The Prey turns into the Hunter

a muse about the recent killing of Osama Bin Laden

by Prissy Hamilton

I've been watching the news about Osama bin Laden, now for several hours. From the first 5 minutes I felt uncomfortable about it, something was wrong.

My impression as the news media went on talking about joy, jubilation and closure, it does not feel right, does not feel balanced to me. Yes, the man that popular opinion says was responsible for thousands of deaths is dead himself now. Is it about revenge or is it about retaliation or is it the false impression that the terror mongers will now be ceased?

I'm unsure how many people realize that when Russia was fighting in that area, Osama bin Ladin was instrumental in helping or aiding Russia and the United States. He was on our side. It was brought out in the Iran Contra Arms exposure that he was involved and in a way that had 'helped' us. It was also stated that when Russia and United States didn't need him any longer, we walked away from him leaving him 'twisting' in the wind. At that time he vowed to 'get us' and on 9/11 the twin towers fell and, apparently Osama bin Laden took credit for it.

Still, there is something very wrong with a nation that parties due to someone's death - no matter who that person was or what he had done. It produces no closure. It doesn't bring back the loved ones that died, it doesn't soothe the soul, it has no glorious value, and is not healing at all on any level. Retaliation, revenge is never the right answer. It breeds more retaliation and revenge. That is the nature of it.

So with all that in mind, one has to ask the question. 'What's next?' After the short lived joy has been expressed, after the news media lets go of it and moves on to something else, what happens emotionally to those that were caught up in the gala? What happens to the people that lost loved ones through all the attacks and horror. Are they healed, are they less sad about their loss, do they feel vindicated, does it make everything all right again?

Osama used his religion as an excuse for his violence. He also said he wanted us out of his country. Our excuse from what we were told was that he hated freedom, that he was responsible for the killing of thousands of our people. Who is right and who is wrong? If you look at it from a broader view, both are right. Both, in their own eyes, feel justified and correct. Each side thinks the other is evil, but are they? Seems to me, evil, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

OK, Osama bin Laden is dead. Does that mean that terror will end? I think not and anyone who thinks otherwise is very naive and coming from a place of anger and hate, not from a place of truly wanting to stop that terror and violence. It is a vicious circle when it is dealt with in that way.

There is a third way. People don't seem to ponder that very much and it isn't talked about or discussed. If we truly want to stop the hate, the violence, what can we do to really, if not stop it all together, at least to curb it and make it unacceptable to all?

The taking of a life, any life is uncomfortable to me emotionally. It just is. I'm not a pacifist by any stretch of the imagination. If someone attacked me, at that moment of attack I would pull up every ounce of fight I had available to me. That is called defense. That is the lion wanting me for lunch and all my instincts would be on high alert in the defense of my life. That is much different from hunting someone down in revenge or retaliation. That is turning into the lion yourself. There is another way, let's start talking about that!

Muse on Religion

Been thinking a lot about the Christian religion lately. The history of it, what exactly it means, how it has changed through the ages, all the different sects, rites, dogmas and beliefs that go along with it. All the many little branches and sprouts that have come from it. It is a fascinating subject and has many facets to it.

I don't pretend to be a scholar, not even a really deep thinker, but I do have a few thoughts and muses about this subject since lately it seems to have come to the forefront of my mind I thought I would share them.

First, I decided to look up a few key words in Webster's New World Dictionary just to clarify the meanings to myself. I'll share them with you:

Religion: 'reverence for the gods, holiness in a system of religious belief. Belief in divine or superhuman powers or power to be obeyed and worshiped as creators and rulers of the universe.'

Christian: 'a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ, or in the religion based on the teachings of Jesus. Having the qualities demonstrated and taught by Jesus Christ, as love, kindness, humility, etc.'

Seems to me that the Christian religion sprang up as an off shoot of the Jewish religion. The Christians took the man, Jesua bin Joseph and renamed him Jesus the Christ. Why? Because somebody said that he performed miracles. Of course, that 'somebody' didn't actually know Jesus and, in fact lived over 100 years after the death of Jesus. Right there ought to tell even the superficial thinker that something is wrong.

If I, for instance, wanted to pick out a person that lived 100 years prior to me and make them into something amazing, I don't think it would be too difficult, especially if I played on deep seeded human emotional fears. Many people have done it since, that is how the Mormons came about, the Church of Religions Science, the Baptist, just to name a few and this doesn't even go into all the many 'cults' that have come and gone along the ages taking with them hundreds of thousand of people. Jim Jones comes to mind. And then there are the Pat Robertsons, who are obviously delusional and psychologically a mess that charge even earth events into some kind of punishment from God.

Then, we have the bible or should I say bibles, for there are many of them. Many translations, many editions, written and rewritten until the original meanings are long lost. Of course, we wouldn't even have the texts of any kind if it weren't for the Essenes. None the less, the original meanings are completely gone having been misconstrued several times over. The Catholic Church, for instance, revised it and took a lot of the original chapters out of it, and changed many of the words. That part they took out is touted to be the Gnostic Gospels.

The whole belief structure of religion, the bases of which it is founded, the many people who profess they were told by God, or Jesus or angels or whoever have had their impact on human kind. It seems to me that they all, bar none, have had this power over people because they play on common deep seeded human fears. They play into the weakness of people and people give them their personal power because people don't trust themselves.

It is a mass manipulation of sorts, for control and for power. It also plays into the psychology that if I can make you dumber than me, then that will make me smarter. That in itself is a fairly stupid thing to think, but none the less it is a mind set of many.

It is that whole 'master' syndrome. The truth is, the real master, doesn't know he/she is a master and doesn't care. The real teacher doesn't know or consider him/herself to be a teacher and doesn't care. The real master is too busy learning and participating in his/her life. The real teacher is too busy and compassionate about the students learning and learning from the students to even consider that he/she has all the answers.

It is so ironic. Who said, 'beware of false images?' Who said, 'know thy self?'

There are certain things in human nature that just have to be accepted as part of what is. One of those things is that no one knows more about you than you. Now, if you chose not to get to know yourself, not to search yourself and not to respect who you are, and allow someone else to judge, jury and promote you as they see fit, then that is your right. But to go out and try to convince other's that they, too, are 'sinners' and bad people and need to do what you say and do is something quite different.

All through the ages, people, fellow human beings have been tortured, and killed in the most horrific ways because of their inner beliefs. These wonderful Christians have judged people and burned them alive, been so brutal that I can barely even think about it.

And they are still at it today. In different ways, but they still hold high that banner that says, 'I know the way and if you don't do it my way, I will harm you. I will make laws against your ways, I will make laws to hold up my end of the argument and force you to bend to the things I think are correct.' They are doing that with the abortion laws, with the gay rights, and with the health care laws. They are doing it with Planned Parenthood not wanting contraceptives taught and given out, they are doing it with the origin of the universe, science, etc. Believe me, it may be more subtle these days, but it is still brutal. And this is all coming from those wonderful 'Christians'. They are acting the opposite to what the definition of their religions say they should act.

What is it that we give our power away so easily? Why is it that we think someone else knows better than us about ourselves? Why don't we bother to find out what our inner being truly thinks and feels? Why don't we trust who we are, and allow ourselves to learn from ourselves and trust ourselves for the correct answers for us? If we got to know ourselves in the most honest way that we could, it seems to me we would stop judging others, we would respect others more and we wouldn't be so quick to jump on the condemnation boat.

Like I said earlier, I don't consider myself any more knowledgeable than anyone else and less knowledgeable than some, but what I do know is that what I learn from myself, what I muse upon, what I contemplate is much more valuable to me, my life and the way I treat others than anything any religion can convince me of. I struggle with the questions within myself like everyone else. But I'll be damned if I'm going to allow anyone to convince me that I need to follow their way. That, to my mind will only lead down their road, and I've my very own road which suits me better than anyone else's possibly ever could.

The Adult Bully

- Prissy Hamilton © January 2011

The adult bully is all around us. You can hear and see them on TV, you can read about them in books, spot them in your own personal life and every place in between.

They are the ones with the overgrown false egos that want to control and manipulate everything and everybody. They are the ones who state that they know best. They are the ones that can tell you what you should do and how to do it and if you would only live your life like they say, you would have smooth sailing and happy, healthy times.

They feed off the fear of others with a frenzy and love it when they have others that they can manipulate and control. It energizes them for they can briefly con themselves into thinking they are worthy.

Bully's come in all sizes, all shapes and all genders. They love to walk into situations, overwhelm everyone with their inflated egos and start strutting like Banty roosters. They feel it necessary to take over. They can be charming on one hand and very manipulative and judgmental on the other. They can lead you down a path of self destruction if you allow them to and they can excite crowds like few others.

The bully has no true self esteem of their own. They think very little of themselves and therefore try to convince themselves that they really are knowledgeable and have something to offer by scaring other folks into listening to and believing in them. Then they can say, 'Oh, I have a following so I must be right.'

They depend on something outside themselves to prove themselves wrong about what they really feel about themselves. What they really feel is that they aren't worth much, and they think they don't have an effect on the world around them.

Seems to me that the bully doesn't bother to even contemplate for one second who they really are. They are running scared of finding out, too. Sure they act secure within themselves, but it is a false front. Truth were to be known, they are fragile. They have no honest, solid foundation about themselves. This allows them to switch on a dime and come at others from a different direction. They use distraction and feed into the cavities of others filling it with false judgments and often times cruel understandings.

Recently this appears rampant on the planet and in particular in the United States. It is extremely obvious in the political arena. The political entities are supposed to be on the side of the general public. They are selected by the majority of the people to work for the people, for the good of the majority. They are thought or assumed to be able to critical think, solve problems and conflicts, but lately they are a source of division. They are name calling, telling untruths, and are vicious and non respectful to other human beings.

It has become the us and them mentality, much like at a sports event.

There is a void of common decency, a void of respect. They seem to be running a muck in our society today. Many people notice but few know what to do about it. Lord knows, I don't. What I do know is that they feed on fear. So being scared of them, bullied by them is the worse possible thing you can do because it inflates them and eggs them on.

The question is, what don't they feed on and what scares them? Now there is the question and the answer is fairly easy in coming. If you are secure within yourself, if you know who you are and like yourself, they are frightened and stay away from you. Why? Because they know that you know the truth about them and cannot be manipulated into thinking otherwise. That is how you treat frightened out of control children and that is exactly what they appear to be.

Morning Muse

There seems to be a million pathways, secret teachings, mysteries and ways to find out answers in life. It is mind boggling. There are religions, dogmas, philosophies along with techniques, rituals, and spiritual new age, traditional and even ancient understandings available to the seeker through self-help books, videos, tapes, lectures, missions, travel and everything else. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent with gurus, ministers, priests, psychologist, psychiatrists, teachers, shamans, medicine men and women, drugs and the like to search the otherwise 'unknown' for answers and, indeed, even questions.

It is interesting to me that all these 'keys', or paths promote self-fulfillment, prosperity, good health, etc and most folks go from one discipline to the next fairly disappointed in the results. Why don't they work, or why do they 'sorta' work for a few, but not for others. What exactly is the mystery and why can't it be obtained?

We have precise explanations, exact ways to go about finding out and an over abundance of 'experts' telling us how. Yet, the only ones that all of this seems to be helping is the folks giving the lectures, writing the books, living the exercise, devotees giving up their lives to the discipline in which they think is the best way to 'enlightenment.'

What if it was not a secret? What if it was not a mystery? What if it wasn't in a dogma, a church, a ritual, a rite, a lecture or a book? What if it was as common as the preverbal apple pie? What if it was right there within you and out side of you all along? What if it were so common and familiar to you that you just didn't see it, never really thought about it, and because it was so innate, you barely paid it any attention at all?

Many have said, and you have no doubt felt it, too, that all of the 'ways' have a bit of truth, knowledge in them, but there is always something lacking - the question comes up, 'Yes, I know that, but it just doesn't work.'

We are a product of our past. Not so much what has happened to us in the past, but how we judged it, what we think of it, and what we think of ourselves because of it. We have 'mind-sets' that we have grown to trust over the years growing up and in our adult lives. We have judgements of others and of ourselves. We have myopic views, we have understandings that we group together and call it a truth and we react and act upon them as if they were universal truths.

They are not. They are false images. They are false belief structures and we live our lives with these guiding us. Yogis and such, and even Christ, talked about 'looking within.' No one else can know what we are thinking, what we are feeling or why we judge things the way that we do. Every now and again, those judgements are set aside, the veil of self deception is melted and we get a glimpse of major universal truths.

Why can't we find those truths throughout our day, every day, every minute of the day? The truth really is that we can. In order to do so, we have to give up a few things that block the understandings from presenting themselves. We also have to recognize the veil of past experiences that cloud our vision of the reality that allows the truth and the real answers to be available to us.

This planet, the stars, the sun and moon and all of the other solar systems are made up of energy. Energy is the basic component of which all things are created. That includes you and me, individually. We are a part of the world, the universe. The same energies that are in the stars are in us. Different proportions, perhaps, but the basic same ingredients/energies. If we realize that, if we consciously admit that to ourselves, then a really deep understanding starts to exist within us. The so called mysteries, the secrets melt and become 'just the way it is.' As simple as that.

The spot of bother in it, or it becomes troublesome when we can't turn lose of those prejudices, those presumptions, the angers, the guilts and above all the fears. Those are the feelings, the emotions that taint our knowledge, that color our world and add smog to our view of reality. That smog or tainted view is harmful to us and to others.

All those things are personal within us. No two people have the same filters that they look through. They may think that they agree, but in truth, they do not nor can they ever agree exactly. They aren't supposed to, really.

Before any of the 'ways' can work, we have to first clear out our filters, blow out the prejudices, and come to an even-ness and an acceptance with and of ourselves and others. The old judgements and fears have to be looked at and acknowledged - not accepted as truth, just acknowledged that we have that tainted view. Then, when we are looking for the truth, searching for the answers, we will know if they are coming from our tainted view and are a-skewed or if they are a universal answer holding truth.

Facing oneself, looking at ones internal goings on, really delving into one's own psyche is arduous and sometimes painful and always scary. We fight ourselves the whole way. We lie to ourselves, we trick ourselves, and try with all we've got to make excuses. Once we breakthrough that veil, however, plane clear answers come through The answers come quickly and we soon realize that all we feared, felt guilty about, judged ourselves and others about is really healed and gone. The rocks, sticks and stones in our path have been cleared.

We cannot find a clear path without looking within, and cleaning out our own house, our own garbage, cleaning our own windows. It just won't happen. Until we clean out our own baggage, we continue blaming others, finding excuses for ourselves and believing that we are the all knowing person in the room.

There is another element amongst us these days and that is the sociopathic crowd. Sociopath: a personality disorder characterized by an abnormal lack of empathy combined with abnormally immoral conduct despite an ability to appear normal. The political arena is full of them. The private sector is full of them. You sometimes have a difficult time identifying them, but if you take a close look, you'll find them everywhere.

Is it a product of the 'me' society? I have been in conversations lately and the whole time is filled with 'their' stuff, 'their life'. They have a difficult time talking about anything else, seemed bored if you bring up another subject. And they certainly won't 'trouble shoot' the world's problems with anything that even hints of helping their fellow citizens. The seem not to be concerned with anyone else, but themselves.

What I do sense is that the division between, those of us that have delved within ourselves to find answers and become better human beings understand that we need to work for the 'goodness of the whole.' We realize that we are no better off than the weakest or poorest among us. We will not be able to experience the most joy unless our fellow citizens and our earth is feeling it as well. We are all connected in a way that is almost UN-understandable. It is undeniable, however, that each of us has an affect on the world around us. We live in a sea of thought, and feelings. Whether we realize it or not, we have an effect and so do others.

A Congressional Love Affair Needed

-Prissy Hamilton

It appears that Congress isn’t very sympathetic to the American people as a whole. Most folks realize that lobbyist are always there with their hands out to pay off or give money to the cause that they want, that will benefit them. That is greed, pure and simple. They aren’t considering the basic human lives that are at stake with their decisions. They aren’t keeping conscious that the entire nation is dependent on them doing the right thing for the goodness of the whole. And it doesn’t seem to occur to them that they were elected by the common man and woman. Perhaps that is the problem right there.

Maybe, we the people, need to think about it in a different way. Maybe we didn’t elect these people after all. Maybe the lobbyist elected them with all the money that they gave then to pay for ads and for false advertising. Perhaps we need to rethink just how elected officials are able to pay for all the ads, able to run huge campaigns and spend more money that the common person would make in a life time. Actually, when you think about the millions of dollars that are spent in ‘getting elected’ we could actually pay for health care for every man, woman and child in the nation.

Why are our priorities so wrong, so against the American people. What in the world is the problem that we, the people, can’t see the way in which we operate as a nation is just a no win situation.

The two parties pit us against one another, like two football teams in a super bowl game. The only difference is that when the football game is over, the people go home and their lives aren’t affected very much. With the two political parties, it never stops. The judging, the name calling, the lies, the disrespect is that of teenage squabbling. It just amazes me.

The media hires folks that scream and yell at us and pit us against each other. They make the division wider, and more dangerous. It is a divide and conquer tactic. Get us so confused, fearful and fighting amongst ourselves, that we won’t pay attention to what is really going on.

We elect these people, they aren’t statesmen and stateswomen, they aren’t any wiser and brighter than us, matter of fact, most are extremely immature, egotistical, narcissistic and down right dumb. But we elect them, and we assume that they have all the answers - which of course, they don’t.

Congress needs to start having a love affair with the American people as a whole.

Two Realities and Cross Purposes

- Prissy Hamilton

The two realities are fairly stark now and most of us can see or sense them clearly. It reminds me of the Master Card symbol with the two circles that are almost separate, but still have a little overlapping. It is easy to feel the energy of each one. Even though we have called the one ‘home’ for years, it now feels foreign and not very pleasant. The other one feels more normal and ‘homey’ and certainly more congenial. It feels an easier space to dwell in.

One can really witness it in the political arena. One side is spewing hate, fear and negatives and ridiculing the other side, while the other side is asking for cooperation, help and ideas. It is so easy to see the difference. It is easy to see the fear gone rampant. It is like a foot ball game - only it is dealing with our nation and our world which makes it very uncool. Two sides distinctly.

Greed, now, is starting to become a ‘no-no’ and is beginning to be looked down upon. Much like Marie Antoinette wondering why the masses, who were starving, couldn’t eat cake. It is becoming very obvious. The verbal abuses that are being aired by some of the media reminds us of high school cliques that bullied and bad mouthed other kids, who didn’t deserve it at all. It happens when folks don’t feel they make a difference in this world and have to belittle others to feel good about themselves. Does it work? No, of course it doesn’t. At least not any longer. It used to be that the majority of us would bow to the bullying - we aren’t now. Another indication that the ‘old ways don’t grow corn any longer’.

It has always been astounding to me that most people get their information from outside sources. The news, the guru, the guide, the church, the whatever - pick one, there are thousands. Few get their council from inside themselves - fewer even know how. So they bow down to different ‘gods’ and then they repeat it as if it is universal truth.

After all, that is why advertisements work. If you buy this pair of socks, it will make you have healthy feet. If you eat this food you will be healthy, or eat this food and it will kill you, or take this pill and you’ll feel better. And then there is the side that puts fear in to the system.
Obama is going to take your guns away and leave you helpless and hopeless, Liberals are ruining the country, the Muslims are going to take over - quick let’s run to the mountains, take all of our guns and hide out. The liberals are going to take over and give every thing away and we’ll be stuck with the bill. It is crazy - crazy and a real indication that people are simply blind followers.

It is also an indication that the masses aren’t in reality - either reality. they are in some kind of ‘me wants’ reality. They want that new car, and they could care less about the environment, they could care less how many people died for them to get the fuel for it. They aren’t thinking about the earth we live on, the animals and plants that live on it with us that help support life on this mud ball hurling through space at an amazing speed. They are child like in their ‘wants’. I want it now, I don’t care about the cost, the fuel, the workmanship, the whatever, I want what I want now because that makes me feel important, better and useful. False gods abound.

What happened to the adults? What has happened to maturity? What has happened to critical thinking - thinking things through. What has happened to respect, for self, for nation, for the plants and animals on the earth, for nature, even the moon is subject to our puny silly endeavors.

Isn’t it enough to experience the breath of life, the beautiful earth we live upon, the physical bodies that we embody (even with handicaps and psychological misfortunes). Isn’t it enough to enjoy other people’s thoughts and ideas without having to call them names and shake fists at them?

The problem with engaging in the verbal and mental war fare is that one looses their focus and intent. If the focus is on peace - then why are we putting energy out in our world of war and conflict? If we want appreciation in our world for nature, then why are we putting our energy and efforts in to fighting the folks that are killing off the natural order of things. Isn’t that putting a cross purpose in our heads and hearts?

What if we just started bridging the gaps in a different mindful way. What if we banded together and focused on bridging the fear gap, confronting the issue rather than the person. What if we retained our focus and intent and took the steps toward what we want to see in our world rather than ‘fighting’ over what we don’t want to see in our world? What would that look like? Let’s do some critical thinking and see what we come up with. Let’s have a discussion about it. Let’s make sure we don’t put our energy into something that is at cross purposes to what we really want in this world, in this reality.

Health Care Puzzle

-Prissy Hamilton

Can you explain? I’ve been wrestling lately with people’s attitudes and my not understanding them. I know that I’m not super bright, but I know that I’m not super dumb, either. The truth is, I do more homework and research than most.

Health care. Why don’t people want universal single payer health care? Why don’t they want public option? I’m not asking the big pharma or the insurance companies, we all know why they don’t want it. I’m asking the common public folks. The folks whom it would help immensely. What is wrong with it? What do you/they suggest that would be better?

I don’t get very adequate answers. The folks that are against it are quick to argue about it, quick to call names, quick to judge, quick to spout ridiculous answers that have nothing to do with the question, and everything to do with some kind of fear about it, but they don’t seem to have any real solutions.

This leads me to believe that they don’t care about their fellow man. They don’t give a damn that people are dying due to not having health care. They don’t seem to care. These supporters of the status quo health insurance, don’t seem to care about other people. They like it that they have health insurance and others don’t. They want the cake, they want to eat it, but they don’t want others to have anything to eat. Not cake, not soup, not bread - just let them die. Let them suffer and die without any health care at all. Who cares? They don’t.

What exactly does that say about them? It says that they are narcissistic. It says that they really don’t care about their fellow man. It says that they are immune to the suffering of others. It isn’t in their family (yet) so they aren’t bothered to really think about it. It says they are not concerned for the goodness of the whole, they are only concerned about themselves.

The most confusing thing is, lots of these folks call themselves religious. According to the ‘word’ that they supposedly live by, one is supposed to threat others as they would like to be treated - somehow that completely passes them by. Jesus healed the sick, the least they could do is make sure everyone had health care and give them a chance to be healed.

Lots of other people that are against it have their homes, have their insurance, and have their health. They have never been in a situation where illness struck and they were out in the cold as far as medical treatment goes. They have never seen their child suffer and die, never seen a family member in pain and die due to an illness that they could not be treated for.

The whole thing simply is insane, inhumane and boggles my mind how folks can support the status quo in the Health arena. Something is terribly wrong with these people - terribly wrong.