Activisim and Other Causes that I Care About

I have never been a big activist. There are certain things that I care deeply about, though, and it would be a shame for me to just sit still and be silent on these things.

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence is a crime against everything that I believe. It runs against everything that the institute of marriage is about. When we commit ourselves to "love, honor and cherish" our mates, then behave in such a manner, that is like an arrow at the heart of the ideals that should rest at the heart of a marriage. I intend to put up more links later, but this is what I have now in terms of resources:

Endometriosis

According to the National lnstitute of Health's Office of Research on Women's Health (I shall quote a report of theirs published by the Atlanta Reproductive Health Center), Endometriosis is a condition where "tissue resembling the endometrium--the lining of the uterus--begins growing on the outside of the uterus and perhaps in other parts of the abdominal cavity." This tissue is normally flushed out with a woman's menstrual cycle, but for whatever reason it isn't, and that's when it starts to cause problems. This report also states that the disorder affects as many as 10 percent of women of reproductive age, with 30 to 40 percent of the women diagnosed with endometriosis experiencing notable pain. In addition, a diagnosis of endometriosis has been found to be a significant factor in female infertility.

I have had several friends for whom endometriosis is a significant problem, and my concern for their welfare has prompted me to do some research. What I have learned is that while there are treatments available for this condition, they have varying degrees of success and seldom provide permanent relief, outside of hysterectomy. This is because the root causes of endometriosis is still a mystery. But there is quite a bit of research being done on this, and I am sure that something will eventually be figured out. I encourage you to learn more about this. And in the meantime, I will be supportive of my loved ones who have to endure this.

History

A Story: Last year, after NBC showed the uncut version of "Schindler's List", a friend of mine (who remains nameless) told me that he thought that the nudity and violence shown in the movie was inappropriate for network television. We got into a rather "spirited" discussion, where I asked him how one could really understand the depth of the horror experienced by the millions of people who lived and died in the death camps unless we were willing to expose ourselves to some depiction of the violence and depravity demonstrated by the Nazis (a task that the movie performed rather well). Nothing was resolved during this conversation.

A few days later, I stumbled upon the web site for the Holocaust Memorial in Washington, where they have posted detailed excerpts (including pictures) from transcripts of the Nuremburg Doctors Trials. I pointed this out to him, and he refused to even consider the material, saying that he was revulsed by this type of material. I think this brings up a very serious question: if we are unwilling to consider factual information about a certain event or circumstance because the nature of that information makes us uncomfortable, how can we truly learn about history? To me, to avoid certain aspects of history because of it's troubling nature makes it easier for that situation to reoccur, similar to what we have recently seen in Bosnia. It is because of this that I provide Holocaust links - not because I am an activist, but because I find ignorance to be repulsive. I believe that situations like what I have described above may be indicative of the problems facing society today, especially in light of the continuing attempts by some revisionists to deny that the Holocaust ever occurred. If you, gentle reader, having examined this information, find it to be as repulsive as my friend did, then I hope that you don't just avoid it, but rather act on it. Tell a friend how you feel, teach your children to love one another as Christ loved us, try harder to do that yourself. I think that if we all do this, we could make this a better world. Also, for further reading on the Holocaust, I would suggest The Nizkor Project, a fine collection of information exposing and refuting the Neo-Nazi revisionist efforts, or a lovely German history site that provides a wealth of Holocaust links.
More History:

Racism

This isn't me being politically correct. I believe that in a rational society based upon the idea that, as Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...." (guess where I quoted that from), there is absolutely no room whatsoever for racism of any type. As such, I abhor racism with every fiber of my being.

Now, I would say that we have made some progress on this front over the past several years. But I sometimes wonder if we can ever truly eradicate racism. You look at what has happend in Bosnia among people who had lived together for many years, or in Rwanda among people who just belong to different tribes. Let's face it - there are some downright stupid people on this planet, and I doubt that we will ever be rid of them. I have seen this first hand, starting when I lived in Cairo, a town with a history of racial tension, and extending to the day several months ago when someone signed my guestbook with a particularly snide remark about me being a "jew lover", apparently in response to my inclusion of the above Holocaust links. But even though that may be the case, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't stop trying. If anything, the guestbook incident solidifies my desire to remain staunch in my stand. We are ALL God's children, each and every one of us. I shall follow the example of Jesus Christ. In the meantime, my friend, you can follow these links:

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Last Update: February 27, 1998

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