Philosophical Thoughts: White Power - White Pride

I’m not one to try and change other people’s beliefs. I know I can’t change someone’s mind on something by telling them they’re wrong; the only way I could ever hope to change their minds would be to show them what I believe and hope they find their own way to the truth. I try very hard not to judge others for their beliefs, but every once in a while, this isn’t an easy task.

I received a flier for the Ku Klux Klan the other day. It was written as if it were an educational article, though reading it made me feel that I wasn’t the one needing education. Perhaps my own biases clouded my judgment, or it was spelling errors and typos that made me feel this way. In any case, I wasn’t motivated to join their cause.

According to the article, the KKK is:

• An anti-communist organization working to uncover communist goals of a “one-world government.”
• An anti-homosexual group exposing the “fagots’” true goal to create a large political base and to pervert our children (I’m not sure why a bundle of sticks would have these goals, or how that would have anything to do with homosexuals, but who am I to argue?).
• A Christian Identity promoting their true Christian beliefs: 
• The Bible is a history book of the white race. It is not true that our ancestors were liars and bigots and didn’t understand the Christian doctrine, as Judeo-Christians assert.
• “Whites” are the true descendants of the Israelites of the bible, not the Jews.
• Jesus Christ was not a Jew.
• A Christian identity promoting their political beliefs:
• Anti-Christ movements are working to bring about destruction of our race and country through civil rights laws, race-mixing, non-white integration in schools, and false propaganda that promotes equality and suggests that the mixing of races is normal when in fact it is a violation of God’s law.
• Because of the government’s open border policy, Millions of non-white illegal aliens enter our country each year, taking jobs away from American citizens and spreading drugs and disease. 
• Integration in our schools and neighborhoods creates suffering for the white race.  

The article explained that the Cross Lighting ceremony most people associate with the KKK is not a desecration of the cross, but a ceremony originating in Scotland that represents the light of truth through Jesus Christ, and freedom from tyranny.

The article also included statements like “we face the threat from Mexico and Central America which is prime for communist revolution,” “whites are now a minority and reverse discrimination is on the rise” and, my favorite, “we are being taxed to death to support these hordes of non-whites and their illegitimate children.” It asked readers to keep an open mind and invited them to join the KKK in their crusade; their only requirements are that you are 100% white, willing to learn, and have a true thirst for knowledge and truth. At the very bottom of the page, in large bold letters, was “White Power- White Pride.”

The paper only filled me with questions. How can people believe this? I don’t mind if you believe that Jesus wasn’t a Jew or that the white race is directly descended from the Israelites. I don’t mind if you believe that homosexuality is a sin or that the government is conspiring against our country (or whatever the theory is). What bother me is the generalization and blame. How can non-whites be the sole cause of drugs and disease? How does integration of races cause suffering? How can one believe that only non-whites and illegal immigrants are the sole cause of skyrocketing taxes? Are they really the only ones who have illegitimate children? How can someone ask readers to keep an open mind after blaming every problem in the world on every person who isn’t 100% white? Perhaps I could find the answers to these questions if I simply went to their website, but the thought of it makes my stomache churn. I guess I don't have an open enough mind to learn about their beliefs, and I really don't have a right to say anything about them.

All I know is what I have read in this article, and I am not impressed.  I wonder if this only represents a small group in the KKK, and there are KKK members that simply believe the basics here and don’t blame non-whites for all the problems in the world. I hope so. And I hope that anyone else that received this paper can see through the scare tactics and lies and see the truths that lie beneath. The website they listed in the letter is http://www.whitecamelia.com/. If you want to learn more; if you dare to look for truly open minds in the KKK, be my guest.

Clay Projects For Plague Season

Everyone seems to have it: that mucous-coated cough that makes your throat hurt and your companions blanch... I have it too. I'm celebrating 3 weeks with it, and hopefully the hors d'oeuvres that the doctor gave me will get my guests to leave soon. In the meantime, I've been playing with clay. Surprise!

The other day, a friend of mine pointed out a request on Etsy for raw clay canes. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, Caneworking was originally a glassworking technique for making complex designs.(1) Canes are long "snakes" of clay that have pictures running through them, so that when you slice them, each cross-section shows the design.  They have several uses, such as to create several beads with the same design, to create a repeating pattern on an object, or simply to show detail in a sculpture.

I am very new to caning. Until now, the giraffe cane was my masterpiece, and I thought it was darn good. Then I tried to make canes for the Etsy request, and the buyer clued me in to a website that made me feel very inadequate, but also inspired me. PolymerClayCentral.com has amazing techniques, tips and ideas for anyone considering working with clay. My clay skills have probably doubled since discovering it.  The canes above are my pre-PolymerClayCentral attempts, and the hibiscus below is my first cane after perusing the website. Things seem to be getting steadily better.  I'll put up some new pictures soon, provided the plague is defeated...

(1) Jeanne A. E. DeVoto. The Polymer claySpot.  Jeanne A. E. DeVoto, 1996-97. Web. 18 March 2010. <http://www.jaedworks.com/clayspot/polyclay-faq/caning.html>

Just Some Fun...

What My Brain Says: Old Man Hanky Blow

I noticed the other day that times have changed. Clearly several things have changed in our world, but I never realized that some changes are as fundamental as how we blow our nose. I watched a man blow his nose the other day. You know how it is-- you're not paying attention and you just happen to be looking at someone, and though you probably shouldn't continue to watch, you do, because you're not thinking, and probably the other person doesn't realize you're being rude, because they're intent on the same action you are...
Anyway, I watched a guy blow his nose and he blew it in a way that I would never blow. We were at a restaurant, and he took the (cloth) napkin to his nose, blew, and then took his pointers and dug around. I watched his actions in fascination. First off because I would never consider blowing my nose in a cloth napkin, and second, because there was something familiar about it that I just couldn't place.


I discussed the phenomenon with my husband later. "Oh," he said, "That's the Old Man Hanky Blow."

Of course! I had seen that blow before, in older men, especially those that lived on farms or in rural areas. But WHY? How has our world changed that we don't all still use this technique? Perhaps the change is the soft facial tissues we use now. The lotion in them makes every blow so comfortable that we don't feel we have to dig to get every last bit out in one blow.

I turned to Google for more information. Surprisingly, there's a lot of literature on the subject. ECONOMIST.COM explains in their article, "Beautiful Blowhards" that handkerchiefs suggest different things in different countries. The article states that in Sri Lanka and Japan, the handkerchief denotes a well educated person, while in America, it has become a symbol of low hygiene. In that case, I suppose America views the Old Man Hanky Blow as a symbol of low hygiene as well. Perhaps in Sri Lanka and Japan, it has become a fashionable pastime.

On a related note, have you ever noticed that no matter what device you use, the downward spray goes free? No more! Steve, with strangenewproducts.com explains a revolutionary solution: the Nose Pouch!

Philosophical Thoughts: Artists & Depression

An artist’s ability to care is literally their greatest talent, and their greatest weakness. If you love or you are an artist suffering from depression, please remember that it isn’t something one can “snap out of.” Even without chemical imbalances (which are often involved), healing involves re-learning how to view and respond to the world.

The nature of an artist is to look. An artist pays attention to details; finds beauty in the mundane. Artists see importance in things that non-artists may not even notice. Everyone would see the beauty and importance of these things if they looked, but artists are the ones who MUST see these things in order to be successful.

But to see beauty and  importance is to care. Since it is the artist’s nature to see beauty, artists tend to care about a lot of people, animals, plants, etc. This causes a lot of emotional stress. With animals and objects, it is enough to care what happens to them; but with people there’s also the worry about whether the cares are returned. Anyone that’s experienced middle school knows that worrying about whether someone cares about you can be extremely stressful. As adults, we are expected to deal with the fact that not everyone will approve of what we do or who we are, but for artists, this is hard because they care about so many of those people, and one can't be indifferent to those one cares about. All in all, it makes artists far more vulnerable to depression.

What to do? Just understand. If you’re the one that cares too much, understand that it’s okay; because it makes you who you are and you are amazing. If you’re the one who loves someone who cares too much… Well, just understand. Believe me. It does help.