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94 Spiritual boost from raw Brussel sprouts
Supporting fairness
In article 90 I declared
that natural resources cannot be private property. The
thought coincides with Chief Seattle who said “How can you buy or
sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us.
If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the
water, how can you buy them? Every part of the earth is sacred to
my people.” The
article containing his quote is a balanced analysis of the
role of Native Americans. It acknowledges the difficulty of
unrealistic expectations and forges ahead to respectful
reverence. [The Problem With The Ecological Indian
Stereotype Dina
Gilio-Whitaker February 7, 2017]
A major mission of this blog is to lead
mankind away from profit motive. The article
Ecology and the American Indian identifies this human frailty
appropriately: “We will simply exhaust all fishing stock in the
oceans, because there is profit in it for some.” That article
details the care that Native Americans exercised to assure
sustainability and reverence for the earth on which we depend. I
have read of practices that were not ecologically optimum, and of
tribal wars among historical Native Americans. Despite some
shortcomings, we must hold in high respect the example they set
for the current generation. Additional appreciation of indigenous
practices is found in another
article.
In
Article 81 a neighborhood changed from hippie to yuppie at
the cost of depriving some of the hippies of their former
lifestyle. The shift was reasonably civil and nonlethal. In
contrast, I described ruthless changes, especially in America. I
found invited laborers to be innocent of conquest, but I
condemned slavery and genocide. I felt Africans were entitled to
every benefit available in this continent because they were
imported by force. On the other hand, European conquerors were
immoral invaders not entitled to be here at all. The
Gilio-Whitaker article above associates George Washington with
the view that compared Indians to wolves—beasts of prey to be eradicated to make room for
civilization.
Personal brainwashing
Violent displacement of
indigenous people hurts me severely. Already in third grade I was
struggling with the concept articulated in the above
“Ecology” article: “In 1978, Texas gubernatorial
candidate asked a question that epitomized the invader's
outlook. ‘Is this area of Texas more productive, more fulfilling
of God's purpose--are we playing our role of destiny with
this broad expanse of Texas--than when there were five thousand
Indians here eating insects?’ Clement's racist query is
deeply rooted in the American colonial past." I remember
summarizing a third-grade history lesson by writing that the
Indians were not making full use of America, so the European
settlers built it up. To this day I suffer realizing that I had
already been indoctrinated with Clement’s untenable position.
My third grade essay experience makes
clear why I vehemently reject the pessimistic viewpoint that
society is becoming worse. I question where the doubters are
looking, because our collective viewpoint is blossoming,
replacing the ignorant darkness of the past. By leading the way
into the future, we work redemption. Society has improved
dramatically by approaching the light. Let us return our
continent to Chief Seattle’s people and perspective! That
conservation doctrine is the true mindset of shared
abundance.
Return to nature—cultivation, not exploitation
Today’s writing began with a reflection
that after I have eaten three leaves of cabbage, I have had
enough cabbage for the day. That small observation grew into this
large Native American allegory of mother earth.
My nature finds it downright weird to
subject most fresh vegetables to heat: baking, broiling, boiling.
Red beets, pinto beans, and acorn squash, among other hard
vegetables, do need some softening. Although some people eat
potatoes raw, they burn my mouth. On the other hand, we probably
agree that lettuce, celery, radishes, and radish greens are to be
eaten for their freshness; cooking would spoil the very effect we
desire. So, for me this applies to a long list of vegetables:
string beans, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, turnip tops, beet
tops, kale, zucchini, tomatoes, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, bell
peppers, chard, carrots. Cooking reduces their appeal.
The trigger for the article was realizing
that after I ate three large leaves off the outside of the
cabbage head, satiety set in—I did not crave any more cabbage.
The same experience attaches to delicious fresh fruit. There is a
natural point of diminished returns, a safety shut-off.
In stark contrast are the junk food
advertisements that ask, “can you eat only one?” They acknowledge
that the substances are dangerous and build up craving. My body
appreciates one-fifth of a cubic inch of dark chocolate as a very
sufficient treat. That required some training, consisting of
associating sugar with weight gain. After taking off thirty
pounds, I am thoroughly convinced I do not want a second piece of
chocolate or even a first piece of cake. I coupled this
discipline with becoming vegetarian. It has given me a new,
healthier body that is naturally happier.
Counterforce
The light goes on. Artificial sweetening
runs counter to nature by inviting overindulgence. I learned
quickly that enjoyment of raw vegetables is my friend and that
succumbing to advertised treats is the enemy. Now we are back at
the “fishing stock” sentence above, where profit motive
opposes nature.
Long-term survival requires the
discipline that is sustainable: cultivating resources for later
harvest and consuming only to the point that nature requires. I
am thoroughly convinced that I have more satisfaction from my
large raw cabbage leaf than I would from a donut. Tempting me
otherwise for profit is a misdeed. Those who would addict
me to substances like sweetened beverages are the ignoble savages
of today’s story. The proposition that the addict kills himself
voluntarily is morally questionable.
Always the theoretician, I will translate
the allegory to mundane language. I put Native Americans at the
top of the pedestal to represent harmony with nature. The most
important members of our society are those whose direct labor
produces wholesome food. The underlying principle is to be
motivated by the value of our contributions to society without
regard to profit for ourselves. When I am working for your
well-being, behold, I suddenly have 200 million Americans working
for mine. That is far superior to going it alone!
Moreover, respectable collaboration rests on sound principles of
health. The ecological Indian above is a type for the responsible
citizen I try to be.
Being For Others Blog copyright © 2020 Kent Busse
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