Sunday Musings – September 15, 2024
As individuals, families, groups and even countries it seems we often use the term victim without considering the historical context in which events occurred.
There are, of course, instances when someone is a random victim. One may just happen to be in the right place at the right time putting them in the path of a driver who runs a red light or in a school or shopping center where someone opens fire with an assault type weapon. One might be hiking and suddenly find oneself in the path of an avalanche. Some of us have found ourselves in the path of a tornado with little or no advance warning. Many civilians often find themselves victims of a war which was initiated by individuals or a government they did not endorse or support.
On closer examination we may often discover decisions we had previously made were links in a chain of events leading up to the event of which we felt like a “victim”.
This past week in the United States many gathered on the 11th of September to remember and honor those who died on September 11, 2001 in the attacks in New York cities, the Pentagon and on the plane which was downed in Pennsylvania. On the surface all who died were innocent victims. Perhaps none of those who died had participated in foreign policy or political decisions which helped to fuel the violent thinking of the terrorists. Perhaps none had helped to spread anti- Muslim or other prejudicial or oppressive attitudes or policies. Perhaps many had spoken up against such attitudes or policies. Perhaps few or none had participated in religious gatherings which claimed all gods except theirs was or is the false god. Perhaps some had actively participated in organizations which embrace a diversity of gods and religious beliefs. Some might have been actively working to end all emotional, financial, spiritual and self-serving violence.
On the other hand, perhaps many had not taken the time or had the courage to speak up against discriminatory or oppressive acts and words.
Martin Niemoeller, the German theologian who was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Dachau in 1938 before being freed by the Allies 7 years later, is reported to have said:
“In Germany the Nazis first came for the Communists and I didn’t speak up because I was not a communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because i was wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and, by that time there was no one left to speak for me.”
Vera Brittain in her three volume Testament of Youth details some of the events leading up to the indescribable horror of the deaths inflicted by Hitler and many other German citizens. She realized that terrible events such as these did not happen just because of the unresolved mental and emotional issues of one human; one human who was able to enlist the partnership of working men and woman and professionals including physicians, psychologists and many other health care profesionals. Jay Lifton explored this phenomenon in the book, The Nazi Doctors; a exploration of how physicians and other health care professionals agreed to act as if hideously cruel behavior was consistent with their professional oaths. Both of these authors, as well as others, have attempted to put Nazi atrocities in historical contexts; a historical context which includes how the Allies treated the Germans following World War I; a historical context which included the spreading of anti-Jewish sentiments by notables United States figures such as Henry Ford; a history which included the adoption of the myths of a chosen people; myths that mentally challenged people contributed nothing to the community; the myths that same sex relationships were evil and against the will of the God of one’s understanding; the myth that once identified as a law breaker - a criminal – who got caught – one could never contribute anything to the body politic; the myth many other people who did not fit the prescribed norm as defined by such people as Hitler and his followers needed to be killed as if they were weeds which might kill off the crops if not destroyed.
Whether one is examining the actions of a Hitler, Putin, Hamas, the perpetrators of 9/11, the gun violence adovates, mass shootings in the United States, racism, anti-Jewish sentiment, anti-Muslim sentiment or some of the amazing positive creations of we humans, all of humanity would benefit from the historical context out of which events are conceived and birthed.
Historically, in the United States we have excluded many facts in our history books; facts about racism, gender, sexuality, foreign policy and other important segments of our history. Until recently there was little acknowledgement of institutional racism and sexism; little mention of such events as the total legal destruction of the thriving Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, of the broken treaties with indigenous tribes, or the role of organized religion in creating the glass ceiling. In recent years many states have passed laws legalizing the return to redacting larges segments of racial history and the reality of gender identity and sexism. If this pattern continues, we are doomed to being participants in the destruction of the Republic of the United States and perpetuation of the myth that we are not playing an active role in the planning of the demise of not only the United States, but the destruction of the sustainability of the planet.
If we continue to label individuals, groups, families and nations as victims without considering the historical context we will wring our hands and cry our way to obliteration.
Written September 15, 2024
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
As individuals, families, groups and even countries it seems we often use the term victim without considering the historical context in which events occurred.
There are, of course, instances when someone is a random victim. One may just happen to be in the right place at the right time putting them in the path of a driver who runs a red light or in a school or shopping center where someone opens fire with an assault type weapon. One might be hiking and suddenly find oneself in the path of an avalanche. Some of us have found ourselves in the path of a tornado with little or no advance warning. Many civilians often find themselves victims of a war which was initiated by individuals or a government they did not endorse or support.
On closer examination we may often discover decisions we had previously made were links in a chain of events leading up to the event of which we felt like a “victim”.
This past week in the United States many gathered on the 11th of September to remember and honor those who died on September 11, 2001 in the attacks in New York cities, the Pentagon and on the plane which was downed in Pennsylvania. On the surface all who died were innocent victims. Perhaps none of those who died had participated in foreign policy or political decisions which helped to fuel the violent thinking of the terrorists. Perhaps none had helped to spread anti- Muslim or other prejudicial or oppressive attitudes or policies. Perhaps many had spoken up against such attitudes or policies. Perhaps few or none had participated in religious gatherings which claimed all gods except theirs was or is the false god. Perhaps some had actively participated in organizations which embrace a diversity of gods and religious beliefs. Some might have been actively working to end all emotional, financial, spiritual and self-serving violence.
On the other hand, perhaps many had not taken the time or had the courage to speak up against discriminatory or oppressive acts and words.
Martin Niemoeller, the German theologian who was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Dachau in 1938 before being freed by the Allies 7 years later, is reported to have said:
“In Germany the Nazis first came for the Communists and I didn’t speak up because I was not a communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because i was wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and, by that time there was no one left to speak for me.”
Vera Brittain in her three volume Testament of Youth details some of the events leading up to the indescribable horror of the deaths inflicted by Hitler and many other German citizens. She realized that terrible events such as these did not happen just because of the unresolved mental and emotional issues of one human; one human who was able to enlist the partnership of working men and woman and professionals including physicians, psychologists and many other health care profesionals. Jay Lifton explored this phenomenon in the book, The Nazi Doctors; a exploration of how physicians and other health care professionals agreed to act as if hideously cruel behavior was consistent with their professional oaths. Both of these authors, as well as others, have attempted to put Nazi atrocities in historical contexts; a historical context which includes how the Allies treated the Germans following World War I; a historical context which included the spreading of anti-Jewish sentiments by notables United States figures such as Henry Ford; a history which included the adoption of the myths of a chosen people; myths that mentally challenged people contributed nothing to the community; the myths that same sex relationships were evil and against the will of the God of one’s understanding; the myth that once identified as a law breaker - a criminal – who got caught – one could never contribute anything to the body politic; the myth many other people who did not fit the prescribed norm as defined by such people as Hitler and his followers needed to be killed as if they were weeds which might kill off the crops if not destroyed.
Whether one is examining the actions of a Hitler, Putin, Hamas, the perpetrators of 9/11, the gun violence adovates, mass shootings in the United States, racism, anti-Jewish sentiment, anti-Muslim sentiment or some of the amazing positive creations of we humans, all of humanity would benefit from the historical context out of which events are conceived and birthed.
Historically, in the United States we have excluded many facts in our history books; facts about racism, gender, sexuality, foreign policy and other important segments of our history. Until recently there was little acknowledgement of institutional racism and sexism; little mention of such events as the total legal destruction of the thriving Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, of the broken treaties with indigenous tribes, or the role of organized religion in creating the glass ceiling. In recent years many states have passed laws legalizing the return to redacting larges segments of racial history and the reality of gender identity and sexism. If this pattern continues, we are doomed to being participants in the destruction of the Republic of the United States and perpetuation of the myth that we are not playing an active role in the planning of the demise of not only the United States, but the destruction of the sustainability of the planet.
If we continue to label individuals, groups, families and nations as victims without considering the historical context we will wring our hands and cry our way to obliteration.
Written September 15, 2024
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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