost, or I'd change my mind. I feel by and large the same way about them. Mainly because I'm really not inclined to engage religion in my logic. I realize there are a whole huge boatload of people who think it's our solemn Christian duty to go in there and do what we're doing, but I am not one of them. Not because I'm not a Christian, but because I'm not a Crusader. Some people are. I understand that, I just don't want to be one of them or spend large amounts of time with them. I don't happen to think the Crusade is necessary, or wanted. Which probably sent several of you off into coronary arrest, but I've a feeling the ones that it did are consigning me to hell rather than praying for my soul, and frankly, I'd just as soon the people who read here be the kind that pray for my soul, so if you're the consigning to hell type, good riddance. I don't think any of us gets to decide that but God, and I'm pretty sure that the thing he's most concerned with as far as how we live our lives in regards to other people here, is that we try to do the right thing and not screw each other over. Frankly, I think if God had to choose between a non-Christian who was caring and kind, or a Christian who was an ass to others, He'd pretty much go with the non-Christian, because like it or not, that's the person living God's will. That's what I believe. If you think it's more important to God that you believe in Christ than how you treat others, well, that's between you and Him. But you and I probably wouldn't hang out.

And as I said in my comments, if I for one second believed that the invasion and occupation was about freedom and human rights for the Iraqi people, I'd be a helluva lot more supportive. But if it were really about that, I'm pretty sure we would have waited for the UN to go in with us, and a lot more other countries would be substantively helping. It speaks volumes that that's not what's happening.

The deal is, I'm a raven. See, when a raven finds food, it goes away and gets the whole unkindness (ironic name, that) to come back with it, and everyone gets a little bit of whatever dead thing has been found. See, ravens are smart enough to know that teamwork behooves them, that if you don't act in your own self-interest, but instead for the good of the group, that that means there are more eyes out covering a wider area looking for food, and that your chances of eating go up exponentially. What's good for the group is good for you. That doesn't mean you can't collect your own shiny things and keep them in your own nest. It just means that when it comes to necessities, it behooves you to look out for everyone, because then everyone looks out for you.

A great many people in America these days aren't buying it. They're crows. And a crow thinks look at that whole bird. I can eat for 3 days on that; it's mine! Of course, he might not be able to find food for weeks after, but damn it, that bird is all his, because he found it, and tough nookie to the rest of the murder (rather appropriate name, that). And I suppose if you're a big, badass crow, that works for you, because you don't need looking out for...until you get sick, or encounter a bigger, more predatory bird. One who eats crows, say. I think people who are crows are pretty much banking on not ever needing another solitary soul as long as they live. And maybe they won't. Maybe life will bear them out. I hope it bears their children out, too, but then again, I suppose crows aren't overwhelmingly concerned with that. It stands to reason that if you don't give one good damn about the rest of your social group, then you probably don't really care all that much what happens to your kids or grandkids when you're gone, either.

Maybe it's nicer to go thru life as a crow. I'm sure it's a lot less complicated. Sometimes I really wish I were one. Then the values my parents instilled in me and that my belief in God bolsters kick in, and I think no, I'd really rather be a raven. I'd rather have a group of people around me that I know I can trust. Who don't think they have to screw me over to get ahead, or that they can't be happy so long as I am or I have something they don't. I'd rather have people around me who share in my joys and celebrate my successes. I'd rather have my friends Cannon and Dewayne, who recognized the good things in me and allowed me to be myself - who appreciated me - even when other people were being abusive pricks. I'd rather have Nicole, who does not let me feel I'm a fucking loser even though I can't seem to find a job to save my life, and who keeps telling me that yes, my jewelry is pretty, even when I've looked at it for so long now that it just looks like crap to me. I'd rather have my friend Jon, who shares his successes with me like I actually helped make them possible, and Tom, who sobbed when he had to cut me out of his film. I'd rather have my best friend of 25 years, Gayle, who means more to me than my entire family, and never once, in all 25 years, has ever made me feel like a flake or an idiot, even though she's a conservative Republican and I know I sometimes make her shake her head at my rash antics and complete lack of common sense. And I'd rather have my boyfriend, who even when we aren't getting along at all, still wants for me to have all the best things and happiness possible for a person to have. I'd rather have my fellow Millie and the acquaintance and occasional "penmanship" of almost every single person on my favorites list (whom it would be maudlin to name, so I won't), because the reason most of them are there is because in some way they have demonstrated something that makes me believe they too are ravens.

And I guess that pretty much sums it up.

Peace out,
Katie

5 comments so far

*HUGS* TOTAL! give katiedoyle more *HUGS*
Get hugs of your own

Yesterday's News - Next Stop

In which Katie shares sad news - Wednesday, Apr. 01, 2015
In which Katie returns after a very long absence - Monday, Jun. 25, 2012
In which Katie pokes her head in and brushes some of the cobwebs away - Thursday, May. 06, 2010
In which Katie asks you to write your congressman again. - Monday, Jun. 02, 2008
In which Katie asks you to please click the link and send the message to protect the rights of artists - Wednesday, May. 21, 2008