When I was about 10 years old I found the books about Tarzan ... and fell in love madly with this glorious lord of the jungle. ... That was when my dream crystallized. ... Everybody laughed at me ... but eventually I got to Africa. And over the 45 years of ... study, the most striking thing is we now know how like us chimpanzees are. We even share 99 percent of the composition of our DNA with them. Their brain is more like ours than that of any other living creature. ... They have intellectual capabilities that we used to think unique to us. Nonverbal communication, kissing, embracing, holding hands, patting on the back, swaggering, shaking the fist, throwing rocks. Family bonds that persist throughout life, and life can be over 60 years. ... We realize there is no sharp line dividing us from the rest of the animal kingdom, it's a very blurry line. And it leads to a new respect, not only for these chimpanzees, but the other amazing animals with whom we share this planet.
— Dr. Jane Goodall, primatologist and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute
The Battle Ahead ...
In my last post I talked about the great struggle we will soon face between the fundamentalists and the progressives. I mentioned that living sustainably on the Planet will require a new way of thinking. The quote above, by Canary Sister Jane Goodall, provides a perfect example. See, religious folks get offended when you call them a "Monkey's Uncle." But, the truth is that monkey's REALLY ARE our uncle. Now, this is a radical statement that really upsets people, because we Humans like to think we're superior, but really, we're not.
I know you are probably saying, "Well, God probably created us both with nearly identical DNA to save time." Now, I believe there is a supernatural element in the Universe that helps to create the magic of life. Yes, I believe in God. But the point is that we are by no means "chosen" or "superior" to the other animals — we are just one of millions of species that inhabit this Planet. Just by chance, we have larger brains. However, we are also the most destructive species the Planet has ever seen. For instance, we destroy 78 million acres of rainforest each year, which is about the same area as Poland.* So, PLEASE, don't go telling me how great humans are. We are not "GREAT," we are despicable creatures. But as soon as we start acknowledging that we ARE an animal, and as soon as we start respecting OTHER animals, I think things will begin to change.
Now, again, this is what I mean about a big battle, because people will scream "blasphemy," "heretic," "sacrilege," and every other Biblical control word that they can find. I am sorry. It would be nice if the Creation Story were true, but regretfully, it is not. DNA is the "smoking gun" that I waited 10 years for to decide how I was going to define my religion. Sure, you can ignore the dinosaur bones, you can ignore DNA, and you can continue on your blind path. But by doing this you are only insuring the destruction that your conservative religion predicts. Now, isn't that irony ... that your blind and stubborn faith may be the means to your end?
I am not anti-religion and, again, I strongly believe in God. But when a religion prompts people to act in a damaging or self-destructive fashion, then something is very wrong. Someone has to have the courage to challenge the system. Some denominations are reforming and adapting to the new millennium. Other faiths, regretfully, are stubbornly holding on to an ancient and illogical belief system. Many people feel that if they compromise any tenets of their faith, then their entire religion will be compromised. If you can't take the Creation Story in Genesis literally, then, yikes, how can you pick and choose what is literal in the Bible and what is not? This is a real and difficult problem for the faith community. Once again, some will just rationalize away the DNA similarities with other animals by turning on more faith. The more irrational the beliefs are, the more faith you must have to believe in them, and thus, you are trapped into a clever control system.
*** Happy 100th Posting! ***
Today marks my 100th post. I started my public journal (blog) around this time a year ago. Over the past year, I have spilled my heart. I have tried to put in writing the observations, revelations, and moments of epiphany that have come to me in the past 12 months. I have also written about and quoted from many Yellow Canaries around the world that I admire. Sometimes I have let new thoughts out that scare me, because I know there is no turning back from the religious conservative Republican that I once was. Something just snapped in me eight years ago and I still don't know exactly what happened. Some say I was brainwashed, but I am convinced it's the other way around. I do know that all of this was bottled up inside of me since age 15 when I first had my epiphanies. For 22 years, from 1975 to 1997, my realizations just sat there. The problem is that I didn't understand them, and I couldn't articulate them. All I knew is that after being alive for only 15 years, I already knew that something was very wrong. I started to sense that I lived in a world that was completely interwoven with dozens of lies — lies that created an artificial reality. By age 22, I REALLY began to suspect that something "wasn't right" in our world. I guess it took me another 15 years to unpeel all the layers of the Great Onion of Life.
Do I have peace? Heck no. Am I 100 percent certain of my new discoveries and realizations? No. But it has been a fun and fascinating journey. I do know that serious waterfalls are ahead, and I often wonder if I have the courage to stick with my new convictions. This new direction isn't easy and it is scary, but I'm not sure if I can turn back now. I'm not sure if I can capture my genie and force it back into a bottle.
All I know is that the Iraqi war is wrong, that our institutions are broken, and that humanity is heading in a direction that will lead to a horrible end. But I do have hope. Why? Because there are hundreds of Canaries like me who realize that we must make hard decisions now because we love our children. Eventually, I believe that the Canaries will begin to move the boulders of our failed religions, governments, and corporations. Once they are moved out of the way, we can continue on our path toward sustainability. Again, it won't be easy, and as soon as we clear one obstacle, we will hit another. But we've GOT TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD. By golly, we just got to!
A Thanks To My Friends And Fellow Bloggers
I want to thank my activist friends and fellow bloggers who have given me positive feedback and support this past year. I really haven't gotten much response to my blog, and sometimes I feel like I'm screaming in a big, empty room. But I have gotten a few great comments that have provided new insights and missing pieces of the puzzle. That is the beauty of keeping a public journal. Much to my surprise, I have not received any flames from angry right-wingers. I imagine they look at my blog and have the same reaction that I have to theirs — yuck! There is definitely a great divide between the free thinkers and the guardians of the past, and right now I have no idea how to bridge this great divide. However, my Canary door is always open to any opposing thinker who is courteous and civil. If anyone wants to have a discussion on the issues, I would enjoy and welcome this.
Sincerely,
The Yellow Canary
*Rainforest Action Network
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