Even When We Lose, We Win written by Saab Lofton
“Long I pondered my king’s cryptic talk of victory – time has proven him wise ...” – from the movie, 300
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Ever hear of Hero (2002) starring Jet Li? There’s a scene when a calligraphy school was under attack; an entire army bombarded it with arrows, but when the panicked students bolted for the door, their teacher stood in the doorway momentarily and scowled at them. Then this teacher sat in front of his class and resumed painting Chinese characters – even though arrows were falling all around him... ...in Hero, that calligraphy school was destroyed and nearly everyone inside had been killed, but the example that teacher set was so inspiring, those students returned to their seats as well. Death before dishonor. I’m all too aware of how America loves a winner and hates a loser, but courage isn’t about winning. Courage is about doing the right thing whether you win or not. Take New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (1921 - 1992): When Garrison accused the C.I.A. of assassinating President Kennedy during his trial against Clay Shaw in the late 1960s, he lost, but thanks to the Oliver Stone film based on him, the truth was brought to light. As a result, only an inbred retard would ever believe a bullet could magically zig-zag in mid-air as the Warren Commission claimed... “A hero(ine) is no braver than an ordinary man/woman, but he/she is brave for a few minutes longer.” – a paraphrased quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) ...a few minutes longer, or in Garrison’s case, a few DECADES longer, but y’all get the idea... And yes, I know this flies in the face of America’s notorious penchant for instant gratification, but that’s juvenile. In fantasy, any problem can be solved with a fist fight or a car chase. In reality, good things take time. For example... According to Ken Butigan’s Pilgrimage Through a Burning World, “the U.S. Peace Movement played a key role in ending the Cold War,” and Butigan backs this up by citing a series of historians – including Lawrence S. Wittner, author of The Struggle Against the Bomb: “In his book, Wittner argues that the missing ingredient in any explanation of this reality is the world nuclear disarmament movement that has mobilized millions of people around the world. Wittner confesses that he hadn’t expected to reach this conclusion. He assumed that the antinuclear movement had failed because nuclear weapons had not been definitively abolished. Yet as he pursued his research, he came to understand that this ‘people power’ movement had played an important role in curbing the nuclear arms race and preventing nuclear war.” ...and the aforementioned is backed up by CNN itself... “While [Doctor Helen Caldicott] was president [of Physicians for Social Responsibility] from 1978 through 1984, the group grew to 23,000 physician members and in 1985 shared in a Nobel Peace Prize with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. ‘We led the nuclear weapons freeze movement with many other professional groups,’ she said, ‘I think we helped end the Cold War.’” – CNN, March 25th, 2011 ...those who CONtinue to assume “that the anti-nuclear movement had failed because nuclear weapons had not been definitively abolished” are utterly insatiable. Well, this is for those of you who, like Janet Jackson, sing, “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” “I’m writing with great news! Over 7,000 [Nuclear Age Peace Foundation] Action Alert Network members wrote to President Obama in response to our alert about the planned US Minuteman III nuclear-capable missile test on the International Day of Peace [September 21st, 2011]... The Air Force Global Strike Command announced that the test has been postponed. The International Day of Peace will now be a more peaceful day. Although the government is unlikely to ever admit it, I see this as evidence that your messages do make a difference. This is a small victory, but with your continued support there will be bigger victories to follow.” – Rick Wayman, director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation I love it: “Although the government is unlikely to ever admit it, I see this as evidence that your messages do make a difference.” This is why the FALSELY accused Troy Davis was executed on, ironically enough, September 21st; the International Day of Peace: If the racist state of Georgia had let him live, it’d be acknowledging the MILLIONS who demanded that he be spared. Similarly, the Bush Administration invaded Iraq a month after the largest anti-war marches in Human history (February 15th, 2003), because if it hadn’t, it’d appear to be subservient to the Peace Movement. We only swing at insects which bug us. Otherwise, they’re beneath our notice. Likewise, the rich/powerful (the right-wing) will only react to that which is threatening, so instead of wallowing in depression over how SUPPOSEDLY ineffective the poor/oppressed (the leftwing) is, take heart. Look at the glass half-full for a change and admit that even when we lose, we win. “If you assume there’s no hope, you guarantee there will be no hope. If you assume there are opportunities to change things, then there’s a possibility you can contribute to making a better world.” – Professor Noam Chomsky