But it’s not. At least, not entirely. Mostly it’s about us — the world we’ve created — a world that encourages people like Ted Nugent to be born and shaped into — well — Ted Nugent.
In case you haven’t heard, Ted’s latest idiocy is to make veiled threats against the life of President Obama, and encourage people to decapitate members of his administration. The people to whom he was speaking are NRA assholes who brandish their guns in mindless violent support of his idiot comments. Here’s a link, and although this one doesn’t show the gun part, it’s plenty enough to give you the message:
http://www.theatlantic.com/
So. In case you’re unfamiliar with this, um, individual, I’ll give you a brief biography. Nugent is an evil bastard. He hates pretty much everyone who isn’t human and in line with his violent, blood-hungry ethos. He likes to murder anyone he hates. And he’s rich and famous so he can pretty much do whatever he wants. That’s really all you need to know.
I can’t stop thinking about the SHAC-7, who were imprisoned for exhorting people to send faxes and phone calls to vivisectors who like to carve up living animals for a living. They were locked up for trying to stop unspeakable violence with inherently non-violent (yet effective) tactics. Ted Nugent gets a friendly chat with some secret service guys for inciting a group of rifle-holding hunters to decapitate the administration.
Seek an end to violence? GO TO JAIL FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
Seek further violence? HAVE A CHAT FOR AN HOUR OR SO.
Yeah, this isn’t about Ted Nugent. It’s about US and any of us who thinks that any animal rights activist should ever be imprisoned — and anyone who thinks Ted Nugent should walk free.
During Q&A with students at Georgia Tech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIkC4OJEx3c), Yourofsky says: “Bottom line in this: Sexually assaulting a woman doesn’t affect the economy, and we just don’t care about things that don’t affect the root of all evil: money.”
That notion of superiority, of exclusivity, is probably based on fear. Fear of not being in control. Fear of losing power — or losing face. Fear of lack. Fear of mortality.
Why the fear, though? It seems like most of us are ignorant of the simple fact that love for one another and for ourselves will bring us true peace, true happiness. We just haven’t learned how to love unselfishly, freely. And yet that’s what we are MADE to do!
And speaking of love, Gary Y. misquoted that “root of all evil” verse in the Bible. It’s actually “the love of money” that corrupts, according to the apostle Paul (I Timothy 6:10).
Now, I do know that trauma warps creatures, and it seems to warp us more than other creatures — thus, perhaps the traumas of climate change some thousands of years ago instilled that fear, which in turn brought about the concept of dominance, and here we all are. Perhaps that is it — perhaps once we were meant to be loving and cooperative — but are we still, thousands of years later? And again, if we are meant to be that way, why aren’t we? Still the left-overs of trauma? And why doesn’t anyone else act this way?
OK, here’s my attempt at an answer.
Maybe we don’t act the way we’re made to act because we’ve been taught to believe we’re less than we actually are, just as we’re taught to regard nonhumans as an inferior species. What if the perception of our own base nature is nothing more than a misperception — a distortion of reality that spreads like a contagion, infecting human history from one generation to the next? Given this centuries-old inculcation, it’s no wonder we are conditioned to act a certain way — contrary to the reality of who we are, and what we’re meant to be!
But the fact that we’re even having this conversation — that we’re striving to take a stand for a higher quality of life and interconnectedness to others — proves that a higher consciousness is possible, that it’s possible to break this chain of oppressive ignorance!
As we individually raise our consciousness to a higher level by adopting a view of reality that’s more intelligent, sane, and hopeful, we’ll discover that in reality we’re not ignorant, but enlightened beings; not corrupt and enslaved, but spiritually innocent and free; not arrogant and cruel, but humble and compassionate; not deceptive and greedy, but honest and generous; not traumatized, but at peace; not hateful, but loving — and loving cooperation and equality, not war against so-called “inferior” enemies.
To me, it feels like a revelation and a revolution of consciousness! That is, our innate dignity and integrity are revealed by degrees. And in the process, we change the way we relate to others, including animals. It starts with us as individuals, and then impacts the universal consciousness.
It seems today that more people are waking up to and challenging all forms of ignorance, and all forms of oppression derived from that ignorance. They’re taking a stand for a more noble, nonviolent, selfless, spiritual concept of life. I have hope that we’ll increasingly see the evidence of who we really are come to light.
So, you’re right, bravebird, this blog isn’t really about Ted Nugent. It seems to be more about how we’re all made to rise up and rebel against what he represents, which is exactly what we’re doing, aren’t we? As for Mr. Nugent, I like to think that someday he’ll get caught in the revolution, and exchange a killer’s guns and bullets for a carpenter’s hammer and nails.
Speaking of Teddy, did Teddy Roosevelt ever get a clue about the soullessness of hunting? He at least conserved vast stretches of public land, if not always for unselfish purposes.
P.S. It makes no sense to me that someone doing good, as you are, is “fighting [her] true nature.” No sense at all!
This pathetic, psychopathic animal-hater and abuser is a useless “extra” who is taking up space, water and breathing oxygen that belongs to other species.
Isn’t there some agency we can contact to report this NUISANCE creature to have it removed and “put down” (preferably a bullet between the eyes)?
That would be just and fitting karma for him!