We are descended from slaves, from people who staged the first successful slave revolt in recorded history. Ever since then, our people have kept alive the story of liberation: cruelty and oppression are not inevitable facts of life, but conditions that can be changed. The message of the Exodus is revolutionary. The way of the world is not the way it has to be. Everything can be changed the potential for improvement lies everywhere once we realize that an omnipresent God who created the world also granted us the power and responsibility to transform the world and make it better.
Today this task may seem more overwhelming than ever. In todays world the forces of evil are not as easily identifiable as they once were. We are hard pressed to identify modern day Pharaohs with any degree of certainty, while our own relative comfort may blind us to the misery of others. Today we must be more vigilant than ever.
Every one of us reads the news. We listen to it on the radio and watch it on TV. We discuss it over lunch with friends, and overhear snippets of conversation among others. We know the news, but do we really experience it? Do tidings of war, famine, poverty, and disease evoke more than just a furrowed brow and a sigh of consternation among us? Could we do more to eliminate oppression than simply recognizing its existence its evil. Are we willing to confront these modern-day Pharaohs even though, like Moses, we may stutter? Can we really be free unless we do?
The Haggadah teaches us that every generation must see itself as if it is being liberated from Mitzrayim. We must not simply remember the Exodus, but we must relive it.
-Taglit-birthright israel Haggadah
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Today's Pharaoh
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6 comments:
Interesting, the connection between Passover and our current situation. If only we could send plagues!
This reminds me of something I heard this morning on an episode of This I Believe titled "Sharing the Pain of Democracy." A woman (Democrat, mother of two) described her belief that democracy is a shared responsibility. And we are not sharing enough of the pain of the Iraqi people during this war. Since it wages far away, fought by a "volunteer" army, it is possible to close our eyes to the cruelty of it. Because it is possible to believe that our daily lives are not affected by it, we have become complacent.
The idea that the American population is too passive is hardly unique. But her solution to this problem really unsettled me:
She wants the government to reinstate the draft. She believes that when the general public (including the constituents of the policy makers) is forced to "share the pain" of the decisions of our democracy, they will fight against its corruption.
I don't agree that this will solve anything. Historically, drafted children of politicians and government contractors have escaped combat. However, I'm interested in what people have to say about taking on such painful responsibility for our government's actions. Should we automatically be forced to suffer the consequences in the name of provoking protestation? It didn't help during Vietnam. Does participating in this way make us a more democratic society or does being forced to participate make us less a democracy and more a dictatorship?
A draft would almost certainly energize a somewhat lackluster opposition - whether it got the wealthy or not. It would make what we're doing a lot harder to ignore.
Absolutely. But the idea of a draft terrifies me, whether or not it would arouse sufficient opposition to end the war. Even if I did, at what cost? Would I die to stop the war? No.
I wonder if that's a character flaw.
Being somewhat beyond draft age, and not being a parent of draft age children I guess I have a somewhat academic perspective.
Thanks for the holiday post. I'm proud to say that I hosted my own second night seder, and that it went very well (if I do say so myself :-))
Sorry, not much to say on the policical thoughts, but I will say that we discussed it at my table as well...
Okay, I feel compelled to add a few words. I'm not sure that instating a draft will help the protests, but I am sure that it will help the men. Right now it is quite easy to close your eyes, and right now there are many men who should be getting out, but arent' because there aren't anymore volunteers.
A draft might force some sort of action...
Does that make us a dictatorship... I don't know.
In total contrast though, the people who are currently fighting volunteered, and their committment makes it possible for us to be where we are.
I guess the bottom line is (especially after watchin good morening vietnam again) that I'm frustrated by our need to solve other people's problems. Without a direct connection to the World Trade center I don't want us involved. There, I said it.
Of course I still support the men, the troops and the government so...yeah...
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