It’s been over a year since I’ve tried to write anything. It took quite a while to clear my mind of the darkness I had allowed into my life. Once clear I just enjoyed living without stress. I lost all the anger which had driven the last year or so, I wasn’t sure what direction to take, they were all open to me.
I enjoy being alone, the silence, the space. When I mentioned to my mother that I would be having dinner with a woman I lived with almost thirty years ago she said she was surprised by the reconciliation. I realized that I don’t appear to have a romantic bone left in my body, I’m just catching up with an old friend. Artistically, I’ve taken to Christmas trees. I’ve started a long term animation project, a camera set to record an image three times a day to eventually provide me a little over sixty seconds at fourteen frames per second. I have a desire to return to writing, at a time I don’t even want to talk to most people. I rarely answer the phone.
Then I started to hear a new phrase. “If you‘ve ever wondered what you would have done in 1930s Germany or during the civil rights movement, congratulations: you‘re doing it now.” Which gave me a reason to write. I idolize a young German matyr, Sophie Scholl. I’ve written about her before, now I can use her inspiration.
Sophie was German, born in 1921. She was of the Lutheran faith. When she was ten, she joined Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls, the female branch of Hitler Youth). She was quickly disillusioned, and left to pursue artistic interests, and was first arrested by the Gestapo when she was sixteen, for the crime of being related to her brother Hans, who had been found to be a member of an anti Hitler group. In May of 1942 she enrolled in the University of Munich, studying Biology and Philosophy.
On 18 February 1943, she and Hans went to the Ludwig Maximilian University to distribute pamphlets. She was seen by a maintenance man who was a member of the NAZI party, and taken into custody by the Gestapo.
Her trial was a few days later, 22 February. She said “Somebody, after all, had to make a start. What we wrote and said is also believed by many others. They just don’t dare express themselves as we did.” No defense testimony was allowed. She was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. She faced the guillotine at 5:00, Hans at 5:02. Before being taken away, she said “How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause? Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go, but what does my death matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?”
The modern NAZIs are at the gate. Politics in America mirrors the years in which Hitler rose to power, and we have a “Politician” who mirrors Hitler in every respect. Donald Trump is a danger to humanity, and he builds the same rowdy beer hall gangs, utilizing their ignorance to spread his lies. I thought he was a joke in 2016 and thought “How much damage can he do in four years?” It appears he took that as a challenge, and having not quite finished the job wants another shot at it.
He doesn’t even need to be elected. His influence has already destroyed meaningful bi-partisan legislation, immediately using the lack of legislation as a reason to oppose other legislation. “Gridlock” doesn’t correctly describe activity in Congress, the appropriate word is closer to “solidified”.
Not the best stance with which to approach the other ninety nine percent of the world. They have a few problems of their own. A couple of which we created. Some where we actually have formal responsibilities to respond, but can’t in our state of paralysis. Others are simply immoral to ignore.
There was a time when people thought that violence in videos, films, and even games, would desensitize folks to violence. In a way it absolutely does, because much of life is on a screen, with infinite levels and definitions of reality. Yeah, the guy writing stuff to be read on a screen is telling you to get rid of the screens.
I am not alone in believing the most satisfying accomplishments are those you accomplish yourself. The therapeutic value of personal projects is almost universal in acceptance. This is where I tell you to make a project out of reading everything I write. It will give you a unique view of topics that you will be discussing with your friends because you all turned off the screens. Nothing is mundane, I’m collecting pictures to create a time lapse view from one my windows.
Among my projects will be writing about my other projects, perhaps you’ll be inspired to try something similar, or connected to by something in your mind. I don’t want to be overly political but it is an election year. I’ll discuss my credentials to discuss some topics, and the reasons you should disregard them. I will provide links to references so you’ll know its not just my opinion, and make it clear when it is just my opinion.
Please use the comment section, whether its positive or negative. I know most people don’t (WordPress tells me how many people stop by).
Let’s all hope that nothing horrible happens that I have to write about.
KBlakeCash 