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Violence in Myanmar
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There's really not much to say about this violence against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. It's indescribably sad. I remember hearing stories from friends who were victims of the Bosnian genocide, entire villages of males slaughtered and thrown into mass graves. Despite all of our many forms of ugliness in the U.S., our deepest of divisions, the random violence that happens, our misplaced pride in being the unquestioned moral leaders of the world, I wake up every day being thankful that my children will never have to live in a world where these things are something they'll experience and that they're not in a place where the many faults of the government rise to the level of a government committing its own forms of genocide today. Yet I'm left breathless and aching knowing that there are many children out there who have an entirely different reality, subject to a hell of another's choosing, and knowing that there's absolutely nothing that I can tangibly do to help them. Because the reality is that prayer is going to do nothing to help and will be but a misplaced attempt to empty my soul of that agony so I can move on to worry about my trivial inconvenience; instead it needs to feel the agony in order to be a person who treats others with dignity here instead of falling into a tribalist, divisive mindset as what is happening there.


We're lucky people, fellow LR time-wasters. Damn lucky. Sometimes I think we forget that as we bicker, but something like this is a strong reminder of the privilege we have to bicker.




https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/world/asia/rohingya-myanmar-atrocities.html
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Re: Violence in Myanmar [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]
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Reminds me a little like the fires in Northern California, but on a much greater scale.

As much as we disagree here with each other, we have so much in common, and in difficult times, come together. I just got through listening to a member of the Brown administration talk about the fires. A true Democrat, but still went out of his way to compliment the Trump administration on its response and assistance.
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Re: Violence in Myanmar [AlanShearer] [ In reply to ]
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AlanShearer wrote:

to compliment the Trump administration on its response and assistance.

What?!?! No way! Trump has never done anything remotely "good"

Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.
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Re: Violence in Myanmar [AlanShearer] [ In reply to ]
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We really do have a ton in common, far more than the differences when it comes down to it. I'd like to think that the differences are largely semantical and application of nuanced policy to accomplish similar end goals, rather than the moral statements we often make them out to be.

I'm lucky to have constant reminders of that shared commonality. Weekly, I get together with a group that started as strangers and has grown to be good friends, having a couple of beers and chatting about the big ideas in life, our take on things from spiritual, to policy, to theological, and everything in between. There are wildly differing views amongst us, some of which I greatly disagree with, but there's also the deepest of respect and consideration of the individual first. It's rare, but a helpful reminder of our commonality. It's important to keep that at the forefront of everything.



AlanShearer wrote:
Reminds me a little like the fires in Northern California, but on a much greater scale.

As much as we disagree here with each other, we have so much in common, and in difficult times, come together. I just got through listening to a member of the Brown administration talk about the fires. A true Democrat, but still went out of his way to compliment the Trump administration on its response and assistance.
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Re: Violence in Myanmar [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]
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I recognize it's a lot easier for most in person than over on some internet forum.

In person, I'm often around people who hold wildly different opinions than I do. In fact, some times they hold opinions that I find offensive. But I can still get along with them. Mostly, I'll just ask questions. Sometimes, the questions may be a bit pointed. But the minute it starts to get heated, it's easy to diffuse with a joke or something like that. It helps to me more interested in where the other person is coming from than it trying to convince that person that he or she is wrong. In fact, that's more fun.
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Re: Violence in Myanmar [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]
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Agreed

It is kind of what i *hope* to find here on this forum as we chew over 'stuff.' And as much as i disagree with Dan on some things i totally agree that we have more in common than we commonly suppose.

i look forward to THU night cigar night in afghan as we burn good sticks and talk over world problems. i'm constantly amazed at the breadth of knowledge and experience people will bring into a conversation.

don't have that here out in the countryside where it's just quiet. Just me and Bob and Mrs H. But i like that too and cherish it.

My heart goes out to the long suffering people of Burma

/r

Steve
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Re: Violence in Myanmar [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]
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MidwestRoadie wrote:
There's really not much to say about this violence against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. It's indescribably sad. I remember hearing stories from friends who were victims of the Bosnian genocide, entire villages of males slaughtered and thrown into mass graves. Despite all of our many forms of ugliness in the U.S., our deepest of divisions, the random violence that happens, our misplaced pride in being the unquestioned moral leaders of the world, I wake up every day being thankful that my children will never have to live in a world where these things are something they'll experience and that they're not in a place where the many faults of the government rise to the level of a government committing its own forms of genocide today. Yet I'm left breathless and aching knowing that there are many children out there who have an entirely different reality, subject to a hell of another's choosing, and knowing that there's absolutely nothing that I can tangibly do to help them. Because the reality is that prayer is going to do nothing to help and will be but a misplaced attempt to empty my soul of that agony so I can move on to w


orry about my trivial inconvenience; instead it needs to feel the agony in order to be a person who treats others with dignity here instead of falling into a tribalist, divisive mindset as what is happening there.



We're lucky people, fellow LR time-wasters. Damn lucky. Sometimes I think we forget that as we bicker, but something like this is a strong reminder of the privilege we have to bicker.





https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/world/asia/rohingya-myanmar-atrocities.html

Well said dude. I often think that I won the lottery just by being born in this country, as compared to many others in the world; just about everything we bicker about here is truly a first world problem compared to just trying to survive.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.
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