The Rise of Propaganda for the Sake of War

I've had quite a few discussions with friends regarding the Red Lake incident that happened most recently. Inevitably, the question is stirred: "Is it just me, or has the media covered this incident far less than Columbine?" I will respond that it is not just their imagination. The media did fail to focus on this terrible tragedy. I will follow up their question with my favorite three year old question: "Why? Why did they cover it less? Why was it less of a tragedy (for others) than Columbine? Why? Why?"

There are certainly factors that pull for Red Lake, MN to be less of a focal point than Columbine, but as a nation, are we discussing these issues? What are some of the pertinent issues involved in this mass cover up?

For starters, I will acknowledge that the media had a much more difficult time accessing the Red Lake community because of its placement. The Red Lake community is a reservation; cameras are not as readily allowed to intrude on this sacred ground. The media was more restricted by the laws governing the concentration camp . . . I mean, the community . . . than they were in Littleton. So, I acknowledge that much. However, this is not the whole of the story. Dig and you shall find gold.

When Columbine took place we were not in a war. September 11 had not happened. The nation needed to make its outcry of violence. Government powers needed to institute violence prevention/anti-bullying programs. There was a great outcry to decrease the pain, increase the peace. My business soared. My phone was overwhelmed with schools who wanted to stop violence. Sadly, we are not in the same state now. How can this nation focus on Red Lake as a tragedy when we are GUN(ho) supporting war? How can we with serious face scream "stop the violence!", when we don't care about those being killed daily? When a government justifies its action as defense against terrorists? Jeff Weise was terrorized as well. Kids routinely picked on him. Pushed him around. Called him harsh names; ostracized him. Did he not have the right, (according to our governmental policies) to defend himself against these terrorists? What makes the attacks by adults any more legitimate than those delivered on children? And ironically, it is our children who we are sending to fight our adult battles. Remember, there are a great number of children, (no more removed than a couple of years from high school), fighting on our front lines, dying daily. I speak of our American troops. I speak of the Iraqi lives. Why is our government outcry concerning violence not heard? Why are there no peace programs being instituted. It is NOT a liberal or conservative agenda. THIS IS A HUMAN AGENDA. And I know I know -- it is unpatriotic to speak out against the war because it is not really violence; it is defending our God bless(ed) America(n) freedom. It is defending the faith against the Evil One. It is engagement (like marriage) and friendly fire (like water guns) and bad guys (like Hitler and Kunta Kinte and Leonard Peltier) and good guys (like Clint Eastwood and Superman and W [pronounced Dubb-ya]). It is about never showing a soldier with exploding bullets screwed into the head, because we mustn't think about such things. Their sacrifice is just another name for being reborn. They shall never be forgotten. And I truly hope to God that they are NOT forgotten.

But before I start sounding like a raving lunatic or a flower child or a bohemian or a peace advocate or a descendent of Martin and Ghandi and Mother Theresa (their loins birthed me), let me just breathe. Let me realize that peace is more of a figment of imagination than the reality; that war is real and peace is only the time to prepare for war; that war and death are lascivious lovers, where peace is only the flirtation; and death is Life's greatest certainty.

I recently completely a book called, A Terrible Love of War by James Hillman. This was a powerful, erudite book discussing the truth about war. How we as people need war. How war is inseparable from our existence, our mythology, our faith. I found it to be humbling, because though I am actively seeking to bring about peace in the world, I am entralled by great action flicks, fight movies, photos of war's remnants. I shake my head by the images of pain that human beings do towards each other, yet I seek out the images, through photos and videos, of the same destruction that so offends me. I will visit Og****.com to view the latest in pain. What does this say of me? Am I not a product of the very structures I fight? Perhaps it is in this knowing why I desperately wage war. Perhaps it is against my very essence that I fight; that "waging war" and "fighting" is infused in my language, because we are nothing without war, those who support it as well as those who oppose it. War brings immortality for our mortal minds. Hitler as a painter would have buried his work with his bones, but as a warrior, he sculpted a canvas that few will discredit and the destructive montage of lives will be forever added.

I have two quotes to share with you. I got them from the book. The first one is by Mark Twain: "next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutation of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception."

The next quote comes from Hermann Goring. He was a Nazi leader with Hitler. This comes from his trial at Nuremberg. "This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."

I don't know about you, but those two quotes are rather frightening to me, especially to know that these men were not talking about America's present situation. Hmmm . . .

More later on other factors affecting Red Lake.